Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I would like to begin by thanking the committee for inviting me to testify this afternoon. I am pleased and honoured to be here today in my capacity as General Counsel for the Office of the Ombudsman for the Department of National Defence and the Canadian Forces to discuss our recent report on operational stress injuries.
The ombudsman's office has been helping to ensure the fair treatment of Canadian Forces members suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and other operational stress injuries since 2002.
At that time, our office made 31 recommendations aimed at helping the Canadian Forces identify and treat operational stress injuries, while at the same time ensuring the fair treatment of all Canadian Forces members.
Over the next few minutes, I will highlight some of the key findings from our most recent report released in December 2008 and the areas where we have found progress has been made by the Department and the Canadian Forces.
I will also underscore some of the areas where we feel more work is required.
Finally, I will highlight some new and evolving issues and problems identified during our most recent investigation.
It is clear from our most recent review that the Canadian Forces has made progress over the past few years in the way it approaches individuals with operational stress injuries. We found evidence of improvements in the Canadian Forces' attempts to prevent, identify, and treat operational stress injuries. Unfortunately, it is also clear that there continue to be cases where injured soldiers, sailors, and airmen and airwomen who have served our country with courage and dedication are slipping through the cracks of an ad hoc system.
During our investigation we discovered that more than half of our original 31 recommendations had not been implemented, either in practice or intent. I believe this has hampered the consistency of care received by the military members across the country who are suffering from mental health injuries.
We also identified a number of areas where progress continues to be slow, particularly with respect to high-level direction and national coordination, the efforts to standardize care and treatment across the Canadian Forces, and the collection of national data and statistics.
Access to quality care still depends on a number of arbitrary factors, including where the military member lives, the distance of the member's base from the nearest large city, the availability of mental health care professionals, and the attitude of the member's superiors and peers.
We were also disappointed to learn that a national database has yet to be created. This database would accurately reflect the number of Canadian Forces personnel who are affected by operational stress injuries. A tool of this kind is critical to understanding the number of Canadian Forces personnel affected by mental health injuries, the extent of the problem, and what needs to be done. Without a national database, the Canadian Forces is unable to evaluate the impact of various clinical interventions and to target education and training initiatives where they are most needed.
Regardless of where they are located, what their duties are, or who they work and train with, all Canadian Forces members are entitled to quality, consistent and timely care when they are injured—whether the injury is physical or psychological.
Some of the problems identified by our office likely could have been prevented with the full implementation of our original 31 recommendations.
At the same time, when we conducted the latest investigation, it became clear to us that new areas of concern had emerged in the six years following our original report. The environment in which Canada's military has been operating in recent years has changed dramatically, particularly in light of the level and intensity of combat operations in Afghanistan. And it is evident that the Canadian Forces and its members are strained almost to the breaking point. This strain also significantly increases the demands on families, caregivers, and mental health care providers.
Taken into account these current realities and problems, we focused on three issues that we considered to be critical in insuring quality and timely care for military members suffering from operational stress injuries.
First, there is a need to strengthen national governance and leadership related to the identification, prevention, and treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder and other operational stress injuries.
Our original report in 2002 stressed the need to appoint a senior officer of significant rank reporting directly to the Chief of the Defence Staff. This officer's primary duty would be to act as a national coordinator for all issues related to operational stress injuries, including the quality and consistency of care, diagnosis and treatment, and training and education across the Canadian Forces. The position would also serve an important practical and symbolic role in helping to put an end to the ongoing stigma associated with operational stress injuries.
Second, it is now apparent that the challenges and difficulties associated with operational stress injuries are not restricted to military personnel alone. When a Canadian Forces member suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder or another mental health injury, the whole family suffers. It may also require support and assistance for each family member.
Our investigators found a number of quality programs offered by provincial and municipal governments, local military family resource centres, and local base chaplains to support military families. Unfortunately, we found no evidence of a coordinated national approach that would ensure that military families are able to consistently access the mental health care and support they may need.
Although the department and the Canadian Forces do not have a legal responsibility in this area, there are compelling reasons for them to ensure that military families have access to timely and appropriate services and support.
First, as mental health injuries are enough the result of military service, and the direct cause of family stress, the Canadian Forces have a moral responsibility to ensure that care and treatment are provided to families.
A second, more practical reason for ensuring the care of military family members is that it could reduce the level of stress on the operational stress injury sufferer and speed up recovery time.
Finally, as part of the broader investigation we also found that much more needs to be done to deal with stress and burnout among Canadian Forces caregivers. This stress is created by a lack of resources and high caseloads. The majority of caregivers interviewed by our office stated that personal stress or burnout was a pressing concern to them, to the point that it was leading some of them to quit the military.
The department and Canadian Forces had informed us, during our investigation, of their intention to hire an additional 218 mental health professionals by the end of March 2009. I understand now that the deadline has been extended to 2010.
Hiring more mental health care workers would be a positive step towards resolving the issue. However, we have concerns that it may be difficult for the Canadian Forces, as just one of the employers across the country vying for health care professionals, to fulfill this commitment, even with this extension to 2010. This makes it even more essential for the military to retain the mental health care professionals already working in the defence community.
Given the very dangerous and demanding nature of the current mission in Afghanistan, it is clear that post-traumatic stress disorder and other operational stress injuries will become an even greater challenge for the military for many years to come. In many respects, this will be a generational challenge for the department, the Canadian Forces, and the Government of Canada as a whole.
We acknowledge that the Canadian Forces has made some progress over the past six years in generally dealing with the issues and challenges related to post-traumatic stress disorder and other operational stress injuries. However, much more needs to be done to ensure that Canadian Forces members suffering from operational stress injuries are diagnosed and receive the care and treatment they need.
Addressing these outstanding issues and implementing the recommendations made in our report will help our Canadian Forces members in many years to come, whether in the Canadian Forces, if they stay, or in their lives as civilians.
At this time, Mr. Chair, I stand ready to take any questions you have. Thank you.
