SPEAKER CANCELLED TO BE RESCHEDULED
Guest Speaker: Chris Munro, Program Advisor
Friday,  March 20, 2020
Location: The National Club, 303 Bay Street
Topic: Veterans Transition to Education Program
 Host:  Sylvia Geist
 
NEW Cost:  Toronto Rotarians and Their Guests: A Lunch Ticket.
Visiting Rotarians and Other Guests $60 Cash at the door
or ahead of time on credit card by calling no later than Thursday
at 416-363-0604 or email: accounts@rotarytoronto.com
 
 
Chris Munro is a registered social worker, researcher, and instructor at Ryerson University. His research focuses on the psychological stressors associated with post-military transitions to civilian life. Chris’ experiences with both the Canadian military (1 PPCLI/2 CDO) and his own transition provide him with insight into the challenges faced by soldiers and former soldiers, as they move from their military careers to a civilian environment. He came to Ryerson University as a mature student, and gained entrance to Ryerson’s Social Work program where he received his undergraduate and Masters degree in Social Work.
 
 
During the years following his release from the Canadian Armed Forces, Chris, like many other veterans, struggled to gain a foothold in Canadian society. The vast differences in sociological perspectives, lifestyle, and social interactions between the two worlds led to several years of struggle culminating in self-destructive behaviours that drove Chris to seek remedial psychiatric support. As a result of his experiences, Chris has focused his life’s work on assisting other veterans with similar transitional issues by researching the unique phenomenon associated with release from the military. Through this research he has developed, and runs a remedial service for former and actively serving military personnel.
 
The Veterans Transition to Education Program (VTE) Chris developed and runs, is a support service situated in Ryerson University, which uses the structures embedded within the academic environment to replace those lost upon release. By providing group and one-on-one counselling, and academic support, Chris has turned his personal transition journey into a remedial tool in order to alleviate the symptoms of the release trauma experienced by the majority of non-commissioned armed forces personnel. 
 
Chris also teaches at Ryerson University and speaks at community events to raise awareness on veteran issues and is involved with the Canadian Armed Forces in their transitional programming.  He is a dedicated husband and parent of two young adults and has made striving for academic and personal excellence a cornerstone in his personal and professional endeavours.