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Durham College (DC) alumni and Toronto police officers Jeremy Burns and Aaron Dale have created a pioneering initiative designed to support Canadian military veterans in their transition to civilian life and the program is now being adapted for veterans around the world.
They are the co-founders of the Military Veterans Wellness Program (MVWP) which is addressing a critical need for support for veterans, particularly those facing mental health challenges, homelessness, and the risk of suicide.
Both Burns and Dale are veterans themselves and drew on personal experience to create the program after recognizing that no formal mechanism or training existed to help veterans.
“I struggled after leaving the military and I was assisted with help from my friends and colleagues, building this program allowed for police across Canada to now help people,” said Dale.
Dale completed the Police Foundations program at Durham College in 2005 while in the Canadian Armed Forces Reserve Force. In 2012, Dale joined the Canadian Special Operations Regiment (CSOR), becoming a Special Forces Operator.
Burns, who graduated from DC’s Law and Security Administration program in 2004 and Penology and Youth program in 2005, joined the Canadian Armed Forces Regular Force in 2007. He was stationed at CFB Edmonton with the 1st Battalion Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry, deploying to Afghanistan in 2009. His experiences in combat, including multiple engagements with enemy forces and surviving several improvised explosive device (IED) strikes, profoundly impacted him and upon returning home, he struggled with mental health challenges.
Although they both attended DC, the pair didn’t meet until they both joined the Toronto Police Service where they discovered a shared interest in developing a program to support other veterans.
They began working on the MVWP in 2019 on their own time and at their own expense spending two years developing the program by speaking to police leaders, health care professionals, veterans, social services and stakeholders. They presented it to the Toronto Police Chief in 2020.
It is now part of mandatory training for Toronto police officers and all officers are expected to complete it by November 2024. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) has launched the MVWP nationally and the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) is implementing it across all of their police stations in the province. It is also available as a free course through the Canadian Police Knowledge Network with more than 12,000 people having completed the training. Over 80 agencies are in the process of implementing it into their service. The program has been recognized by and endorsed by organizations and leaders in the law enforcement and the military community including Veterans Affairs Canada and The Royal Canadian Legion.
Its impact has grown beyond Canada and it is now being recognized for its value globally. The Australian Federal Police invited the MVWP team to Washington to present the program and there is additional interest from UK and American organizations.
“People are joining our cause and championing our program because they believe in it,” said Dale.
The two officers will be deploying to Ukraine in January as part of an international peace and policing operations program and they see an opportunity to support more people through the program.
“Overseas we will represent Canada and build the Military Veterans Wellness Program for the police and people of Ukraine who are now all war veterans,” said Dale.
Burns and Dale have been recognized by DC as nominees for this year’s Premier’s Awards, which recognize outstanding college graduates. The winners of the 2024 Premier’s Awards will be announced on November 25.
