National Defence Committee on Feb. 12th, 2008

[Steven Blaney, Conservative, Lévis—Bellechasse, QC]

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Welcome to our CF members responsible for health services.

Lieutenant Colonel Blais, I want to thank you for being here. This is our second meeting on post-traumatic stress disorder. Basically, we want to ensure that returning soldiers who are experiencing mental health problems receive the treatment they need.

Last week, we were somewhat reassured by the testimony we heard. Witnesses explained and demystified this disorder. Nearly 25,000 soldiers have been rotated through Kandahar since the start of this mission. I learned that nearly 17% of the soldiers returned from this mission with mental health problem, addiction issues and so forth. That number is quite high, in my estimation. Could you confirm these figures for me?

Two things can happen to a soldier deployed to Kandahar: either he can sustain a physically injury or experience situations that leave psychological scars. Can you describe for us what happens between the time a solider is injured or suffers emotional trauma in a theatre of operations and the time he returns to his home base?

[Col David Weger]

Again, we may not be the best people to answer your question. You would be better off speaking to a member of our health services who could walk you through the process.

[Steven Blaney, Conservative, Lévis—Bellechasse, QC]

I understand.

Colonel Weger, you are the Director, Health Services Personnel. You explained to us how you are responsible for training and rehabilitation programs. Is that correct?

[Col David Weger]

Not exactly. Basically, I am responsible for ensuring that health service providers have the qualifications needed to serve our personnel deployed overseas. My responsibility extends to professional training courses for our medical technical personnel, that is to providing the skills required to operate in the field. However, I am not responsible for training non health services personnel, or for training personnel associated with rehabilitation. That is truly the domain of health services.

[Steven Blaney, Conservative, Lévis—Bellechasse, QC]

So then, you provide training to medical personnel, to technicians working in the field. Is that correct?

[Col David Weger]

Yes. I am responsible for ensuring that they have opportunities to develop their skills.

[Steven Blaney, Conservative, Lévis—Bellechasse, QC]

Do you work with military or civilian personnel?

[Col David Weger]

Almost exclusively with military personnel. One or two courses are available for civilian personnel working in clinics, but in 98% of cases, we work with military members.

[Steven Blaney, Conservative, Lévis—Bellechasse, QC]

I see. Thank you.

[LCol Gerry Blais]

I would be happy to answer any other questions you may have. From a non-clinical standpoint, I can be of some assistance. When the member returns to Canada, a designated officer is assigned to him.

[Steven Blaney, Conservative, Lévis—Bellechasse, QC]

Regardless of the nature of the injury, whether physical or otherwise?

[LCol Gerry Blais]

Regardless of the injury. The designated officer acts as a guide, so to speak, for the injured member. First of all, he helps the member find his way through the administrative system. He also helps the member get to his appointments. If the member has problems with his chain of command or some such thing, the designated officer is there to lend a hand. As I said, the centre will be assigning more staff to certain detachments to provide one-stop shopping for injured members. They will be able to avail themselves of the Return to Work Program. All services, with the exception of health care services, will be available in one location to make life easier for injured members.

[Steven Blaney, Conservative, Lévis—Bellechasse, QC]

When you say that you plan to assign more staff, are you implying that at this point in time, you are not necessarily able to handle all of the members who are either injured or experiencing some trauma?

[LCol Gerry Blais]

We have the capacity to deal with them but at this time, a great deal of support is provided by the member's unit. However, that may not necessarily be the best place to get the support needed. Therefore, if we develop a centre of expertise to deal solely with injured soldiers, we will be able to offer them an improved level of service.

[Steven Blaney, Conservative, Lévis—Bellechasse, QC]

So then, regardless of whether a soldier is physically injured...For example, a member may return to Canada and not yet realize that he has a problem. He may subsequently exhibit signs of the disorder. At what point do you intervene?

[LCol Gerry Blais]

As a rule, the member must be diagnosed first as having a problem.

[Steven Blaney, Conservative, Lévis—Bellechasse, QC]

Who makes that diagnosis? Is it Health Services?

[LCol Gerry Blais]

Health Services personnel are the only ones who can make that diagnosis.

[Steven Blaney, Conservative, Lévis—Bellechasse, QC]

That would be military health services. That is not your area of responsibility.

[LCol Gerry Blais]

No, it is not.

[Steven Blaney, Conservative, Lévis—Bellechasse, QC]

Your area of responsibility is...

[LCol Gerry Blais]

I am responsible for providing support through social programs, for providing administrative support to CF members.

[Steven Blaney, Conservative, Lévis—Bellechasse, QC]

I would like to come back for a moment to the case of a returning member who has been diagnosed with a drinking problem, for example. What kind of help would he get?

[LCol Gerry Blais]

Health clinics are staffed with counsellors to help members with problems of this nature.

[Steven Blaney, Conservative, Lévis—Bellechasse, QC]

Will an officer be assigned to this member?