Shilo, Manitoba
Master Corporal Daniel McInnis is a currently serving member of the 2nd Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry. He served in the Canadian mission in Afghanistan and has been a tireless supporter of Veterans overcoming the burdens of mental health problems.
Master Corporal McInnis is a leader in mental wellness outreach in his Regiment. In December 2013, he helped conceptualize, found and promote the Peer Support initiative, “Send Up the Count.” This is a social media campaign created by current and former members of the Canadian Armed Forces to reach out to comrades who may be at risk of suicide or other self-harm behaviours. Since its inception, Master Corporal McInnis has worked tirelessly to help with the administration of the group’s greater than 13,000 participants—the majority of whom are members of the military or the Veteran community in Canada. He does all of this while being an active member of his Regiment and balancing his work as a peer supporter with the Canadian Armed Forces’ Sentinels Program. He has brought his own experiences and challenges to bear in helping to confront the very real stigma surrounding mental illness faced by Canadian service men and women and Veterans.
Since his involvement in the campaign, Master Corporal McInnis has, on several occasions, assisted in identifying Veterans currently in crisis. He has reached out to them and helped them while they access appropriate professional or peer support resources. He has supported and guided members of “Send Up the Count” to get police and emergency medical services on the ground to help prevent in-progress suicide attempts by Veterans in crisis. Further, he has been a key player within his Battalion in helping to identify and provide support to serving soldiers who are facing mental health problems. His dedication to the welfare of Veterans in crisis sets an example worth emulating and recognizing.