Veterans Affairs Committee on Feb. 8th, 2017

[Laurie Ogilvie]

Traditionally we haven't done that, but over the last three years we have. At a lot of the recruiting ceremonies, or at the schools, we will do presentations on the type of services available through the military family services program.

I will note that a lot of that information is not something people are taking in at that particular time in their experience. Our big learning has been making sure that the information is consistently provided, at a variety of different points throughout both their career and their family's experience.

[David Graham, Liberal, Laurentides—Labelle, QC]

If I heard correctly, earlier on you referred to the program as giving access to families of medically released veterans.

Is the program restricted to medically released veterans?

[Laurie Ogilvie]

The veteran family program is restricted to medically releasing veterans, yes.

[David Graham, Liberal, Laurentides—Labelle, QC]

Why is that?

[Laurie Ogilvie]

I can't speak to the exact reason. When Veterans Affairs asked us to be able to support the program, that's what we were provided as a parameter.

[David Graham, Liberal, Laurentides—Labelle, QC]

Okay.

MPs' offices provide a lot of government services. That's one of the things we do. We help facilitate them, especially in places like my riding and Mr. Kitchen's riding. We have very large ridings that are far from government offices.

Has any thought been given to going through us, or using our offices to distribute materials? You are a government department, not an external organization. Has there been anything done on that score?

[Laurie Ogilvie]

Not yet, but today now, thank you very much. That's an excellent suggestion.

[David Graham, Liberal, Laurentides—Labelle, QC]

How's my time?

[The Chair, Liberal, Neil Ellis]

That's it.

[David Graham, Liberal, Laurentides—Labelle, QC]

I have no more time.

Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Neil Ellis]

Mr. Brassard.

[John Brassard, Conservative, Barrie—Innisfil, ON]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Mr. Feyko, it's a really tremendous program that you run. The thing that struck me is that whether it's attributable to active service or not, you still take people in. That is really admirable.

I want to pick up on something in the direction that Mr. Fraser, and in some ways Ms. Wagantall, was going in. The quotes struck me, in particular the second one, “The mental and physical pains I have were pushed aside with all sports. I didn't want to slow down; it was tiring but it put me in a happy place.”

We're studying suicide and mental health issues. In how dark of a place are those people who come to your program?

[Maj Jason Feyko]

That's a difficult question to answer, because only the individual would know where they are. We've seen some people in very dark places, where just getting out and doing daily chores is a struggle.

[John Brassard, Conservative, Barrie—Innisfil, ON]

On the issue particularly of suicide prevention, though, when they come to you, do they open up, or are they able to open up on suicide or suicide attempts and dealing with the effects of it?

[Maj Jason Feyko]

We've had some people testify that they've tried or attempted it. They tell us that.

We're not in a position to assess or treat those individuals, from a clinical point of view. We do always try, on the bigger events, to integrate our operational stress injury peer support program as well, so there's somebody embedded in the group who can help those members if they're struggling while they are at one of our camps.

We're trying to allow them to forget those dark places and show them other things that can be done to adapt, that they are not alone and there are lots of other programs. Soldier On can be one door. There are lots of programs out there, if they put up their hand and ask for that help.

[John Brassard, Conservative, Barrie—Innisfil, ON]

Do you facilitate that through your program?

[Maj Jason Feyko]

We can, through the joint personnel support unit and through Veterans Affairs. Whatever support is needed, we'll reach out. We'll never say no.

[John Brassard, Conservative, Barrie—Innisfil, ON]

Okay, thanks.

Laurie, I have a quick question as well, if you don't mind.

Of the $10 million—I know you initially talked about $15 million, $10 million—how much of that is going towards administrative costs? You said there was a large volunteer component.

How much of it goes towards actual service costs, to those families?

[Laurie Ogilvie]

I don't have that direct breakdown with me right now. I can provide that later. We have done the assessment in year one, and I can absolutely provide it.

The one thing I can say is that in the military family services program, we try very hard to ensure that overhead is insignificant in comparison to delivery of dollars to military families, and we use the same philosophy in the veteran family program. I don't have the exact breakdown with me now, though.

[John Brassard, Conservative, Barrie—Innisfil, ON]

Okay.

Finally, one of the things we've heard consistently throughout our testimony is the issue of peer support, not just on a volunteer basis, but also in terms of VAC and hiring people who understand what the military personnel have gone through. In your opinion, should there be a priority on hiring those people who've been in the military in positions where they can help or guide people through the process?

Yes, Jason.

[Maj Jason Feyko]

I agree that they do bring a certain aspect to the table. That's one of the reasons I'm in this position as an injured member being able to give something back, and they do understand the challenges. I would never say I understand everybody's challenges. At the end of the day, yes, it does. I don't know if it should be a priority or not; I can't comment on that.

[John Brassard, Conservative, Barrie—Innisfil, ON]

I think that's it. Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Neil Ellis]

That's it pretty well? Okay.

Lastly, Ms. Mathyssen, you have three minutes.

[Irene Mathyssen, NDP, London—Fanshawe, ON]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Mr. Feyko and Ms. Ogilvie, the ombudsman for National Defence has recommended that all the benefits be in place for medically releasing personnel, things like health care providers, so the transition is less stressful and smoother. It's been called a concierge service. I wonder if you could comment on this in your experience with veterans and their families.

[Laurie Ogilvie]

That's the model we're using with the veteran family program and with the veteran family coordinators at each of the seven locations. When I talked about the family liaison officer who's currently embedded within the integrated personnel support centres, the connection between the family liaison officer and the veteran family coordinator happens pre-release in order to be able to ease that transition for the veteran and their family before, during, and two years after their release into the community services. We're not using the term “concierge”, but “navigator”.