Thank you, Ms. Pellerin.
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
The mental health and well-being of veterans and their families is indeed a priority for our department. We recognize the serious impact that operational stress injuries can have on Canadian Forces personnel, veterans and their families. That is why we work diligently to ensure that evidence-based services are in place to support veterans with mental health conditions, and their families, in their journey to recovery, and to help ensure their successful re-establishment in civilian life.
These initiatives are built around the Veterans Affairs Canada Mental Health Strategy that focuses on ensuring a continuum of programs and services based on the key determinants of health, such as economic, social and physical environments, personal health practices, coping skills etc., to help meet the holistic needs of veterans and their families.
The mental health strategy also aims to enhance awareness of the needs of veterans and their families in their communities, and build sufficient capacity among Veterans Affairs programs, provincial and community organizations, and providers to effectively treat veterans and their families, and ensure that there are no gaps.
Over the years, Veterans Affairs Canada has greatly expanded its mental health services. In 2006, the new Veterans Charter introduced a full package of transition programs and services that has significantly enhanced the department's capacity to support veterans and their families living with mental health conditions.
Since then, we have also doubled the number of operational stress injury clinics and successfully integrated telemental health services in all of our clinics. This ensures that all veterans in need, including those located in remote areas or who cannot otherwise easily access an OSI clinic in person, can nonetheless receive timely services. Today, between Veterans Affairs Canada and the Department of National Defence, there are 17 specialized clinics across the country that provide assessment and treatment services to Canadian Forces members and veterans with operational stress injuries.
In addition, there are approximately 4,000 registered mental health professionals across the country, 200 of whom are clinical care managers who can provide intensive day-to-day support to veterans who have particularly complex mental health needs. For veterans struggling with substance abuse problems and operational stress injuries, there are several in-patient programs available throughout Canada that specialize in the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder, for instance, complicated by addictions.
Veterans Affairs Canada and the Canadian Forces have also developed what is now an internationally recognized peer support program, which includes specially trained peers, but also family peer support coordinators who have firsthand experience with operational stress. They provide the most vital support to fellow CF members, veterans, and their families. The department also provides, through the VAC assistance line, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, access to counselling and referral services for mental health concerns. Also, pastoral outreach services, made up of a network of 200 chaplains, are made available by Veterans Affairs Canada. These chaplains provide spiritual guidance and support for veterans and their families in need.
Our approach is veteran and family centred. It is based on the latest scientific evidence and on the social determinants of health, and it is partnership-based. We work in strong collaboration with partners, both in the community and in government, including the Department of National Defence, and in this instance to also promote successful transition to civilian life for releasing Canadian Forces members and to stay abreast of trends in the domain of military and veteran mental health.
In short, veterans with mental health needs have access to specialized mental health care services across the country, for assessment, for early intervention, treatment, rehabilitation, and ongoing care via Veterans Affairs Canada, community service providers, and the VAC-DND network of operational stress injury clinics.
We believe that our approach is working. Today, Veterans Affairs Canada is assisting more than 15,300 veterans and their families with mental health conditions. As the needs of veterans and their families evolve, our mental health strategy is being revised to keep pace, so that we can continue to assist with the recovery process based on the key determinants of health.
The strategy will continue to support successful transition into civilian life, enhance awareness of the needs of veterans and their families in the communities where they live, further facilitate the veterans' rehabilitation as needed, contribute to the improvement of personal and family well-being, and build strong partnerships with provincial and community organizations and providers to ensure that there are no gaps in the support for our deserving veterans and their families.
Thank you for your time today, Mr. Chair. I would be happy to answer any questions you might have.