Owners of a downtown Trail cafe have been recognized for their long-standing support of OSISS, which stands for Operational Stress Injury Social Support.
The support program is a joint Veterans Affairs/Department of National Defense program that provides peer support services to serving and retired military personnel.
“The support provided by Trail Coffee is instrumental in the success of the program in the Trail area,” said Bud Guthrie, OSISS coordinator.
OSISS volunteer Lyle Crispin and participant Clay Derouin presented a Certificate of Appreciation to Maddie Van Horn, owner of Trail Coffee Company, last week.
Van Horn, and former business owner Jeff Bruce, have been staunch supporters of OSISS for many years.
Anyone interested in the OSISS program can call the OSISS BC Interior Peer Support Coordinator , Bud Guthrie CD at 250-770-4479.
More about OSISS:
Operational Stress Injuries (OSI) are very real and have always been a part of military history.
These invisible wounds that injure the mind and spirit can be just as fatal as physical wounds, and an OSI sufferer does not have to face his/her recovery alone.
Operational Stress Injury Social Support (OSISS) offers support by listening to those who are suffering, drawing on similar experiences, and providing assistance and guidance using resources available from the Department of National Defence (DND), Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC), and the community.
Serving and retired members of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF), and their families, affected by an OSI are eligible to participate in OSISS.
Created by CAF personnel and their family members who experienced first-hand the effects of an OSI, it is a confidential, non-clinical, peer-based, social support program that helps individuals return to a healthier quality of life.
The mission of OSISS is to establish, develop and improve social support programs for CAF members, veterans, and their families affected by an OSI.
It also provides education and training within the armed forces community to create an understanding and acceptance of these invisible wounds.
Peer support coordinators are available at more than 20 locations across Canada.
These are trained, former CAF personnel and CAF family members who have firsthand experience with an OSI.
The peer support coordinators have the knowledge and resources to help OSI sufferers. They can put them in contact with staff at VAC and/or the CAF who can address issues surrounding release, pension, or treatment. They can help to access specially designed OSI programs or other community resources.
The peer support coordinator will listen, make suggestions and leave the choices to the individual.
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