Evidence of meeting #44 for Veterans Affairs in the 41st Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was program.
A recording is available from Parliament.
9:20 a.m.
Conservative
Laurie Hawn Conservative Edmonton Centre, AB
Okay.
Do the other two witnesses have any insight on that?
9:20 a.m.
Director General, Morale and Welfare Services, Department of National Defence
No, sir.
9:20 a.m.
Conservative
Laurie Hawn Conservative Edmonton Centre, AB
Okay. It hasn't caused SISIP a problem from your knowledge. You may not know, I guess.
9:20 a.m.
Associate Vice-President, Operations Policy and Product Management, Department of National Defence
Because we don't know, the only thing I can say is that maybe some day it will cause concern at Treasury Board.
9:20 a.m.
Conservative
Laurie Hawn Conservative Edmonton Centre, AB
Okay.
Talking about the peer program, and peers, in my experience, are the best folks to provide actual counselling, non-professional, but very effective. Are we short of peers? Are peers coming forward? Are they readily available, Colonel Blais?
9:20 a.m.
Director, Casualty Support Management, Department of National Defence
As a matter of fact, they are. We have 53 on staff at the moment. Veterans Affairs is looking to add another 15 on the family side as well in the near future. We also have a robust network of about 120 volunteers who provide peer support. We also have the peer support program for families of the fallen, called the HOPE program. Other than one public servant who manages it, it is all volunteers, families, who have lost a loved one in service.
Our program at the moment is quite robust.
9:20 a.m.
Conservative
Laurie Hawn Conservative Edmonton Centre, AB
Those are spread across the country, the numbers you gave.
9:20 a.m.
Director, Casualty Support Management, Department of National Defence
They are, sir.
9:20 a.m.
Conservative
Laurie Hawn Conservative Edmonton Centre, AB
How do we deal with...? This is always one of the difficult situations, particularly with reservists. Somebody who's from Timmins, for the sake of argument, how difficult is it to get some peer support for a person there?
9:20 a.m.
Director, Casualty Support Management, Department of National Defence
It is not. We would provide the service first by telephone, and if there's a need, a sort of a crisis situation, we have not hesitated at any time to send somebody to the individual to provide them with the support they need.
9:20 a.m.
Director, Casualty Support Management, Department of National Defence
Yes, we do.
9:20 a.m.
Conservative
Laurie Hawn Conservative Edmonton Centre, AB
Good. One of the things we've looked at a lot on this committee with all of the things that VAC offers and now all the things that SISIP offers, and some of them are not in conflict but they're sort of operating side by side, is how to find the best ways to align that so that it is seamless. SISIP picks up this part, VAC picks up this part, or whatever. How far along are we on that because it can get pretty complicated?
I guess Mark or—
9:20 a.m.
Director General, Morale and Welfare Services, Department of National Defence
Are you referring to between VAC and us, or within my organization?
9:20 a.m.
Conservative
Laurie Hawn Conservative Edmonton Centre, AB
Between the VAC benefits and the SISIP benefits, because they're not stacked. Some come in here; some come in there.
9:20 a.m.
Director General, Morale and Welfare Services, Department of National Defence
I should say we work very closely with Veterans Affairs. The Veterans Affairs liaison officer is on my staff. I'll just talk first about SISIP and the joint personnel support unit. They work very closely together because they're just down the hall. We've overcome the silos and they work very efficiently.
At the integrated personnel support centres, in the field we have Veterans Affairs personnel actually situated with our military personnel and our public servants to work cohesively. I think over the last several years we've actually done a great deal to eliminate any problems of duplication.
I think what you're also referring to, sir, is some of the perceived duplications. We're working now with Veterans Affairs to examine areas to make sure things are more seamless.
9:20 a.m.
Conservative
9:20 a.m.
NDP
Sylvain Chicoine NDP Châteauguay—Saint-Constant, QC
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I also want to thank the witnesses for being here this morning.
Mr. Hawn started talking about this, as did Mr. Lemieux.
I'd first like to ask a simple question. Do you know approximately how many military members retire annually?
9:20 a.m.
Director, Casualty Support Management, Department of National Defence
About 5,000 people retire, 1,200 of whom do so for health reasons.
9:20 a.m.
NDP
Sylvain Chicoine NDP Châteauguay—Saint-Constant, QC
Great. Thank you.
Could you explain some differences to me? I gather that there are differences between rehabilitation services available to military members under the Service Income Security Insurance Plan, or SISIP, and those available through Veterans Affairs Canada.
What are the major differences between rehabilitation services received through SISIP and those received through Veterans Affairs Canada?
9:20 a.m.
Associate Vice-President, Operations Policy and Product Management, Department of National Defence
Two years ago, a change was made to the rehabilitation services at Veterans Affairs Canada. An envelope approach is now used, where a total benefit amount is provided to cover the costs of providing services to an individual for a maximum period of four years. SISIP's disability policy uses a different approach, and no changes have been made so as to harmonize it with the VAC program.
As I said earlier, our approach is based on the initial 24 months, and that includes a specific amount for education, travel, Internet, book and other costs. Frankly, the amounts and the approaches are very similar. The Veterans Affairs Canada program was actually created in 2006 with the SISIP program serving as a model.
9:25 a.m.
NDP
Sylvain Chicoine NDP Châteauguay—Saint-Constant, QC
So there is no major difference. Military members can obtain roughly the same rehabilitation services in both cases.
9:25 a.m.
Associate Vice-President, Operations Policy and Product Management, Department of National Defence
They can, in principle, but the program for veterans is administered by Canada Company.
9:25 a.m.
Director, Casualty Support Management, Department of National Defence
Canada Company is an independent body.
