Veterans Affairs Committee on Feb. 9th, 2012

[Annick Papillon, NDP, Québec, QC]

So, basically, it is somewhat similar. There is some tailoring to the needs of veterans specifically, but the types of services are the same as they would be at other job fairs or information sessions.

I would like to give the next few minutes to Ms. Gueulette so she can tell us a bit more about her suggestions for the committee.

You had two suggestions. What would you like us to spend more time on? You can take the next few minutes to explain it in more detail.

[Tricia Gueulette]

I'd be happy to go through my two suggestions.

The first one I talked about is ensuring holistic coordination of vocational rehabilitation services from the time of injury. I know there are integrated support centres across the country, but vocational rehabilitation services for our Canadian Forces members and veterans is disjointed--not through the fault of anybody, but that's simply the way the system has been built up. We're dealing with two different departments, and sometimes that can be tricky.

When a Canadian Forces member is injured, once they have started to stabilize and are still serving it might be a good time to really have a look at what they can do next vocationally. I know there have been a lot of good intentions, but I'm talking about making it a more holistic approach. That is my first suggestion.

My second suggestion has to do with compensation for retraining. Again, this is no fault of anybody. It's simply the way the structure of the system is. Right now veterans are prepaying for their training, books, tools, and everything they need to work their plan, and that can be a hardship for many. My suggestion is to take away that hardship, that barrier, and tweak it. We're paying for those things anyway. It's an efficiency. It would just require tweaking the system to make it easier for them.

Those are my two suggestions.

[The Chair, Conservative, Greg Kerr]

Thank you very much, Ms. Gueulette.

We're going to Mr. Anders. Following this pattern, we're going to give you a very generous four minutes.

[Rob Anders, Conservative, Calgary West, AB]

Sure.

You were mentioning that a lot of the people you dealt with had post-traumatic stress disorder. I'm wondering what some of the more interesting scenarios are that you've had to deal with, the more severe cases, and what restrictions it posed for that person or persons in terms of finding employment.

[Tricia Gueulette]

Every person displays different symptoms of it. A lot of our veterans can't be around large crowds of people, they have difficulty sleeping, and loud noises are hard for them. So it requires that we be very sensitive to situations we're placing them in.

Some of our veterans can't work with anybody. They find it that difficult. So again, it requires that we be very sensitive to that situation. We'll often work right hand in hand with their psychologists or psychiatrists when helping them with their plan in those cases. Those are some of the more severe cases.

[Rob Anders, Conservative, Calgary West, AB]

Do you have any other stories about veterans?

[Bill Foster]

There's a fairly fundamental difference here between CanVet and ourselves, in that, primarily, our services are not for disabled members or veterans.

We do have individuals who have acknowledged that they have PTSD when they come into our program. The way we work our counselling with them is to focus on whether or not they're able to conduct a job search, and the vast majority can. In situations where these individuals are incapable of maintaining their job search or conducting a job search, we have a referral system back to the Department of Veterans Affairs, and then they have their own mechanisms, through case management, to be able to help these folks if they're having difficulty with some of the basic functions of conducting a job search.

[Carol Hurst]

And then placement to a more appropriate program that will meet their needs.

[Bill Foster]

Yes.

If they go into CanVet, they can be transferred into the rehab program. They're no longer part of our program.

[Rob Anders, Conservative, Calgary West, AB]

Okay.

To follow up on your commentary, you said they sometimes have troubles with large crowds of people. I take it that wouldn't be something that's directly attributable to a battlefield condition, because you don't normally fight among a whole crowd of people, but is it because there are so many stimuli that it sets them off?

[Tricia Gueulette]

Yes, exactly. You're walking in, and then there's the noise. Yes, you've hit the nail on the head.

[Rob Anders, Conservative, Calgary West, AB]

Okay, thank you.

With that, Mr. Chairman, I'll pass the time off to one of my colleagues if they so wish.

[The Chair, Conservative, Greg Kerr]

Thank you.

Ms. Adams.

[Eve Adams, Conservative, Mississauga—Brampton South, ON]

This question is for CanVet. Could you explain in some greater detail about your partnership with the March of Dimes?

[Tricia Gueulette]

Absolutely.

We have a contractual joint venture with both the March of Dimes and Innovative Rehabilitation Consultants.

As I mentioned before, we are the contract manager and provide services to veterans in British Columbia and overseas. March of Dimes provides the face-to-face services in Ontario, Quebec, and the Atlantic region, and IRC provides services in the prairies.

[The Chair, Conservative, Greg Kerr]

Mr. Harris would like a question, if you want to share your time. He's flapping his hand at me.

[Eve Adams, Conservative, Mississauga—Brampton South, ON]

Sure.

[The Chair, Conservative, Greg Kerr]

Ask a very quick one, Mr. Harris, please.

[Dick Harris, Conservative, Cariboo—Prince George, BC]

Mr. Foster and Ms. Hurst, you mentioned that you contract with the government for recruitment.

[Carol Hurst]

In Australia, our manpower parent company.

[Dick Harris, Conservative, Cariboo—Prince George, BC]

In Australia, okay.

I wasn't aware that Canada had contracted on any of the—

[Carol Hurst]

No. That would be news to us as well. That would be in Australia.

[Dick Harris, Conservative, Cariboo—Prince George, BC]

That was my only question.

[The Chair, Conservative, Greg Kerr]

Okay.

It turns out to be bang on a four-minute session.

Now we'll go to Monsieur Genest for four minutes.

[Réjean Genest, NDP, Shefford, QC]

I would like to know whether your two companies are in competition with one another, whether they deliver complementary services or whether each provides its intervention separately? If there is a problem, is it always necessary to go through the government to switch from one company to the other?