Evidence of meeting #47 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 information.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Liberal
Bob Bratina Liberal Hamilton East—Stoney Creek, ON
Would 20 be an extreme or maximum? I gather from what you said that some people would have one or two sessions and your group would determine whether further sessions were needed, as opposed to somebody saying, “I'd like to come back next week too.”
National Manager, Business and Customer Relations, Employee Assistance Services, Department of Health
That's right. There needs to be an intervention that is provided to the client. Based on the intervention needed, the amount of sessions is decided.
Liberal
Bob Bratina Liberal Hamilton East—Stoney Creek, ON
When someone calls the number, how do they identify themselves?
National Manager, Business and Customer Relations, Employee Assistance Services, Department of Health
They will identify themself as either a veteran or former military member.
Liberal
Bob Bratina Liberal Hamilton East—Stoney Creek, ON
They simply say, “I'm former military and I need some help”?
National Manager, Business and Customer Relations, Employee Assistance Services, Department of Health
Most of the time, yes, but if they can't or if they've just heard about us and don't know if they qualify for the service, we will ask questions of the person as to whether they have military life experience and if, at that point, they are regular members or former military.
Liberal
Bob Bratina Liberal Hamilton East—Stoney Creek, ON
One of the things we're looking at that we've talked about many times at this committee is continuing the identity of the veteran with their service time and, therefore, maybe having a card or something so they know right away that they have a way of identifying themselves as a veteran. Would you see the use in that?
National Manager, Business and Customer Relations, Employee Assistance Services, Department of Health
Yes. I think....
National Manager, Mental Health Services Unit, Directorate of Mental Health, Department of Veterans Affairs
Yes, that would be a plus.
Having said that, as I mentioned, people don't have to justify it if they were in the military; they just have to mention it. We may believe that some people are receiving services because they've mentioned that they were veterans, but I doubt that people would do that. As for the fact that they don't have to provide any justification, the card would not really be a plus value in that specific case for that specific program.
Liberal
Bob Bratina Liberal Hamilton East—Stoney Creek, ON
It would be very rare, but we've seen cases of people showing up for Remembrance Day with uniforms and medals and....
National Manager, Mental Health Services Unit, Directorate of Mental Health, Department of Veterans Affairs
You're right, sir.
Liberal
Conservative
Robert Gordon Kitchen Conservative Souris—Moose Mountain, SK
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Quickly, I would like to follow up on Mr. Fraser's question. He commented about using peer support.
I want a little more clarification on that and whether you have ever looked at it or thought about this. It's one of the things we're hearing a lot about from our veterans. They're asking, “Isn't somebody there?” We haven't taken our veterans to actually help our veterans. There's this opportunity when you get a call like this where you might be able, on a conference call, to access someone 24-7, someone who can speak the language, because oftentimes people can't speak the language. I know a lot of psychologists and a lot of M.A. and Ph.D. students who do not know the language.
To me at least, having access for that veteran easily attainable in that crisis situation would be a valuable asset for your services. I'm wondering (a), if you have thought about it, and (b) if you haven't and this is the first time, if you see that being of some value.
Director General, Health Professionals Division, Chief Medical Officer, Department of Veterans Affairs
I'll take the first crack at this.
Based on the numbers and the calls, it's not just the veterans. There are RCMP members and there are family members and children. Most of the calls are not for service-related issues, so I would say that so far it has not been an issue. But again, the people who answer the phones are very aware of all the services we have, including OSISS, which has a very large network of peer support people who are ready to assist us. If it's not within the hour, they have a strong network of people that will jump in to assist whenever we reach out to them....
Conservative
Robert Gordon Kitchen Conservative Souris—Moose Mountain, SK
Right, but I'm not talking about service, about someone asking for a service availability. I'm talking about a veteran in crisis with a mental health issue. No matter what that mental health problem may be—because there are many different types of mental health issues—the fact that they might actually have a veteran or someone in the military who, having been there, understands, sometimes just that comfort is enough to maybe bring them down or calm them down. As for having that in a conference call, is that not something that you would see having value?
Director General, Health Professionals Division, Chief Medical Officer, Department of Veterans Affairs
Well, absolutely. There's no doubt as to the value of peer support. Absolutely, it would be of value.
Conservative
Robert Gordon Kitchen Conservative Souris—Moose Mountain, SK
Is there a way that could be put into this program?
Director General, Health Professionals Division, Chief Medical Officer, Department of Veterans Affairs
We can certainly look at it.
Conservative
Liberal
Alaina Lockhart Liberal Fundy Royal, NB
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I want to talk a bit about families and the training provided to them. With other witnesses, we've talked about the first aid training that is presently happening for mental health and suicide prevention. Has there been any thought put to having similar training for family members even before military release? Has that been discussed?
National Manager, Mental Health Services Unit, Directorate of Mental Health, Department of Veterans Affairs
I'm not sure.
I guess what I can say is that right now, as I mentioned, we are working with the Mental Health Commission of Canada to provide two days of mental health first aid training. Right now we have been providing close to 14 sessions across the country, and our goal is to provide at least 150. This is one way that family members can have a bit more knowledge on mental health. This is going to allow them to have a better understanding and maybe see how their husbands or spouses are reacting with different signs.
Also, Dr. Courchesne alluded to our partnership with Saint Elizabeth on a caregiver program that is going to be available in the spring.
Director General, Health Professionals Division, Chief Medical Officer, Department of Veterans Affairs
Also, these programs are offered through the military family resource centre, so they are available to family members before the CF member releases.
Liberal
Alaina Lockhart Liberal Fundy Royal, NB
The only other question I had about that is whether those are paid for in advance or whether the families need to pay for those and be reimbursed.
