Thank you, Mr. Chair.
It is my pleasure to be here this afternoon with Major-General Millar and other Canadian armed forces colleagues to discuss how we work together for the care of the ill and injured Canadian armed forces personnel and veterans.
Joining me today is my director of operational stress injuries, Raymond Lalonde. So if we have technical questions, Mr. Lalonde can take them.
I am very new to my role at Veterans Affairs Canada. It is month three for me, as I started in late December. However, I am not new to serving Canadians or to a service delivery, operational organization.
I joined that from Service Canada, where I was a regional assistant deputy minister accountable for the delivery and administration of programs for the Atlantic region. Prior to that I worked with various senior management positions in the Government of Canada, such as Transport Canada, Public Works and Government Services, and the former Canada Customs and Revenue Agency.
First, in that context I will briefly discuss the VAC—Veterans Affairs—and Canadian armed forces joint steering committee, which I co-chair on behalf of Veterans Affairs alongside Major-General Millar.
Veterans Affairs Canada and the Canadian Armed Forces have distinct mandates, but it is in the care of the ill and injured that our efforts on behalf of Canadians merge. Those we serve may still be in uniform, in the process of being released from the Canadian Armed Forces or former members.
Those who were injured during their service have a right to expect us to coordinate our services and efforts as much as possible to meet their needs, as do the loved ones of those who were killed in service. This is why the steering committee exists.
The committee brings together VAC and CAF personnel at the senior operational and policy level, fostering a strong working relationship between our organizations to address program and policy gaps and ensure continuity of services received by the ill and injured members and their families as they move, as they transition to civilian life.
It's more than an advisory body. It's a decision-making body that identifies, manages, coordinates, and prioritizes the activities and the initiatives that involve and impact both organizations and those we have the honour to serve.
The committee's recommendations go to our deputy heads for final ratification.
The committee's joint priorities generally fall under the effort to ensure a continuum of services, including in the areas of mental health and family support. There is a focus on joint research, as well, where applicable.
So what does this cooperation look like? At our last discussion on January 14, for example, we agreed to focus on how we can more effectively integrate efforts to harmonize and streamline support to Canadian Armed Forces members in the areas of employment transition, rehabilitation, mental health and suicide prevention.
I look forward to our next meeting, on April 1, when we will continue discussing these issues.
Now that I've explained a little bit about the steering committee and how we strategically work together, allow me to speak more specifically about VAC and the role in caring for our ill and injured.
As Major-General Millar has mentioned, the CAF has primary responsibility for the care of military personnel while they are still in uniform. CF members may, however, be eligible for VAC disability pensions for a service-related injury even while in uniform.
Following release, VAC is responsible for the care, the treatment, and the re-establishment of veterans into civilian life. We share this responsibility with provincial and territorial governments and with the communities.
Our goal is to ensure the continuity of care the member and their family have come to expect from the Canadian Armed Forces and to do so as seamlessly as possible. This is why, as my colleague explained, our teams work side by side at integrated personnel support centres.
Today, Veterans Affairs Canada has more than 100 employees working with Canadian Armed Forces personnel at these centres on or near bases or wings.
VAC's responsibility to care for ill and injured CF members begins in most cases before the member leaves the forces. VAC's staff meet with members as they begin their release process to provide a personal transition interview where needs are explored and identified before release occurs. In the last fiscal year there were 4,145 of these interviews completed. The interviews serve to identify potential risks and/or barriers to the successful transition to civilian life as well as offering VAC staff the opportunity to explain the benefits and services available from the department and other service partners for the releasing members and families.
For those who may require individual case management the information provided by the member is then used to create a personalized VAC case plan in close coordination with the CF care and service providers.
In the case of veterans with complex needs, a Veterans Affairs Canada case manager works with them and their family to do a detailed and holistic assessment of their circumstances and to develop a case plan to address their needs, as well as determine potential eligibility for Veterans Affairs Canada programs and services.