It is indeed a critical point in a releasing member's experience. The experience that they have in the Canadian Forces is not the same as having a career in many other walks of life. For those who are leaving the Forces, they feel a loss of their connection to their careers. We recognize in Veterans Affairs Canada just how sensitive and important this juncture is in their lives.
With respect to how we work with DND, I'm going to mention two areas. We have a number of areas where we have formal agreements with DND about how we will support the smooth integration and transition of members as they release, but I'll focus on two right now. The first one is what we call the “continuity of care”. This means that as VAC and DND develop new programs and services, they will ensure that there is an integration or harmonization between them. So if a member is releasing from the military, and if he has medical issues or needs vocational assistance, he'll be prepared for that transition from the military by the Department of National Defence.
Our goal—and we work very closely on this—is to make sure that we link up with them as early in the process as possible, that our programs and services are harmonized with theirs, and that our case managers are connected with theirs early on, so that the releasing member gets to know the VAC case manager. That transition, which can be a two-year process, is a partnership. When they leave the Department of National Defence, they're not entering an unknown area. They will be well acquainted with VAC and with their VAC case manager.
The other area that is perhaps more important for the releasing member with a medical or psychological issue is what we call our “casualty management and transition”. It requires a high level of agreement between the two departments. We ensure that those with medical or psychosocial issues are fully supported. This starts from the moment they're injured. Both departments receive notification of the injury at the same time. VAC case managers are assigned along with DND case managers, and the support and the benefits and services are provided by Veterans Affairs Canada, often well before release from the military. We work to support that individual through a full reintegration, including assistance in setting up a new career. At the same time, we want to support the family. That's part of the process.