Help us raise $10,000 to enroll veterans, first responders, frontline workers, and public safety personnel living with PTSD or experiencing mental health problems as a consequence of their duties in public safety roles. Our next rotation will be held in the Fall of 2024.

Mission: To provide a program based around philanthropy to help veterans and first responders living with PTSD and occupational stress injuries (OSI).

Vision: Eliminating mental and spiritual anguish caused by PTSD by responding to human need with human care.

Camp Aftermath is a one year program for veterans, first responders, frontline workers, and public safety personnel living with PTSD and consists of three phases: screening, philanthropic volunteerism, and follow-up. The overall aim of this approach is to ensure that participants are provided with long-lasting, empowering tools. Throughout the three phases, data will be collected both for research and improvement, and to ensure that the expected benefits are experienced and absorbed by the participants. The program is focused on providing participants with a renewed sense of purpose by shifting their focus away from their own distress by realizing their potential to give back by helping others and being part of something that is bigger than themselves. This enables healing by providing them with positive psychological anchors achieved through volunteerism. Throughout this program, participants will also engage in proven therapeutic activities such as meditation, yoga, group therapy, and working with the environment and animals with the aim of forming new and positive habits.

Camp Aftermath’s novel approach to the long-term management of PTSD/OSI or other mental health issues through active volunteerism has attracted the attention of mental health professionals and organizations in Canada, including ProjectBe, Boots on the Ground, and Movember. Dr. John Whelan, a clinical psychologist with a career in the Canadian Armed Forces, who also sits on our Advisory Committee, firmly believes that Camp Aftermath’s special ingredient is active philanthropy: “The idea of giving back and contributing to society is a wonderful way of re-establishing a connection to the community."

Phase 1 – Screening and Preparation

Applicant candidates are made aware of Camp Aftermath’s concept of utilizing volunteerism as a method of long-term PTSD management. Care is taken to ensure that applicants know clearly what to expect and what not to expect from the program. They are required to make an informed consent and commitment to a one-year program not only to the Camp Aftermath program but to the other participants as well.
The candidate goes through a mental health screening process by qualified experts which mostly focuses on the candidate’s suitability and safety for all involved. The screening process will involve possible contact by Aftermath experts with the candidate’s family doctor/mental health therapist, and meetings in group settings with other candidates and Aftermath experts. The objective will be to start acquaintances and build trust amongst the group members in preparation for Phase 2. The main focus will be to understand trauma themes among program participants and the process of volunteerism in Phase 3. All screened participants, Camp Aftermath volunteers and the mental health expert will meet for two days of group therapy sessions to set the framework before deploying to Costa Rica.

Phase 2 – One Week deployment at Camp Garagona in Quebec

Screened participants and designated Camp Aftermath staff, including mental health experts, deploy for one week to Camp Garagona in Quebec.
Once Camp Garagona, participants will participate in volunteer activities aimed at helping humans and the environment. All volunteer work will be done with Camp Garagona for the purposes of gaining positive feedback on the difference they make in the lives of the people they help.
Before and after every volunteer activity, Camp Aftermath’s mental health experts will be conducting group therapy sessions to ensure all participants benefit from the exercises and to resolve any issues. The participants’ family members will become involved at this stage by participating in at least one video conference with the participants and the mental health expert to discuss the benefits and desired outcomes from the Camp Aftermath experience.
During their stay at Camp Garagona, it is expected that participants will start forming positive habits and rituals such as yoga, physical activity and healthy eating.
Near the end of the one-week itinerary, Camp Aftermath volunteers will assist in starting the process of enrolling the participants in their desired volunteer activities with charities in Canada to ensure that the momentum from the trip is maintained after returning home.

Phase 3 – Continuous follow-up

Upon returning from Camp Garagona, participants will spend time with mental health experts and Camp Aftermath volunteers to conduct group therapy sessions. This will give participants a chance to unwind from the flurry of activities at Camp Garagona and discuss real-life changes which they would want to implement in their daily lives.
Camp Aftermath case officers will facilitate enrollment of participants into charities of their choice. This process will be started in Phase 1 and ongoing to Phase 3. Case officers will maintain contact with the charities of choice to ensure suitability and participation.
Camp Aftermath case officers will then meet virtually (e.g. Skype) once a week with all participants as a group to discuss the week’s events and to discuss challenges and successes with regard to volunteerism as a way of once again serving others. Participants will be encouraged to keep up the positive practices begun at Camp Garagona to ensure they become habits.
If participants are accessible, case officers will meet with them once a month.
Weekly virtual and monthly physical meetings with participants will continue for one year.

Stay informed on our progress and other initiatives at campaftermath.org and on Facebook , Instagram and Twitter. Thank you for supporting Camp Aftermath!

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