Okay.
Evidence of meeting #48 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 you're.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Evidence of meeting #48 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 you're.
A recording is available from Parliament.
4:40 p.m.
Liberal
Doug Eyolfson Liberal Charleswood—St. James—Assiniboia—Headingley, MB
I understand.
When you were told this, were you able to start accessing benefits from VAC at that time?
4:40 p.m.
As an Individual
No. I became a client while I was in the hospital, and then I went on a voluntary rehab course in Belleville, Ontario. It wasn't the vet-sponsored one. It was a fairly tough one—a kick in the ass when I needed it. From there I started completing all the paperwork, and I was assigned a case manager.
4:40 p.m.
Liberal
Doug Eyolfson Liberal Charleswood—St. James—Assiniboia—Headingley, MB
The was 14 years after you released.
4:40 p.m.
Liberal
Doug Eyolfson Liberal Charleswood—St. James—Assiniboia—Headingley, MB
All right.
On behalf of the Government of Canada, I apologize that this happened to you. It should not have happened.
4:40 p.m.
Liberal
Alaina Lockhart Liberal Fundy Royal, NB
Thank you, Mr. Chair, and thank you to each of you for your testimony today. It's been very good for us.
Mr. Mitic, you mentioned that you think we need to change the tone. We've talked about that a lot in this committee. One example that we had heard about, and I'm not sure if it was in this study or the previous study, was that the time that was allocated for veterans to use training and education and the career transition program was only two years, and that this actually caused more stress.
What do you think might be a more appropriate time frame? Might that change the tone, if there weren't these tight time frames to utilize benefits?
4:40 p.m.
City Councillor, City of Ottawa, As an Individual
Time frames in the context of who you're dealing with, I think, are ridiculous. A two-year time frame on someone.... Let's say everything goes perfectly, all the i's are dotted and all the t's are crossed, and they get out and they're medically unfit to do anything. Then in two, three, four, or maybe five years they're up and about, feeling good, thinking they'd like to go to school and maybe go out and get a job. It's, “Oh sorry, man. That was a two-year window.”
In my case, I lost both feet. Let's say the system had worked, and Rick Hillier hadn't said, “You're not releasing anyone wounded in combat until I say so.” That would have had me released in 2010 or maybe 2011 and still dealing with the loss of my entire career, identity, etc., and figuring out what I wanted to do or go to school for. For most of the things I asked about taking, I was told, no, I couldn't take that. I think the new budget changes what you can go to school for, which is great. In my case, as an infantry sniper, there's not a lot of transition to the civilian world unless I want to go work for certain people in Aleppo, which I don't.
The two-year window to decide what to take or even if you're healthy enough to take it, in my opinion.... It took me a solid five years just to recover physically from my injury. Mentally, as I said, ask Alannah what she thinks. These arbitrary time limits are baffling to me in some cases. You either qualify for a benefit or you don't. Especially considering you're dealing with people who are mentally or physically, or both sometimes, smashed. With someone who doesn't want to be released, to tell them to get a grip and wrap their head around going to school.... I know lots of troops that have gone to school and done something they hated, and they have no desire to go into the field or the training that they took advantage of. That's one place where I think we should just lose the time limits. Let the individual decide when they're ready.
4:40 p.m.
As an Individual
I just want to follow up quickly with that. I start school in September, and the day I start I have two years. I don't know what's going to happen to me in the next two years. I don't know how I'm going to react in public. I'm anxious and I want to go to school, but there shouldn't be a two-year limit on it for me to complete this course. If I need to take six months off to get my progression well.... I've haven't been in a classroom since I was 18 as a full-time student. Two years, there's no reason for it. Are you going to kick me out after two years? Possibly, because of my disability, it might take me three years. It doesn't make sense.
4:45 p.m.
Liberal
Alaina Lockhart Liberal Fundy Royal, NB
Thank you for that.
Mr. MacKinnon, you talked about colleagues you knew who had reached out to the OSISS and then received an email back instead of a phone call.
4:45 p.m.
Liberal
Alaina Lockhart Liberal Fundy Royal, NB
Excuse me, that's even worse. One of the things that I think has been really important here is that we talked about that personal contact with VAC or OSISS, and we hear you say again how important that is, and that one's quite obvious. But are there other aspects that you think are really important to help our veterans with their mental health concerns? As I said, there was the personal contact, but are there any other things like that in our delivery that you feel are really important?
4:45 p.m.
As an Individual
Like I said, there may be a lot of resources out there, but you have to get the word out what those resources are and where they can be located, and how to access them. A lot of veterans don't know this. You can go to a Legion and somebody there may or may not know. Go to the Veterans Affairs' offices, and it depends on whether they're understaffed or they're even staffed at all.
I tried calling my case manager. I had to call the 1-800 number, so I had to go through about a half-hour spiel with the person on this phone who then says, “Okay, I'll transfer you. If I can't get hold of your case manager, do you want to leave a message?” No, I want to talk to the case manager. If I wanted to leave a message, I'd just go to her office. If she's not there, then I'd leave a message, but I want to talk to her.
I'm not sure if there's a big moratorium on direct lines to the VAC case managers. I don't know why everybody wants you to go through the 1-800 number. If you have a case manager, you should be able to get a direct-dial number for them. Make them available.
4:45 p.m.
Liberal
Alaina Lockhart Liberal Fundy Royal, NB
Okay.
I just have one other quick question. Are any of you aware that there is a handbook of benefits? We have one nod, but that's not—
4:45 p.m.
As an Individual
I know that there are benefits, exactly what they are....
4:45 p.m.
As an Individual
Actually, you find out either by discussion...and Facebook is a good place to find out what benefits you can get. The pamphlet I'm not familiar with, but for the benefits there are so many hurdles. For example, there's a recent benefit that's out where you can claim $300 for a tablet because of apps that help with PTSD. However, the approval authority is not your doctor. It's a psychiatrist. Trying to get in to see a psychiatrist, you can spend $500 to get a $300 claim. It took me 18 months to see my psychiatrist to get my prescription sorted out.
They create things, and it sounds great in the book, but it doesn't translate into anything substantial because you just don't have the ability. You don't have a medical doctor, a family doctor. To try to see a psychiatrist is a whole other level. It's great to have a benefit, but if you can't get access to it, it's useless.
April 3rd, 2017 / 4:45 p.m.
Conservative
Cathay Wagantall Conservative Yorkton—Melville, SK
Thank you.
I want to thank you all for your service. I know we say this in Canada, and I love this country as well, and your service is phenomenal, but I want to just say from my husband and myself and our children, and our grandchildren, being on this committee has brought this home to me significantly, and my grandkids are learning. I think it's really important that you understand that it's everyday Canadians who really do appreciate what you've done.
I have so many questions.
First of all, Mr. Brindle, you talked about your dog, and I know the Audeamus group, and I've met personally with Chris, and Marc and Katalin. They are doing amazing research at the University of Saskatchewan and B.C. on specific training for the multiplicity of concerns that challenge a veteran. Very specifically they have strong metrics and measurements, and they're veteran-centred. That's what they're all about.
4:45 p.m.
As an Individual
As an example, I applied to Courageous Companions at the time, in November 2014. At that time, Marc Lapointe was assigned to me.
He called me and we spent about four hours on the phone going through various symptoms. Then he decided which dog I should have—I didn't. The last thing in my imagination was a Jack Russell as a service dog. Because of my specific symptoms, they took a dog and trained her up for me. I didn't receive her until July.
4:50 p.m.
Conservative
4:50 p.m.
Conservative
Cathay Wagantall Conservative Yorkton—Melville, SK
Okay. Because this is a significant thing. We're always talking about money here. I know there are other groups. I'm not specifically mentioning any, but they can cost up to $30,000.
