Osiss Meetings

[myheadhurts]

Do any of you attend? Are they worth going to?

I thought I would try to attend a OSISS meeting a local legion today. The idea is to meet with fellow soldiers and other professionals for peer support. I've been trying to find details about the meets for a couple weeks now and I kept getting the run around with contact info and dates and times.

I thought I had nailed it down and drove across the city to attend. I ended up arriving 30 min early and ended up grabbing a couple beer at a pub around the corner to calm my nerves. I wish I didn't need it but I thought I my heart was going to explode.

I arrived 2 min before the meeting was to start and was told the meeting was 3 hour earlier. Man was I pissed! Not sure if I'll try again. That's part of my problem... I only give people one chance to make a first impression.

 

[JennyMac]

Sounds frustrating for sure. You should call them....God knows how many others have had the same thing happen to them. Veryy unprofessional.

 

[Zipperhead]

Bruce Phillips, Peer Support Coordinator[email protected]

That's the coordinator for Ottawa. Cantact him directly. Don't go through the JPSU.

The meetings are peer led social outings. They are ment to get you out in a "public" setting, show you you are not alone, that your symtoms are normal, and to allow you to see that it does get better. But the OSSISS coordinator is a full time job. You can meet with them one on one to discuss your personnal details. They helped me fill out my paper work for Veterans Afairs. They went with me to a meeting with Veterans Affairs when I got the run around, just to make sure things were done right. I dropped into thier office many times when I was feeling hopeless. And perhaps the greatest part they did for me was pick me up after my first 6 therapy sessions and took me for coffee. When I was closest to that cliff they made sure I didn't do something stupid. I'm not saying that the Ottawa guys are going to give you the same experience, but that's what I got in Gagetown. If you get half of what I got out of it, I think it will be worth your while.

 

[myheadhurts]

Update - I`ve attended a couple meetings so far. There`s two groups so I thought I would try each a couple times and then decide what group to attend. Both groups meet at legions on opposite sides of the city. Funny thing is the East end meeting is at the same time as a board game group so you have a butch of head cases talking about their feelings and 20 feet away there is group playing D&D.

 

[Zipperhead]

Sounds like the Legion is doing it's usual fabulous job of looking out for the welfare of todays Veteran. Obviously there are no Korean / WW II Vets in the group.