Thank you.
Thank you for giving me an opportunity to speak today as part of your study of the treatment of women within the Department of National Defence. I am pleased to be here to give you an update on the evolution of the Sexual Misconduct Response Centre, as well as a snapshot of the projects my team and I are working on.
Since its inception in September 2015, the SMRC has built its operations on the provision of response and support services to members of the Canadian Armed Forces affected by sexual misconduct. It offers confidential, bilingual, client-centred services to members 24-7 and may be accessed by members no matter where in the world they may be. The centre's counsellors all have expertise in working with survivors of sexual trauma and do not have a duty to report.
While these services filled a critical gap, they are not sufficient to address the range of needs affected members have within the complexity of the CAF environment. There is also a need for better coordination of support services and specialized training for those who provide support.
These observations, together with the results of internal reviews and the recommendations of the Office of the Auditor General, identified a requirement for a significant revision of and expansion to the SMRC's mandate and role. As such, as a priority, we have drafted a revised version of our new mandate, a mandate that will support the defence team's overall approach to sexual misconduct by providing expert advice related to sexual misconduct, by monitoring CAF's implementation of policies, programs and services, and by delivering expanded, comprehensive, evidence-based response and support services.
Here's an idea on how we plan to deliver on this mandate. To start, we're in the midst of developing an enhanced response and support coordination program, otherwise known as a case management service. This program will provide better coordinated and broader support for CAF members who have experienced sexual misconduct, regardless of whether or not they have reported the incident.
Members will have a single point of contact in the centre who will provide case management services, assistance in navigating both internal and external services or processes, in-person support, practical assistance in completing forms or victim impact statements and accompaniment. These services will be available to affected members with consent from the time of first disclosure until such time as they indicate that support is no longer required.
The model is based on best practices in the field. In fact, we hired an external consultant with decades of experience in a parallel provincial victim support program to advise us. It's also based on gaps identified in internal and external reviews of CAF services available to victims and consultations with retired and still-serving CAF members who have experienced sexual misconduct.
We want to focus on ensuring that members are at the centre of our response and that their needs guide our actions.
Second, the centre will also be providing funding, through a contribution program, to centres assisting victims of sexual assault in close proximity to the 10 largest bases and wings in Canada. This will increase support options outside of the Canadian Armed Forces. This program is still in the design phase and has not yet been launched.
Third, the centre will play an important role in informing the national victim support strategy that is in the initial planning stages.
In relation to providing expert advice, SMRC has provided recommendations on a number of recent policy documents, and on the content and process for developing the new policy on sexual misconduct. Other examples include membership on the sexual assault review program, established by the Canadian Forces provost marshal, to review unfounded cases of sexual assault dating back to 2010; the provision of advice on cases of sexual misconduct within the military justice system or other complaint processes; and membership on numerous relevant working groups with CAF partners.
These examples speak to CAF's increasing recognition of the need for and value of specialized advice related to sexual misconduct and to the increasing credibility of the SMRC. These types of engagements are essential to the improvement of coordinated victim support services.
While I strive to work collaboratively with the Canadian Armed Forces, I remain committed to the centre's independence, as recommended in the external review in 2015. An external advisory council was established last year to enhance and support the centre's independence.
In the last few months, the external advisory council was instrumental in providing expert advice and recommendations on important interim documents directly related to the implementation of Operation Honour and the external review authority's recommendations. These documents include a clearer definition of sexual misconduct and a decision tree tool to guide members of the chain of command in responding to incidents. An important inclusion in the decision tree is guidance on including, consulting and informing affected members at each step of the process.
I believe that external advice and expertise is crucial to the success of Operation Honour as well as to the centre's mandate. I encourage my team to seek outside advice and expertise as often as possible, which is why last December the SMRC hosted a forum on sexual misconduct at which partners from the Five Eyes nations gathered for the first time to advance a common understanding of what is essential to improve support to victims of sexual misconduct in their militaries and to enhance prevention.
I was immediately invested in the forum, because we had an incredible opportunity to exchange best practices on how to effectively address sexual misconduct in our respective organizations and how to best meet the needs of military members.
One best practice that came out of that forum was the importance of grounding our work within an evidence-based prevention framework. I recently hired an expert with many years of clinical, research and administrative experience in the prevention, assessment and treatment of sexual misconduct. She will develop a comprehensive prevention plan and contribute to refining policy regarding perpetrators.
In terms of diversity, the StatsCan survey on sexual misconduct indicated that members of the LBGTQ2 community are victimized at higher rates. SMRC staff have received specialized training from community agencies and are researching enhancements to service delivery to better meet the needs of these and other specialized groups.
The needs of diverse clients will also be considered in the national victim support strategy that is under development. I am also seeking to add expertise in these issues to the membership of the external advisory council.
Finally, as we continue to identify and respond to developing trends by providing expert advice and monitoring CAF's efforts, my focus will remain on ensuring the provision of efficient, effective and compassionate support that is responsive to members' needs, helping them return to work in a healthy and respectful workplace.
Thank you.