Creation of a Chair in Leadership in Teaching, Awareness, Self-Management, and Support (SENSAS) for the Well-Being of Veterans and Their Families.

Laval University, in partnership with the Center of Excellence on Chronic Pain for Canadian Veterans (CESLDC), is launching a first in Canada with the creation of the SENSAS (Awareness, Self-Management, and Support) Chair in Teaching Leadership for the Well-Being of Veterans and Their Families. This initiative aims to address a pressing need: chronic pain affects 41% of veterans, twice as many as in the civilian population, while specific resources remain scarce, particularly in Quebec.

The Chair, led by Pascale Marier-Deschênes, assistant professor in the Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care, will develop, among other things, a bilingual online program for chronic pain self-management, co-created with veterans. This program can be used alone or as a complement to professional care. At the same time, the Chair aims to raise awareness among the student community, faculty, and health professionals about the unique realities of veterans and their families by developing interactive training modules on topics such as military culture and the transition to civilian life.

The CESLDC’s $500,000 in financial support over five years will enable the Chair to roll out this innovative program, in addition to promoting the ongoing professional development of clinicians already in practice. This interdisciplinary and collaborative approach reflects the values of social engagement and responsibility upheld by Laval University and its Faculty of Medicine.

For Laval University Rector Sophie D’Amours, this project illustrates the concrete impact that the university can have on society, while Dean Julien Poitras emphasizes the importance of training professionals who are better equipped to support veterans in their care journey. This chair marks an important step toward greater recognition of the specific needs of this population.

Source: Laval University News
Photo credits: Yan Doublet, Laval University