Yes, we can.
Evidence of meeting #42 for Veterans Affairs in the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was brain.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Evidence of meeting #42 for Veterans Affairs in the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was brain.
A recording is available from Parliament.
4:15 p.m.
Chief Executive Officer, Companion Paws Canada, The LifeLine Canada Foundation
Okay, sorry about that. I was on mute.
4:15 p.m.
Conservative
John Brassard Conservative Barrie—Innisfil, ON
The issue is regarding tax credits. I'm not sure how your program is funded, but one of the things that we've heard about from others in the service dog industry and the therapy industry is the need for tax credits for veterans who have this type of service dog, because of the costs associated with the training, food, veterinary care, and so on. I'm just wondering if you can speak to that.
4:15 p.m.
Chief Executive Officer, Companion Paws Canada, The LifeLine Canada Foundation
Well, I have to say that I never actually took that part into account. I haven't heard that aspect.
As for us, we get our funding strictly from community fundraising, and we fund all of it.
Once the veteran receives the animal, it is up to him or her from then on to afford the food and any vet costs. However, we will be working with veterans right across Canada to be able to offer—at no cost, we hope—anything that is required once the new owner has received our animal.
When it comes to tax credits, it has never actually been discussed or requested. However, I think it is something very good to look at with respect to the veterans, not for our foundation.
4:15 p.m.
Conservative
4:15 p.m.
Conservative
John Brassard Conservative Barrie—Innisfil, ON
I'll move quickly then to Louise and Ed.
One of the things that the minister has in his mandate letter is the need for specialized services for veterans. I know that Sunnybrook has issued a proposal to the government for a specialized in-patient program for PTSD. Is that something you would like to see happen? Would it be beneficial to our veterans?
4:20 p.m.
President and Chief Executive Officer, Mental Health Commission of Canada
It likely would. I'm not familiar with that piece, but what we are proposing is a community-based program. What we are proposing is one in each province and territory. It would be outside of the hospital setting.
February 13th, 2017 / 4:20 p.m.
Liberal
Doug Eyolfson Liberal Charleswood—St. James—Assiniboia—Headingley, MB
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Dr. Merali, in my previous life up until a couple of years ago, I was an emergency physician. I was familiar with ketamine and its use, but in much different phases. We'd be playing anaesthetist when we used ketamine. In that life I had heard in some conversations that some literature was showing up on ketamine, and that it was looking very exciting at that point.
Is its use still in the experimental stage, or is it becoming widespread and an accepted use for ketamine?
4:20 p.m.
President and Chief Executive Officer, The Royal's Institute of Mental Health Research, Royal Ottawa Health Care Group
It is getting more widespread. One of the issues with ketamine, as you know, is that it has to be injected intravenously, which is not an easily accessible modality of administration in other settings, but right now a clinical trial is ongoing for an intranasal administration of ketamine. That's being tested as we speak, but it is still an experimental venture right now. It is not a mainstay therapeutic intervention.
4:20 p.m.
Liberal
Doug Eyolfson Liberal Charleswood—St. James—Assiniboia—Headingley, MB
Is there no oral form of ketamine? I have a vague memory of patients who would come into the department very occasionally who were on that.
4:20 p.m.
President and Chief Executive Officer, The Royal's Institute of Mental Health Research, Royal Ottawa Health Care Group
It's not effective.
4:20 p.m.
Liberal
Doug Eyolfson Liberal Charleswood—St. James—Assiniboia—Headingley, MB
Thank you. That's good to know.
Ms. Hale, I agree completely with your statement on public education for health care providers. Sometimes we would see veterans or even active duty soldiers who would come into the department and we'd know our general treatments. We'd treat anyone else with mental health issues, but we'd know there was something more, and we wouldn't always know.
You talk about public education for health care providers. Has your organization reached out to date to any of the regulatory agencies like the Canadian Medical Association or the College of Physicians and Surgeons or anyone like that?
4:20 p.m.
Director, Operational Stress Injury Clinic, Royal Ottawa Health Care Group
Veterans Affairs—mostly through DND and Dr. Alex Heber—created a platform for physicians and surgeons. That's available online, and it's for CMEs.
There has been some work with the social workers in Ontario. It's more of a public awareness campaign, because I think a lot of education is already out there. It's just that people don't know where to tap into it, nor do they know to ask the questions. That was primarily the thrust of my point. If people just ask the question, then it opens up services already available to veterans. They just don't know they're there. Maybe we need more awareness of what services there are for community providers, but that would be it for me.
4:20 p.m.
Liberal
Doug Eyolfson Liberal Charleswood—St. James—Assiniboia—Headingley, MB
Thank you.
Apparently, you have a self-directed tool for caregivers and there's input from DND and VAC. I may have missed this. Can you tell us what the uptake and the response has been to this?
4:20 p.m.
Director, Operational Stress Injury Clinic, Royal Ottawa Health Care Group
The caregiver resource for families?
4:20 p.m.
Director, Operational Stress Injury Clinic, Royal Ottawa Health Care Group
It's a mobile app and a website platform that was created by some of our clinicians with DND. We ran it by focus groups with military family services. It's a CVT-based online module that caregiver family members can walk themselves through to be educated. First responders are using it as well.
Then we have the mobile app, which is aimed more toward the guys who don't present themselves. They tend to do some self-screening to see where they rate on the scales that would help them. It doesn't diagnose them, but it will cue them whether or not they should be seeking more help. There's information on there for family members and physicians too.
4:20 p.m.
Liberal
Doug Eyolfson Liberal Charleswood—St. James—Assiniboia—Headingley, MB
Thank you.
Dr. Thirlwell, how many applications would you say you've received through the contact information on your website so far?
4:20 p.m.
Vice-Chair, Mission Butterfly Inc.
I know it's six recently. I know that LFCA Meaford requested us to do a run of eight people from the base.
4:20 p.m.
Liberal
Doug Eyolfson Liberal Charleswood—St. James—Assiniboia—Headingley, MB
Thank you.
With regard to the proposed treatment therapies in your submissions, what type of research has your organization collected to support the efficacy of these therapies?
4:25 p.m.
Psychiatrist, Executive Health Team, Mission Butterfly Inc.
The efficacy of the therapies mainly focuses on the whole holistic approach. There isn't the hard data that's available for the drug therapies, but it's definitely showing promising results in clinical reports and data.
The most rigorous data comes from the study by Dr. Harvey Moldofsky and Dr. Richardson from OSI London. They followed 14 years' worth of veterans in sleep studies. They can predict through sleep studies who is going to be more likely to develop PTSD and show signs of PTSD.
Everyone who goes through our program has a rigorous sleep study as well.
4:25 p.m.
Liberal
Doug Eyolfson Liberal Charleswood—St. James—Assiniboia—Headingley, MB
Thank you.
I have 15 seconds. I don't think I have any more questions at this point.
