Christmas can be a time of stress, especially for those already dealing with operational stress injury (OSI), commonly found in public safety personnel.

OSI-CAN is dedicated to helping serving members and veterans of the armed forces, and first responders. They provide weekly peer support meetings in eight communities in Saskatchewan, including here in Estevan.

"Individuals can come and discuss the issues that they're dealing with as well as recovery, particularly hope, resilience, and recovery, in a non-judgemental, non-criticized type of environment that is built on anonymity as well," shared Julius Brown, provincial coordinator for OSI-CAN. "It's at the support group level where other issues are identified and then routed through our network of service providers."

Brown said they also provide funding for service dogs and counseling, as well as provide a phone-in support group for those in remote communities or dealing with mobility issues. He encourages people to reach out for help, explaining that the holiday season can be a stressful time, especially for those already dealing with operational stress injury (OSI) and post-traumatic stress injury.

The peer support groups take place every Wednesday at the Royal Canadian Legion at 7 p.m.