Vergie Charlery
PhD Student
| Degrees: | MSW & BSW (Laurentian University) |
About Me:
I am a clinical social worker with the Canadian Armed Forces, working in a policy capacity at the Directorate of Mental Health. I hold a Bachelor of Social Work and Master of Social Work from Laurentian University and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Ottawa. While my current professional role focuses on policy development, I maintain a clinical caseload one day per week, working with military members experiencing trauma-related issues. Common presenting concerns among my clients also include depression and anxiety. Both professionally and academically, my central interest lies in trauma, its origins, its impact, and how systems of care can be transformed to better respond to it.
About My Research:
My decades of work within the military have revealed a persistent and troubling gap: racialized service members often face barriers to culturally competent mental health care, particularly when it comes to the recognition and treatment of racial trauma. My doctoral research aims to explore how institutional policy can evolve to acknowledge and address racial trauma as a legitimate and serious clinical issue within the Canadian Armed Forces. I am committed to seeing a change in how racialized military personnel are supported and to advocating for systemic improvements that ensure culturally responsive, equitable care for all who serve their country.