Veterans Affairs committee  First, I'd like to thank you all for inviting me to speak today. I hope the voice of proactive engagement has resonated, because I believe in my heart we can negate many of the problems that have been created. I think also we have to address stigma, address the mental health wound, and come out positively and affirmatively to those who have been wounded to encourage them to self-identify the moment the wound presents.

Veterans Affairs committee  The problem is stigma, and I am going to say that again so everyone understands.

Veterans Affairs committee  That stigma interferes when that is the platoon unit. He is not coming forward. She is not coming forward. She does not want to be an outcast of that family. She does not want to be the weak link. I served in the Royal Canadian Regiment. We have deployed so many times wherever, but particularly in Afghanistan, where I know people who have sustained, after three tours, serious mental wounds but will not come forward and will not admit it until they get out.

Veterans Affairs committee  I will say just quickly, Irene, that I'm on the old system, and when I've spoken to SISIP, I have never ever had a problem with their services. As you know, we speak to that issue, but the problems I've had with Veterans Affairs could have been resolved if there had been proactive outreach when I got out, because I didn't hear from them for a long time.

Veterans Affairs committee  I don't think they understood the repercussions of going to war in Afghanistan or the repercussions of the mental wounds that our young men and women would sustain. No, they were not prepared. As they attempt and struggle to cope with the problems, we've had suicides. We don't track suicides in the veterans community.

Veterans Affairs committee  I'll be quick.

Veterans Affairs committee  No, and I would like to clarify here. When we talk about financial support, you have to differentiate between the pain and suffering award and the actual obligation you have to provide economic stability through the income replacement program. These are two separate issues. When we talk of the Pension Act, that pension I get every month for life, that 45% for my back and ears, is a pain and suffering award.

Veterans Affairs committee  Absolutely. The situation now is a result of the rapid influx of new employees. They're being peer-trained, as they call it. You'll be assigned to a CSA or a case manager, and they will train you. I think that's okay in the sense of on-the-job training, but I also believe that there must be formal training.

Veterans Affairs committee  Absolutely.

Veterans Affairs committee  Yes.

Veterans Affairs committee  Sure. We've spoken to two groups just now. They do not take money from the government. They're completely self-sufficient. It's the same with the Canadian Veterans Advocacy. We don't take money either. In order to provide effective peer support, there has to be an infrastructure at some time.

Veterans Affairs committee  You know, you should also put in there “when it comes to crisis” because, fundamentally, half the time that is when we get Veterans Affairs involved—when Kimberly's husband goes adrift, when something like this happens. When I say “proactive”, I mean across the board. This is not only a matter of being active on the mandate of Veterans Affairs Canada, of all the policies catered for your individual case.

Veterans Affairs committee  My name is Michael Blais. I'm the president and founder of the Canadian Veterans Advocacy. Today I am very pleased to be accompanied by our director, Sylvain Chartrand, who, I might add, serves on the minister's service delivery advisory group. I want to thank you for the invitation to join you today to speak about the department's service delivery issues.

Veterans Affairs committee  Do it. Skip the crap. Let's do it. You say, well, they're doing this, they're doing that.

Veterans Affairs committee  That's my recommendation.