IMPACTS OF THEMILITARY LIFESTYLE

Valcartier Military Family Resource Centre’s Community

Engagement Pilot-ProjectExperience and Results

Presented to the Community Engagement Working Group

Ottawa, June 12th, 2014

© Valcartier Family Centre, November 2013

© Valcartier Family Centre, November 2013

Objective

To educate service providers

To better meet the needs of military families

The origin

From to 2009 until now

© Valcartier Family Centre, November 2013

Pyramid Model

Feedback- Opening to a global

understanding vs. what is said in the mediaResults

- 100% of the participants would recommend this training to others

- 94% understood the military lifestyle better and felt more equipped

© Valcartier Family Centre, November 2013

FUTURE CHALLENGES

- Loss of interest from the civilian population

- Persistent prejudices- Reaching government bodies

and private organizations- Pre-established training

schedules- Financial cutbacks

© Valcartier Family Centre, November 2013

Results 13-14

- Increased outreach to service providers who now know our organisation (353 schools, 38 CLSC, 100 other organisations)

- 21 formal presentations- Youth employment centre- Private clinics (SW, psychologists)- Anglophone Health Services- CLSC- Schools and Daycares- Family Centres- Cegep and University – SW Students

- Many informal presentations- Financial partners- Chain of command (all CO’s)

About 500 contacts

More than 21 organisations trained

© Valcartier Family Centre, November 2013

Results 14-15 / Next Steps

Results from last year’s project- New organisations contacting us (about

cases, to ask for more presentations or tools)

- Helps recruit CFMAP private practitioners

Our intentions- Next steps :

- Reach out to business partners - Reach out on a political level- Scientific validation

Politicians

Business people

© Valcartier Family Centre, November 2013

Keys to Success

- Easy and accessible visual: the pyramid- Flexible tool: 2 min to 2 hours- Use all our existing contacts and family

members themselves- New message: positive and complete picture

of the military family reality

- Friendly approach: participating in partner activities, building relationships first, showing who we are, using existing contacts, raising awareness.

2 minutes or 2 hours