Thank you.
Mr. Chairman and members of the committee, l am very pleased to have the opportunity to appear before you once again to respond to questions pertaining to the care of ill and injured Canadian armed forces personnel and the various forms of transition assistance provided to military personnel. The joint personnel support unit is dedicated to providing standardized, high quality, consistent personal and administrative support to ill and injured Canadian armed forces members, former members, their families, and families of the deceased, with the assistance of partner organizations. The support provided encompasses all areas other than medical care, which is the purview of the Canadian Forces health services. The director of casualty support management is responsible for the development, promulgation, and continuous improvement of programs and policies delivered by the joint personnel support unit.
When a Canadian armed forces member is seriously injured or suffers an illness to the extent that they will be away from their normal duties for a considerable period of time, they typically go through three phases: recovery, rehabilitation, and reintegration.
Recovery is the period of treatment and convalescence during which patients transition from initial onset of illness or injury to the point where they are stable and ready to receive longer-term medical care and optimize their functional capacity in many aspects of their life, vocational, social, and mobility.
Rehabilitation is an active process designed to optimize functional outcomes following injury or illness in order to regain maximum self-efficiency. Rehabilitation can take various forms such as physical, mental and vocational.
Reintegration is the transition to either progressively returning the ill or injured Canadian forces members to a normal work schedule and workload in the Regular Force or Primary Reserves, transition to the Cadet Organization or Rangers, or preparing for a civilian career and life.
There can be significant overlap between the three faces as ill or injured members move from acute recovery to longer-term clinical, physical, mental and vocational rehabilitative support, and often simultaneously prepare to reintegrate. The medical care provided to Canadian Armed Forces personnel is outstanding, timely and comprehensive. The provision of non-medical care and support is extremely complex. The three Rs are anchored to the principle of universality of service. The minimum operational standards associated with this principle include the requirements to be physically fit, employable without significant limitations, and deployable for operational duties.
The term transition does not strictly apply to release from the Canadian armed forces. The primary goal of the armed forces is to return as many ill and injured serving personnel as possible to full duties. In fact, since the stand-up of the joint personnel support unit in 2009, 1,291 personnel posted to the unit successfully completed a return to work program and as a result returned to full military duties. This return can occur in the individual's own occupation or, depending on the extent of their recovery, in a new occupation. In those cases in which it is determined that employment limitations are such that the person cannot meet the parameters of universality of service, they will transition out of the Canadian armed forces and into the care of Veterans Affairs Canada.
As soon as a medical officer determines that the ill or injured person can begin to reintegrate, a return to work plan is developed by the return to work coordinator in conjunction with the individual and their commanding officer. The plan is blessed by the medical officer, and the individual then begins employment. The intensity and complexity of their assigned tasks increases as the member's condition continues to improve.
The ultimate aim is to return the person to full duties. This step is vital, as the individual gains therapeutic, psychological, and social benefits from the return and may actually fully recover more quickly. There are currently more than 900 members of the joint personnel support unit participating in a return to work program.
In addition to the return to work program, there are numerous programs and services available to assist in meeting the needs of our ill and injured, including home modification, vehicle modification, peer support for those suffering from operational stress injuries and for their families, disability compensation for members of the reserve force, and a number of other programs.
For those who are unable to continue to serve in the Canadian Armed Forces, there are a number of programs in place to assist them in returning to gainful employment in the public service or the private sector. Among those are Priority Hiring in the Public Service, Vocational Rehabilitation and Training through the Service Income Security Insurance Plan which includes income support, the Canadian Armed Forces Transition Assistance Program which links those leaving for medical reasons to private sector employers, and programs offered by Veterans Affairs Canada. The private sector has embraced the armed forces and the list of initiatives in which we are jointly involved is impressive including the Military Employment Transition Program which will offer 10,000 jobs to those leaving the armed forces in the next 10 years, a week-long university level course for those looking to launch their own businesses, reduced franchise fees with numerous franchisers, agreements with trade unions, and others.
The stand-up of the joint personnel support unit and its 24 integrated personnel support centres, in which Veterans Affairs Canada is co-located, has greatly facilitated the completion of a seamless transition. Staff from both departments begin to work hand-in-hand on the transition six months prior to the member's departure. For those who will be leaving with complex transition needs, an integrated transition plan is prepared. The preparation of this comprehensive plan includes the serving member along with a wide array of service providers. The plan ensures that needs in the areas of medical care, education, post-release employment, and Veterans Affairs support are addressed.
Once the process is completed, the individual signs the plan to indicate his agreement or indicates why he feels that the plan may not be suitable. There have been very limited instances in which this has been the case. However, when it does occur, a review is conducted, and every attempt within the art of the possible is made to address the member's concerns. Based on the recommendations contained in the integrated transition plan, an individual may be retained for from six months to three years in order to ensure a successful transition.
l am extremely proud of the outstanding dedication demonstrated by the military and civilian staff of the joint personnel support unit. Without fail, their goal is to ensure the well-being of the ill and injured. The numerous letters, emails, and telephone calls of appreciation, as well as a client satisfaction rate in excess of 90% expressed through surveys by those leaving the unit to return to military duty or to civilian life, clearly demonstrate that the unit is achieving its goals.
Our systems may not be perfect and we will continue to strive to improve them with input from injured and ill personnel. The care of the ill and injured, including their successful transition remains one of my, and the Canadian Armed Forces', highest priorities and we continue to examine opportunities to improve and to work in collaboration with public agencies and the private sector to assist those who ultimately leave the Canadian Forces.
Thank you, Mr. Chair.