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Webinar: Exploring evidence-informed peer support guidelines for Veterans, military, public safety personnel, and their Families

Date: September 17, 2025
Time: 1:00 – 2:30 p.m. EDT | 11:00 – 12:30 CST
Location: Zoom

Peer support is an important resource in the Veteran, military and public safety community. However, it is crucial for peer support organizations to use best/promising practices that take into consideration the needs of both the person receiving the peer support and the peer supporter. The Atlas Institute for Veterans and Families collaborated with the Canadian Institute for Public Safety Research and Treatment (CIPSRT) and the national Peer Support Community Network to develop new peer support guidelines for Veterans, military, public safety personnel, and their Families, incorporating evidence-informed practices.

Join a panel of experts and people with lived experience for an enriching conversation about the peer support guidelines, why they are important, how they were created, implementation strategies and related findings, including a question-and-answer portion.

This event will be presented in English with simultaneous translation in French.

Registration deadline: September 16, 2025

Our presenters

Nicholas Carleton, PhD

R. Nicholas Carleton is a Professor of Clinical Psychology at the University of Regina, Director of the Psychological Trauma and Stress Systems Lab (ptsslab.ca), and a registered clinical psychologist in Saskatchewan. He is active with several national and international professional associations, and volunteers as a research advisor for numerous organizations. He focuses on the mental health of first responders and other public safety personnel. He has published 280+ peer-reviewed works, completed 500+ national and international conference presentations, and been awarded $108M+ in competitive funding. He has received numerous prestigious recognitions, including induction to the Royal Society of Canada’s College and as a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences. He is principal investigator for the RCMP Longitudinal PTSD Study (rcmpstudy.ca) and extension studies.

Sylvio (Syd) A. Gravel, M.O.M.

Syd Gravel, a retired Staff Sergeant of the Ottawa Police Service, is a founding father of Robin’s Blue Circle, a post-shooting trauma team established and functioning since 1988. He is also a co-founder of Badge of Life Canada, and the Peer and Trauma Support Systems (PATSS) Team proudly affiliated with the Mood Disorders Society of Canada and Canada’s first Director of the Global Mental Health Peer Network. Syd is a Member of the Order of Merit in Canada (M.O.M.) and recipient of the Exemplary Medal and Bar and the Order of Ottawa. He has authored and co-authored 6 books, including, 56 Seconds; Workplace Diversity; How to Survive PTSD and Build Peer Support; Walk the Talk; Slay the Toxic Dragon; and Testimony After Trauma.

Laryssa Lamrock

Laryssa Lamrock has worked with military, Veteran and public safety personnel Families in different capacities over the last 20 years, including extensive experience in the field of Family peer support with operational stress injuries (OSIs) such as anxiety, posttraumatic stress disorder and depression. Today, she is the National Strategic Advisor — Families at the Atlas Institute for Veterans and Families. Along with her professional experience, Laryssa is truly a military Family member as she is the daughter, spouse and mother of formerly or currently serving Canadian Armed Forces members. Her personal experiences in supporting loved one with an OSI and her own journey with depression drives her passion for representing and advocating for Families. She believes strongly not only in the importance of Family involvement in the recovery process of their loved ones mental health injuries but also in the necessity of Family being supported in their own experiences.

Staff Sergeant Beth Milliard, PhD

Dr. Beth Milliard is a police officer with York Regional Police. In her 23rd year she is currently a Uniform Staff Sergeant overseeing a platoon. She was a post-doctoral fellow with CIPSRT and an adjunct professor with Georgian College, Simon Fraser University and the University of Regina. As a subject matter expert in Project Safeguard and Peer Support, she has had the opportunity to speak at venues internationally on her work as a leader in police wellness. She has been the author and peer reviewer of many articles and book chapters related to first responder mental health and wellness. She has completed her master’s in leadership and has her PhD in criminal justice/law and public policy with an emphasis in mental health.

Nicole Sherren, PhD

Dr. Nicole Sherren has a PhD in neuroscience and has spent the past 18 years helping professionals across the health, education, justice and non-profit sectors turn “what we know” from research and evaluation into “what we do” in public policy and professional practice. Using an organizational change management approach, Nicole helps her clients integrate best-practice research into all aspects of their work, with the ultimate goal of improving health and social outcomes for all. Her key areas of expertise include operationalizing the science of early brain development, adverse childhood experiences, and resilience into policy and professional practice; research and evaluation; knowledge translation and mobilization; strategy/project design and execution; community development and system change; professional development; and substance use and mental health.

Questions for our presenters?

You can submit questions for our presenters in advance by emailing: CIPSRT.KT@uregina.ca. We’ll do our best to address as many as possible during the presentation.