Jerris Popik, received an applied psychology degree from Concordia University and a master’s degree in clinical social work from the University of Calgary. She has practiced as a social worker for over 15 years with families of the Canadian Armed Forces and Public Safety Personnel.

Helena and Jerris have been working with families of Veterans and First-Responders within Canada as clinicians, researchers and more importantly disrupters for change around designing evidence-based high quality programs for young people within the community of Trauma Exposed Professionals. Warrior Kids was designed to support youth who are living with a loved one impacted by the unique exposure to operational stress. Building healthy families starts with kids, as opposed to ends with kids. Warrior Kids is a one-of-a-kind mental health program supporting resilience in the unique lives of public safety families. As directors of the Warrior Kids Program they are honored to lead the team of camp facilitators and camp counsellors across Canada to support the youth in families impacted by operational stress injuries.

Sara Jean is born and raised in Southern Ontario, and calls the small village of Tobermory on the shores of Lake Huron home. Growing up in the Great Lakes area, Sara Jean has a passion for the outdoors, which she gets to live out daily working for the Parks Canada Agency. Her love for outdoor learning drove her to obtain a Bachelor’s of Education in 2022 and she hopes to continue to fuse her two passions together. Her favourite meal is fresh fish or a burrito when she’s in the city and she considers herself an amateur historian.

Brandon Bodker is in his final year at the University of Alberta where he is completing a Bachelor of Education Degree. While going to school, Brandon works for the Boys’ and Girls’ Club on Tuesday and Thursday evenings where he co-leads the Game Changers Program; a brand new program for boys who are waitlisted to be paired with big brothers. He also works for McMan Youth Services in their group homes as a Youth Worker. Brandon has previously led summer skateboarding camps at the YMCA for youth aged 6-12 years old and was a caseworker for the National Youth Transition Program where he had a caseload of 25 youths ranging in ages from 13-21. He has had a diverse set of experiences and not always a linear educational path – however, this is what makes Brandon relatable to the groups of youth he works and makes connections with. He prides himself as being an open-minded, empathetic person who values the importance of being intentional in understanding and listening to others. He loves people and learning about their various backgrounds and lived experiences. Outside of youth work, Brandon spends his free time skateboarding, snowboarding, working out, hunting, and anything else that gets him outdoors.

Molly Brierley is a dedicated and compassionate facilitator with extensive experience in child and youth care settings and a passion for supporting children and youth with diverse emotional needs. Having worked in both professional and volunteer capacities, Molly has honed her skills in providing social-emotional mentoring and respite care for children and youth.

With five camps under her belt with Warrior Kids, Molly brings a experience in creating a nurturing environment for youth whose parents face challenges related to PTSD. Her positive attitude, reliability, and strong communication skills help her to guiding children through various camp activities and helping them build new peer relationships. With a background in social work and graphic design, Molly combines creativity with empathy, ensuring every child and youth feels supported and understood. As she continues her journey in the Social Work Degree program at University of Calgary, Molly remains committed to making a positive difference in the lives of children, youth and families facing unique circumstances.

With emergent knowledge regarding the impact of OSIs particularly concerning Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) within military members and their families, researchers have identified children and youth of first responder-connected families (i.e. fire, police, paramedic, corrections, call center dispatchers) at risk for developing mental health difficulties as a result of their parents’ occupational stressors.

Research on military and veteran children with parents impacted by an OSI or diagnosed mental health condition shows poor parental mental health and family stressors can negatively affect a child’s mental health and wellbeing. Now more than ever, first responder families require the social work profession to intervene from a family systems framework that understands the bi-directional impact of trauma leading to negative consequences of parental OSIs on their children.

The first responder population and their families deserve unique evidence-informed prevention and intervention programs that use a holistic view such as, family stress theory to understand the unique issues connected to adverse consequences of OSIs on individual first responders and the mental health and wellbeing of their children.

(Cramm et al., 2016, Carelton, Afifi, Taillieu, et al., 2019)

“I could feel genuine sadness in her (my daughter)…I’ve had a bigger impact on her than I thought I had” (Sherman et al., 2016, p. 406).

Scholars have highlighted connections of secondary traumatic stress and negative emotional and behavioral reactions in children when a parental mental health disorder exists in the family (Cramm et al., 2016; Kelly & Paul, 2018; Sherman et al., 2016)

Over 2 million American children experienced a parent’s deployment to Afghanistan and Iraq. Literature reveals the psychological effects of the service members’ operational stressors cascades through the family system to affect children and their mental health.

(Synder et al., 2016; Foran et al., 2017,Foran, Eckford, Sinclair & Wright, 2017).).

Children aged 8-16 whose parent is a Canadian Armed Forces member, Veteran or First Responder (firefighter, paramedic, emergency dispatcher, correctional services worker, municipal police officer, or member of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police) can participate.

We know that change in one family member, such as a child, affects every other family member. Decades of research in areas of family functioning and traumatic stress suggest experiences of each family member can flow throughout the family system and family-centered approaches to interventions offer positive opportunities to promote mental well-being (Cramm et al., 2016; Sullivan, 2015; Wadsworth et al., 2012).

During the Parent Intake Call, Warrior Kids Directors will discuss with parents what a personalized support plan for each child would look like and consider if the child’s needs can be safely supported during the Warrior Kids Camp Program. This would include, conversation around their specific needs and preferred communication methods, medications needed during camp and any other safety considerations.

How Warrior Kids Camp Can Support Neurodiverse Youth

To support neurodiverse children at camp, it’s crucial to understand their individual needs, provide clear communication, create sensory-friendly environments, offer structured activities with options, and train staff to be responsive and adaptable to different learning styles and communication methods, ensuring they feel safe and included throughout the camp experience.

Key strategies for supporting neurodiverse children at camp:

• Pre-camp communication and planning:
  • Detailed information sharing: Provide parents with comprehensive information about camp schedules, routines, activities, food options, and potential sensory triggers to manage anxieties.
  • Individualized plans: During the Parent Intake Call, Warrior Kids Directors will discuss with parents what a personalized support plan for each child would look like and consider if the child’s needs can be safely supported during the Warrior Kids Camp Program. This would include, conversation around their specific needs and preferred communication methods, medications needed during camp and any other safety considerations.

Staff training: Train all camp staff on neurodiversity, recognizing signs of sensory overload, and appropriate response strategies

Staying overnight in a new location can be stressful for many children and youth. During your Parent Intake Phone Call we will discuss any hesitations your child may have regarding staying overnight at the camp. If your child or youth does not want to stay overnight, please discuss pick up and drop off times for each camp day so your child can still maximize their time at the Warrior Kids camp and not miss out on any of the fun! Parents are asked to pick up their child from camp at a pre-determined time and will drop off their child the next morning for their child to continue their participation.

There is no cost for each child or youth to attend the two day and one night Warrior Kids Camp. All travel and accommodations required for the family to attend camp is not covered.

All camp locations are in central areas near a variety of hotels, beds and breakfasts for each family to choose what works for them. Many hotels offer First Responder or Military discounts.

Yes, during your registration if you identify your child or youth has a food allergy, you will be asked to provide additional details for the catering staff to prepare ahead of time safe meal and snack options.