Veterans Affairs Committee on March 27th, 2012

[Peter Stoffer, NDP, Sackville—Eastern Shore, NS]

In Canada, for example, we have an organization called the Veterans Review and Appeal Board. When an individual disagrees with the particular benefit, or if they didn't get a benefit, they are assigned a lawyer, paid for by the Department of Veterans Affairs in Canada, to help them adjudicate their case before the board itself.

Do you have anything similar to that in the United States?

[Cheryl Flohr]

We have veterans service organizations available. I shouldn't say that VA has, but there are veterans service organizations available to veterans to assist them with their claims and appeals preparation. Those are offered free of charge to the veteran.

A veteran also has the right to obtain a paid attorney at his or her own expense.

[Peter Stoffer, NDP, Sackville—Eastern Shore, NS]

Okay.

How many people work for the Department of Veterans Affairs in the United States?

[Cheryl Flohr]

The number is 315,000.

[Peter Stoffer, NDP, Sackville—Eastern Shore, NS]

Of the 315,000, how many would have once worn the uniform?

[Cheryl Flohr]

The last data I saw was specific to VBA, and it was slightly more than 50%. I can't speak for all of VA.

[Susan McCrea, Executive Assistant, Intergovernmental Affairs, United States Department of Veterans Affairs]

For all of VA, it is a third. For instance, in our National Cemetery Administration, I think about 73% are veterans.

[Peter Stoffer, NDP, Sackville—Eastern Shore, NS]

One of the concerns that we've heard.... When I first saw the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall, I noticed the 58,000 names that were on there. But we've been told that many more returning veterans from Vietnam unfortunately took their own lives, numbering in the many thousands.

Can you advise, with many of the military personnel returning from Iraq and Afghanistan having very serious psychological problems, what lessons you have learned to facilitate and assist these men and women from doing harm to themselves or to their family members because of the severe trauma they went through?

What advice can you give us concerning some of our veterans who are suffering through those psychological problems months and years after the event?

And I thank you very much for your time.

[Michael Fisher]

For the Iraq/Afghanistan veterans, it's about early access. It's about getting out to the events, whether it's to demobilization events or events that are happening in their communities, to make them aware of what services are available to them.

I talked in my presentation about the Vet Center program. We have that veteran-to-veteran connection, whereby a very large percentage of us, as you said, have worn the uniform and have served in combat zones. It allows us instant credibility when we're able to speak with somebody, because we speak the same language they do. It allows them to get comfortable. Then we start talking about what services they might need and about getting them connected to those services.

You also brought up the question of those individuals for whom, months to years after serving, that suffering comes up. That is a reality of post-traumatic stress disorder. It's active outreach in that case as well. It's going out to these events and making as many connections as one possibly can to make people know of the benefits they're entitled to.

[Margarita Cocker]

If I may add something as well about the service-connected disability rating, when a service member is in the process of transitioning out or has transitioned out recently, they do not have to wait for the entire process to take place for their disability rating. If there is medical documentation that the VA can use to determine if the disability will be rated at 20% or higher, that decision can be expedited in as much as three days. Then the veteran can begin the rehabilitation process while he or she awaits the final decision from the VA. Even if that final decision on the disability rating becomes less than 20% based on all the evaluations, they can still remain in the vocational rehab program until the point of rehabilitation.

[The Chair, Conservative, Greg Kerr]

Thank you very much.

Before I move on, I'm wondering if it's possible to have the name of the mystery guest. Our recorder likes to have the name, just for the information.

[Susan McCrea]

I'm Susan McCrea, and I'm with Intergovernmental Affairs.

[The Chair, Conservative, Greg Kerr]

Susan McCrea, welcome. We can't quite peek around the corner to see you, but it's nice to know you're there.

Thank you very much.

[Susan McCrea]

It's deliberate.

[The Chair, Conservative, Greg Kerr]

Now to Mr. Storseth, for five minutes, please.

[Brian Storseth, Conservative, Westlock—St. Paul, AB]

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. Thank you to everybody for presenting today. It's a very interesting topic.

I have a couple of questions for you that will move it around a little bit.

One of the questions is whether you've been experiencing some of the same issues we have with modern-day veterans—in your case, coming back from Iraq or Afghanistan—who haven't been utilizing the traditional organizations to get their benefits or to look at things.

[Michael Fisher]

Yes, we have experienced those.

One of my slides talks about the Vet Center services that were provided in fiscal year 2011. It shows that 30% of the veterans who come to Vet Centers use only Vet Center services; they don't use any other VHA services. In part that is because they don't need other services; they just want to talk with somebody.

Another portion are people who are still getting comfortable with VA services and getting comfortable with VA.

So yes, we have experienced that. It's getting out there to them, going to where the veteran is at, talking to them, making them comfortable with the services, and then getting them into where they need to go.

[Brian Storseth, Conservative, Westlock—St. Paul, AB]

What's been the most effective tool that you've used to reach out to them? Is it new technology, social media, or is it some other form?

[Michael Fisher]

To be honest with you, it's the veteran-to-veteran connection. I talked before about that common language, being able to go out and speak the same things, having that instant credibility, if you will, as well as having advertisements and all of that. That helps as well.

[Brian Storseth, Conservative, Westlock—St. Paul, AB]

How aware have you found that veterans are of the benefits that are available for them, particularly the modern-day vets coming home?

[Cheryl Flohr]

As I mentioned, every transitioning service member has the opportunity to attend a transition assistance briefing, which is a four-hour briefing that is dedicated solely to the VA benefits and services that are available to them upon discharge.

[Brian Storseth, Conservative, Westlock—St. Paul, AB]

Is that available to their spouses as well?

[Cheryl Flohr]

I believe spouses are invited to attend the briefings. In my experience, I have not seen a lot of family members.

[Margarita Cocker]

If the veteran has severe disabilities and is hospitalized, if we do the transition briefing at their bedside, the family members would be present.

One of the issues we have found is that because the transition assistance program has not been mandatory for every transitioning service member, some elect not to participate in the entire process. But recent legislation will be making that process mandatory, which will enable us to make sure that every service member exiting gets the full benefit of all of the information that could help them in their transition.

[Brian Storseth, Conservative, Westlock—St. Paul, AB]

One other question I have is on the call centre. I thought it was a unique idea. How well has the uptake been on the call centre, and what resources are allocated to it, i.e., mental health resources or training for the individuals? If they identify a problem, can they send you to another individual?

It seems like something that would be very useful.