Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman.
What Mr. Maguire doesn't tell the committee, because he's very modest, is that even though he is suffering himself, he has helped an awful lot of individuals in the Halifax area in their discussions. It would take too long for him to describe some of the cases, but I just want to thank Bill on behalf of the committee for the work he's done in helping other soldiers, airmen, and veterans recognize that they have a problem and that there is help out there if they seek it.
Dr. Whelan and Mr. Cann, I'm wondering about short-term facilities at which a person can stay, because one of the difficulties we hear about is the family. First, then, do you treat any family members? We heard evidence a couple of years ago that post-traumatic stress can actually be transferable from the veterans to the family and especially the children. Are you treating any of those families?
Second, do you have short-term facilities where someone like Bill, for example, whose wife feels threatened in some way or feels afraid, can go for a weekend or a couple of days in order to get out of the home environment just to have a breather, some discussion, and some time?
Those are my two questions for you. If you don't have those short-term facilities, what would you recommend in that regard?
Also, I'd like to ask about your interaction with the case manager at Veterans Affairs. I know they usually send out people who are under contract to them, such as the VON and so on, to give an assessment of a particular person. Do you feel the contractors who are contracted to DVA have enough knowledge of post-traumatic stress disorders to recognize it, understand it, and make the proper diagnosis or recommendation to DVA so that they in turn can make the recommendation to you?
I thank all three of you for coming.