Our Board Members
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Stephen Beardwood C.D.
Chair/Founding Board Member
Stephen is a Veteran of the Canadian Forces Medical Services, with 17 years experience, having served in combat roles. Following release like many veterans, he had to recreate and transfer his leadership and elite training roles and skills into the business marketplace. Stephen is an Instrumental Guitarist and has written 2 musicals, he is also a proud loving husband to his wife Val, a father of four children and step father to 3 children and a Grandfather.
He is an Entrepreneur graduate of the POE Boot camp (Prince’s charities) and has learnt best practices in marketing, social media, finance, ethics and human resources from leading academics. His strengths in mentoring events with local entrepreneurs, practicing pitching your business concepts and developing preliminary plans for businesses; as well as planning and organizing problem solving is an asset to helping prospective NFP’s and businesses achieve their mutually desired goals
Lori Slaunwhite;
Registered Psychotherapist, RCT, RP, CSAT, NADA-RTie
Director of Clinical Care/Board Member
Lori has been working in the fields of substance use, mental health and trauma for over 25 years. She left a busy private practice in Toronto to return “home” to Nova Scotia where she has continued her work in addiction and mental health.
Trained in social work and psychotherapy, Lori completed her graduate studies in Contemplative Psychotherapy through the Nalanda Institute in New York City. She uses a trauma informed, contemplative approach to her work – seeing the experience of her clients through an attachment focused, family systems lens.
Lori is committed to working alongside non-profit and community based groups. She has sat on a number of boards in both Ontario and Nova Scotia, all with the goal of creating sustainable solutions and opportunities for the communities they serve. Lori is particularly passionate about meeting the needs of veterans, and supports a number of peer driven initiatives.
David Snow
Treasurer/Board Member
David retired in 2017, following a 43-year career in Airport Management. He managed airports in Goose Bay, Stephenville (both in Newfoundland) and most recently, Kingston. The bulk of his career was spent at Halifax Stanfield International Airport, where he led the Operations, Customer Services, Facilities Management and Safety and Environment divisions. He chaired the Canadian Airports Council committee that established Safety Management Systems throughout Canada. Perhaps his greatest accomplishment was leading the team of airport authority, airline and concessionaire employees to international recognition in Customer Service Excellence, where HSIA won the Airports Council International’s Airport Service Quality award, first place in airports under 5 Million passengers worldwide, for four years in a row.
He led operations at HSIA during a $250M CAD airfield restoration project and a $500M CAD terminal expansion and restoration project. Managing a $12M CAD annual operational revenue budget and a $6M annual operational expenditure budget, he brought sound financial management to the executive table. Most recently, he took the now-completed $16M CAD Kingston Airport terminal and runway expansion project from concept, through a complex set of design, environmental and public consultations up to construction contract award. He is married to Leslie, a “Kingston girl”, and they are awaiting their first grandchild. He attended St. Mary’s University where his studies concentrated on economics and financial management.
Michael Beardwood C.D.
Secretary/Founding Board Member
Michael is a Veteran of 22 Years of service with The Canadian Forces Reserve, retiring as a Company Sergeant Major (Master Warrant Officer) of 23 Hamilton Medical Company. His Background is in Security and working with troubled Youth. He is a Founding Member of Shuseikan Canada having recently been authorized by Seiwa Kai International to run a Canadian Branch. Michael is a loving Father to Aiyana and Bridget, and Husband to wife Lucy.
Michael has been involved in Not for Profit Associations since 2005 and has effectively liaised with stakeholders: supervisors; staff; students; and family communicating verbally and through written correspondence. He has maintained an organized administrative office, mentored and facilitated social development of at Risk Youth through counseling, organizing activities, managing student health and safety needs as well as developing youth leadership training programs.
Lisa Pim, R.P., M.A.
Clinical Care Committee Member/Past Direct of Clinical Care
Lisa is a Registered Psychotherapist in the Province of Ontario with a Masters Degree in Counselling Psychology and post-masters training in Psychotherapy Supervision. She is the founder and owner of Belleville Psychotherapy Clinic, founded in 2014, a multi-clinician Psychotherapy practice located in Ontario. Lisa has worked with Veterans for 10 years in the areas of service provision, consultation, and clinical supervision as a leader in the field, advocating for Veterans mental health. In her years of work in the field, Lisa has seen first-hand the needs within the veteran community, by listening to the stories and input of Veteran voices. She brings this knowledge to her work with Veteran’s House. Her focus is to bridge the gap between current practice and optimal care by ensuring that Veteran’s house is focused on supporting effective evidence-based treatment and programs. In her role as the Director of Clinical Care she supports clinical direction, strategy, and education for health providers and associated partnered agencies ensuring that services are the quality of what the Veteran community needs and deserves.
Fabian Henry C.D.
Senior Director of Operations VH
Award winning Executive and veteran advocate with several successful exits and extensive experience in companies of all sizes. Has a track record for his creative approach, analytical thinking, and for assembling the best minds when he tackles any project. Often shows a rare ability to be able to translate complex trauma needs from a unique patient perspective into plain speech. Combining all of the above with his passion for serving the veteran community, Fabian has become a true leader and innovator in Canada setting up 14 medical clinics across the country in 24 months registering over 12,000 medical patients.
Early in Fabians career, he specialized in combat engineering through the Canadian Armed forces deploying 6 times for Canada to places like Afghanistan, Haiti, Pakistan, and Eritrea. His experiences and work ethic lead him to the rank Sergeant in under 10 years along with being a qualified combat diver and parachutist for his trade as specialty skills. Fabian proven ability in his military career would serve well in the leadership style required to pioneer precision process to treat PTSD symptoms and recover.
In 2016, Fabian was instrumental in designing the first MMJ Patient Manager system in Canada under Knalysis Technologies as part owner bringing ground-breaking new software to the cannabis industry that tracks the efficacy of medical cannabis in treating symptoms. Knalysis Tech successfully sold in 2017 to Canada House Wellness Group (CHV:CSE)
In 2018, Fabian invested as part owner with Near Threat Analytics, providing real-time information on the status of various types of threats around the globe using cutting-edge A.I. which sold in March, 2020 to Novus Health, a company offering services in the Health and Travel industry in North America and Europe.
Today, Fabian has taken the leadership and philanthropic role in developing a 4 Pillars of Healing “Heros Journey” back to the spirit.
Our Purpose
Our purpose is to promote quality peer support for veterans. We do this by providing guidance, ongoing support, and mentorship to veterans mental health non-profit organizations, and through providing information and resources to Veterans and Health Care Providers.
Veterans House partners with corporations and individuals committed to giving back to the veteran through one time and continuous funding. As a registered Charity, we are able to provide tax receipts to our donating partners.
Our Mission
Veterans House Alliance International (VHAI) is a Federally Registered Charity supporting halfway, group home type facilities or programs run by participating organization, where Veterans can go to heal from Mental illness and Operational Stress Injuries (OSI), such as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and other injuries, in Canada. This is an opportunity for corporations listing veterans in their statement of corporate social responsibilities to influence the effective treatment of veterans’ health by impacting and decreasing veteran suicides and homelessness. Each year, a single supported facility has the potential to help many veterans and their families recover and reintegrate into society without alienation or feelings of segregation. Veterans House and its supported organizations interface with researchers and practitioners, such as The University of Regina and The Canadian Institute for Military and Veteran Health Research (CIMVHR, Queen’s University) or with other researchers studying the effects of Trauma and PTSD.
Veterans with firsthand knowledge and experience can provide direct feedback to researchers and therapists on how to streamline therapies, to better effect the course of treatment for mental health issues (as exemplified by researchers at CIMVHR Forum 2016).
There are two target markets for Veterans House:
A. Veteran-run or Veteran-focus organizations that provide services to veterans who have or are in the process of being released under section 3A and 3B (medical release); and those still serving or planning to resume full service.;
B. Corporations that are funding or fundraising for veterans and veteran organizations.