Evidence of meeting #15 for Veterans Affairs in the 41st Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was legion.

A recording is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

MPs speaking

Also speaking

Brad White  Dominion Secretary, Dominion Command, Royal Canadian Legion
Andrea Siew  Director, Service Bureau, Royal Canadian Legion
Tim Laidler  Operations Coordinator, Veterans Transition Program, University of British Columbia
Maureen Sinnott  Director, Strategic and Enabling Initiatives, Department of Veterans Affairs
Janice Burke  Director, Mental Health, Department of Veterans Affairs

9:55 a.m.

Director, Strategic and Enabling Initiatives, Department of Veterans Affairs

Maureen Sinnott

It's a point well taken. When we speak about seamless transition from the Canadian Forces to Veterans Affairs, we speak about not just a seamless transition in having a disability application. We speak about a seamless transition in moving from one full organization to another and having a transition interview, having a discussion, having a case manager, and having assistance with making applications for, as you say, a disability benefit. In addition to that, once a disability benefit is assessed, then you have to actually access a treating professional, so that you would have all that put in place for you.

So when you're asking if four to six months is a long time, yes, it can be a long time in some instances. It can be a very short time, too. A hearing loss may not be the only issue that the individual has. One doesn't just return from Afghanistan, as you say, have a hearing test and then enter the police force. If we're listening to Mr. Laidler, there are a lot of activities that--

9:55 a.m.

Conservative

Ben Lobb Conservative Huron—Bruce, ON

Right: I don't dispute that. I just wanted to make my point that sometimes 16 weeks is not seamless enough, but if you're improving, we'll accept that for now.

Another question I have was about page 4, where we're talking about the rehabilitation program and who is eligible. It talks about “spouse, partner, or survivor”. Oftentimes, the man or woman has not yet been married or has no partner. Do those include parents and siblings?

9:55 a.m.

Director, Strategic and Enabling Initiatives, Department of Veterans Affairs

Maureen Sinnott

For access to our...?

9:55 a.m.

Conservative

Ben Lobb Conservative Huron—Bruce, ON

Well, it says “If a Veteran is unable to participate in the...Program due to illness or service-related death, the Veteran's spouse...can have access to program benefits”. So as part of those benefits I would include consultation and maybe psychology, psychiatry, and counselling. Would those services be provided to the parents of the deceased and the siblings?

9:55 a.m.

Director, Mental Health, Department of Veterans Affairs

Janice Burke

I could certainly answer that. For the rehabilitation program, if the veteran is disabled to the extent that he can't fully participate in the program--

9:55 a.m.

Conservative

Ben Lobb Conservative Huron—Bruce, ON

Well, no, I mean.... Simply put: is a parent or a sibling eligible for anything if a man or woman dies on service?

10 a.m.

Director, Mental Health, Department of Veterans Affairs

10 a.m.

Conservative

Ben Lobb Conservative Huron—Bruce, ON

They're not eligible?

10 a.m.

Director, Mental Health, Department of Veterans Affairs

Janice Burke

The parents and siblings would not be eligible for the rehab program. That's for the spouse or the survivor. However, the parents and siblings could access a VAC assistance line that has 24/7 kind of short-term counselling that they can call on if it's required.

10 a.m.

Conservative

Ben Lobb Conservative Huron—Bruce, ON

Short-term counselling?

10 a.m.

Director, Mental Health, Department of Veterans Affairs

10 a.m.

Conservative

Ben Lobb Conservative Huron—Bruce, ON

How long is short-term counselling?

10 a.m.

Director, Mental Health, Department of Veterans Affairs

Janice Burke

I believe approximately eight sessions are provided.

10 a.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Greg Kerr

Thank you very much, Ms. Burke.

Now we'll go to Ms. Adams for five minutes.

10 a.m.

Conservative

Eve Adams Conservative Mississauga—Brampton South, ON

Thank you very much.

I'm following up on Mr. Lobb's questions. Could you let us know the type of educational assistance that's available to veterans when they return home?

10 a.m.

Director, Strategic and Enabling Initiatives, Department of Veterans Affairs

Maureen Sinnott

Yes.

First off, when a veteran releases from the forces and makes the transition to Veterans Affairs through our rehabilitation program, it's not simply medical or psycho-social.... We do assessments. We have providers who do assessments and work with the veteran and the participants in order to determine what their goals are, what they're interested in, and what their abilities and capabilities are.

They will work with the veteran and the family in order to establish a rehabilitation plan, which would include vocational rehabilitation, and that would bring the individual to potential education areas. We do have some--

10 a.m.

Conservative

Eve Adams Conservative Mississauga—Brampton South, ON

Courses at university.

10 a.m.

Director, Strategic and Enabling Initiatives, Department of Veterans Affairs

Maureen Sinnott

We do have some people in university now. We have some people attending colleges. We have people in trade schools. There are various different areas.

10 a.m.

Conservative

Eve Adams Conservative Mississauga—Brampton South, ON

If they are not able to avail themselves of those services, would those services then be available to their spouse?

10 a.m.

Director, Strategic and Enabling Initiatives, Department of Veterans Affairs

Maureen Sinnott

If they are unable to participate, then the spouse could access the programs.

10 a.m.

Conservative

Eve Adams Conservative Mississauga—Brampton South, ON

Okay. In the unfortunate and horrible circumstance that members of our Canadian armed forces have lost their life, what type of educational services are available for their children? What do we actually cover?

10 a.m.

Director, Mental Health, Department of Veterans Affairs

Janice Burke

We have the educational assistance program for the children of members whose death is attributable to service.

10 a.m.

Conservative

Eve Adams Conservative Mississauga—Brampton South, ON

We pay for their university education?

10 a.m.

Director, Mental Health, Department of Veterans Affairs

10 a.m.

Conservative

Eve Adams Conservative Mississauga—Brampton South, ON

When we funded that, did the NDP support that?