National Defence Committee on Feb. 12th, 2008

[LCol Gerry Blais]

As I say, now--since September--we have people throughout the country. Earlier we didn't have that. Obviously it's hard to get information if you don't have people on the ground, because geographically we're so dispersed.

[Denis Coderre, Liberal, Bourassa, QC]

However, is data centralized here? For example, if you wish to manage the case of a CF member with specific problems, is the data on file at the base, at the command to which the member is assigned or here? Or, are two copies available?

[LCol Gerry Blais]

The information is on file at the base and the detachment located on the base handles the member's case. However, if these members need additional help or authorizations, for example authorizations for funerals, they turn to us for help. With BlackBerries and other similar devices in use today, authorizations are given within an hour in all cases.

[Denis Coderre, Liberal, Bourassa, QC]

Everything is computerized. How do you manage all of the data?

[LCol Gerry Blais]

Recently, we issued our first report. Since the detachments began operating only in September, last week, we issued an initial list of all CF members who had either been injured or had experienced a health problem. We estimate that the list is 95% accurate. As a result, we can monitor these members regardless of where they may be.

[Denis Coderre, Liberal, Bourassa, QC]

And this is handled by DND, not by an outside service. Correct?

[LCol Gerry Blais]

It is handled by DND.

[The Chair, Conservative, Rick Casson]

Thank you, sir.

We'll go over to the government and then back over to the Bloc.

Mr. Hawn is next.

[Laurie Hawn, Conservative, Edmonton Centre, AB]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thanks, gentlemen, for being here.

I have a couple of quick questions. I met a civilian doctor at Massingar at Christmas. He was the head of trauma for one of the Toronto hospitals--I forget which--and he was over there for a two- or three-month period. Is he unique? Are we getting more like that? Are we going out to try to find them? His story was that he came to us and said that he wanted to do that. Are we getting more like that?

[Col David Weger]

Again, for exact numbers, the director of health services operations would be best placed to provide those, but we use a number of mechanisms. Certainly the fact that we have most of our military specialists embedded within civilian facilities creates an awareness that the opportunities are out there. We do have individuals who, as in the case of this gentleman, step forward and say that it's something they would really like to do--that it appeals to them, that they see it as a way to contribute to the country, and that they would like to take some time and go over there.

In fact, at least two individuals we had on contract as civilians who were sent over for a tour have subsequently come back to Canada and enrolled in the Canadian Forces. It is far more frequent than it was half a decade ago. It will, with luck, become far less frequent as the overall health of our medical speciality occupations improves, but it will certainly always be an option that's out there for those individuals who do indicate that they have an interest in doing this to support us.

[Laurie Hawn, Conservative, Edmonton Centre, AB]

Great, and that brings me to retention. You talked about retention in terms of a percentage of folks. Define retention. Are we talking about an extra three years, five years, two years? How do you define retention?

[Col David Weger]

For general duty medical officers, it is that they stay within the forces after their initial four-year obligatory service period is up. In most instances that means they stay until the end of their initial engagement, which now, in the new terms of service, is 25 years.

With the specialists it's actually linked more closely to how close they are to the 25-year window once they have finished their obligatory service: if they have less than five or six years, they tend to stick it out; if they don't, then they tend to move on.

[Laurie Hawn, Conservative, Edmonton Centre, AB]

I think it was you, Colonel Blais, who talked about the transition aid program, or perhaps you just mentioned it. What are the mechanisms they use? What kinds of agencies are you working with and what kind of success are you having?

[LCol Gerry Blais]

Actually, the transition assistance program is growing by leaps and bounds. The support we're getting throughout the country for injured servicemen is actually quite amazing.

In this program we have a website where we post job opportunities in excess now of 300 companies throughout the country. The individuals who are going to be released for medical reasons place their resumé on the site and matches occur that way. Now we are more active. We're pursuing job matching to assist the individuals in finding the right job. For example, TD Canada Trust sent three of their vice-presidents to us. Just before Christmas we had a meeting, and they just recently hired three military members who were leaving because of fairly serious injuries.

So the program is becoming very, very successful.

[Laurie Hawn, Conservative, Edmonton Centre, AB]

Obviously the whole program is expanding because of the need and because of what we're doing as a country.

This is to either one of you or both of you. In your area, what is the biggest single challenge you think we could do something about?

[Col David Weger]

In my realm--and to be frank, I'm not sure how much this committee can help us on it--we essentially face the same challenges as the civilian health care environment does.

Number one, we're competing for the same already limited pool of health services human resources.

Number two, not entirely but to a very significant extent, we are victim of the vagaries of the civilian health services training establishments. At the universities, for example, programs are constantly expanding time-wise. It's what we call credential creep, which is the idea that now, for example, the baseline employability credential for social workers is now a master's degree. We are forced in this situation to follow those same dictates with respect to education and training in order to ensure that our personnel are provided with the appropriate level of care, the equivalent Canadian level of care. We are, to a certain extent, held hostage by the governing bodies as they change requirements for entry-level education and training.

Lastly, we tend to be, from time to time, our own worst enemies. Due to shortages in uniformed providers, we have to hire civilians. We hire them at rates that make it very attractive for existing uniformed providers to get out and be hired back as civilians, which again creates greater demands to hire civilians. To a certain extent, it's the proverbial catch-22. But certainly our success with the physician attraction and retention initiative shows us that with specific focus in an area and the right motivation we can turn that around.

[The Chair, Conservative, Rick Casson]

Thanks, Mr. Hawn.

We go now to Mr. Bouchard, back to the official opposition, and then back to the government.

Go ahead, Mr. Bouchard.

[Robert Bouchard, Bloc, Chicoutimi—Le Fjord, QC]

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you to all of the witnesses for joining us. I understand that your responsibilities extend to social spheres. Do they also extend to cases of operational stress?

[LCol Gerry Blais]

We manage a social support program for members dealing with operational stress.

[Robert Bouchard, Bloc, Chicoutimi—Le Fjord, QC]

That is excellent.

The authorities had been informed that one hundred or so soldiers from Valcartier who had been deployed to Kandahar were scheduled to return earlier because of injury. After six months of field duty, 68 injuries can be attributed to combat operations. Of this total number, 14 cases of depression can be attributed to operational stress. After six months, 20% of the injuries are linked to mental health problems. As mentioned earlier, 17 % of all soldiers who have returned from Kandahar since the mission first began are experiencing mental health problems.

If the data on the Valcartier troops is correct, then it would seem the numbers have been increasing recently. Would you not agree? In the past, the percentage of CF members with mental health problems was said to be 17%. After six months, the number has climbed to 20%. According to my sources, the incidence of post-operational mental health problems has increased rather significantly.

[Col David Weger]

The figures cannot tell us if we are seeing a trend. The best person to answer that question is our analyst with the forces protection directorate, Dr. Mark Zamorski. I know that he is on your witness list. He will be able to answer your question.

[LCol Gerry Blais]

Sir, it is still too early to say how the CF members returning to Valcartier compare to soldiers who have been on other missions. Unfortunately, it sometimes takes a while—perhaps even several years—before returning members exhibit symptoms of the disorder.

[Robert Bouchard, Bloc, Chicoutimi—Le Fjord, QC]

I read that there is a shortage of personnel, particularly in the mental health field. Since the start of the Canadian mission to Afghanistan, some thirty soldiers have contacted the post-traumatic stress disorder military victims group.

Can you in fact confirm if there is a shortage of personnel to attend to soldiers with mental health issues, given that 30 soldiers have filed complaints with the PTSD victims group?

[Col David Weger]

After they returned to Canada?

[Robert Bouchard, Bloc, Chicoutimi—Le Fjord, QC]

Yes, since the start of the mission.