Veterans receiving help from OSI clinic

The issue of post-traumatic stress disorder has plagued many veterans in our community. A southern Alberta organization called Carewest Operational Stress Injury Clinic is providing help for veterans who have experienced an operational stress injury. During the year the clinic will average around 400-600 clients.

Stormy Marshall, the senior manager of the clinic, says they are entirely funded by Veterans Affairs Canada. He explains what exactly an operational stress injury is.

“It’s used to describe a broad range of problems which include diagnosed medical conditions such as anxiety disorders, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder also known as PTSD, as well as other conditions that may be less severe but still interfere with daily functioning. It comes from various experiences such as active combat. But there’s other areas which can cause an OSI such as search and rescue operations, training accidents, casualties and other situations which are prevalent within service. So these experiences then interfere with a person’s life and that’s termed an OSI.”

Marshall adds that there is currently no cost to veterans to access the clinic.