Thank you very much, sir.
Mr. Chairman and members of the committee, it's a great privilege to be here this morning.
I should explain that in the role of director general at morale and welfare services, I oversee an organization of over 5,000 people, made up mostly of non-publicly funded employees, followed by a limited number of public servants and military personnel.
In this role, I'm responsible for all the personnel support programs; our retail services, CANEX; our citizen financial services, better known as SISIP; casualty support management, or taking care of our wounded, ill, and injured; our military family services, or looking after our families; our support our troops program, which is all the various military charities; and as well, the Canadian Forces appreciation program.
I'm very pleased to have the opportunity to talk to you today about the transition programs and services provided by the Canadian Armed Forces to military personnel and their families as we help them successfully transition from the hands of the Canadian Armed Forces to their local communities and into the hands of Veterans Affairs.
Joining me today, as you mentioned, sir, are Colonel Gerry Blais, who is the director of casualty support management as well as the commanding officer of the joint personnel support unit, and Mr. Phil Marcus, assistant vice-president of operations at SISIP Financial.
When a Canadian Armed Forces member is seriously injured or suffers an illness to the extent that they cannot function in their regular duties, they are admitted into the care of our own program, consisting of three phases: recovery, rehabilitation, and reintegration. Administered by the 24 integrated personnel support centres, or IPSCs, across the country, this program is compassionate, tailored to the member's needs, and has no set timeline, as recovery from an illness or injury doesn't have a schedule.
In some individual cases, the post-recovery road to transition is measured in months because the member requests that the process be expedited in order to take advantage of employment opportunities that await them outside the military. In these cases, the process takes as little as six months. More typically, however, the path to recovery, rehabilitation, and reintegration is measured in years, from the point of injury to when our members no longer need our help.
We are extremely proud of the resilience and perseverance shown by our recovering personnel and how, through their will and determination, combined with the care and comfort we provide, they demonstrate that anyone can overcome their injury or illness and move on in their lives to do amazing things.
The reintegration phase of our Caring for Our Own program is a shared responsibility among the member, the medical staff, and the chain of command. As soon as a medical officer determines that the ill or injured person can begin to reintegrate, a return-to-duty plan is developed by the return-to-duty coordinator, in conjunction with the individual and their commanding officer. With the concurrence of the medical officer and the care team, the individual starts down the critical path of return to duty. The intensity and complexity of their assigned tasks increase as the member's condition continues to improve. The ultimate aim is to return the person to full duties.
This step is vital, as the individual gains therapeutic, psychological, and social benefits from their return and can actually recover more quickly. The purpose of reintegration is to reinstill confidence, self-esteem, and a sense of pride and self-worth, all key ingredients on the road to recovery.
Unfortunately, the medical limitations assigned to some of our ill and injured do not allow them to continue to pursue a military career, as they no longer meet the conditions of universality of service. For those who transition to civilian life, DND and Veterans Affairs Canada staff begin to work together six months prior to their transition in order to ensure that the process is as smooth and as seamless as possible.
For those leaving with complex transition needs, an integrated personnel plan is prepared with the full involvement of the member and all the potential partners who can contribute. This plan ensures that measures are in place to facilitate the transition to health, education, future employment, and VAC supports. The member is strongly encouraged to bring family members to these planning sessions, as their involvement is critical to a smooth transition. Once the process is complete, the member signs a plan indicating agreement or why they do not believe the plan adequately addresses their needs. It is rather rare that a member does not agree with the proposed plan. If that does occur, a review of the plan is completed in order to address the concerns raised by that member.
The focal point for this effort is the joint personnel support unit and its 24 integrated personnel support centres, employing 117 civilians and 199 military staff and housing family, spiritual, social, and financial support specialists, along with health services, care managers, and Veterans Affairs staff, all in one location. This cohesive and collaborative approach has greatly facilitated the comprehensive care for our members and families.
The JPSU and integrated personnel support centre staff members are extremely dedicated and compassionate, and they do everything possible to ensure a smooth transition for those leaving the Canadian Armed Forces. For those transitioning from our care into the hands of Veterans Affairs due to medical employment limitations, we offer an extensive variety of programs and services to meet their specific needs. All individuals leaving for health reasons have the opportunity to participate in the vocational rehabilitation program for service members in the form of on-the-job training and an education upgrade program.
The service income security insurance plan, known as SISIP, the Canadian Armed Forces long-term disability, is a form of income replacement protection for military personnel, whether they are released for medical reasons or depart voluntarily. SISIP LTD, or long-term disability, is the Canadian Armed Forces disability insurance program. It is similar to all other public service disability plans. Treasury Board is the benefit plan sponsor and is responsible for establishing and modifying the plans and developing policy. Each group benefit plan has a principal administrator, and SISIP is the administrator of the Canadian Armed Forces long-term disability plan.
The program offers the same benefits to all service-related and non-service-related disabled personnel. Personnel who leave the Canadian Armed Forces due to medical limitations receive income support for up to 24 months, or age 65 if unable to return to work. Those who leave of their own volition are eligible for the same benefit if they are deemed to be totally disabled.
A component of this program is SISIP's vocational rehabilitation program, which enables participants to restore or establish their vocational capacity to prepare them for suitable gainful employment in the civilian workforce. The vocational rehab program, or VRP, focuses on the veteran's abilities, interests, and medical limitations and on the potential economic viability of their chosen path to help establish their future. SISIP VRP support can start up to six months prior to release, and is often coordinated with the member and the Canadian Armed Forces VRP program to ensure continuity after release.
My organization is also the portal for third party agencies who wish to assist Canadian Armed Forces members with job opportunities. For example, our latest initiative is the military employment transition program, or MET, a three-partner initiative jointly pursued by the Canadian Armed Forces, Veterans Affairs, and Canada Company. Through this endeavour, more than 200 employer partners are offering jobs to veterans through the “10,000 jobs in 10 years” campaign. Currently there are more jobs than applicants, but that's because we're in the early stages of this program.
We are also working diligently to provide post-service employment opportunities on a wide variety of fronts. For example, Prospect, another not-for-profit enterprise based in western Canada, has an 85% success rate in securing employment for ill and injured veterans in the Edmonton area. It offers follow-up coaching services to both the employer and the employee. This program will soon be piloted in other parts of the country.
Under the auspices of the Prince's Charities, one-week university-based training is available for those who wish to establish their own business. As well, ongoing follow-up assistance is available free of charge.
Helmets to Hardhats offers apprenticeship programs to achieve a journeyman qualification in the building and construction trades, as well as potential management opportunities in the industry. In addition, we continue to work to obtain Red Seal qualifications for as many of our trades as possible to facilitate direct post-military employment in similar civilian occupations.
We also continue to work with the Canadian Franchise Association to explore franchisee opportunities at favourable terms for those who would like to explore this second career avenue.
Regrettably, time does not allow me to describe to you in detail the breadth and depth of many of the transition programs we offer to all military personnel. We will continue to explore opportunities to ensure that members are provided with every possible opportunity to leave the Canadian Armed Forces with the knowledge that there's a wide array of opportunities available for them to launch their second careers.
I'm available, sir, to answer any questions at this time.