Thank you, Mr. Chair.
You chose to start by providing statistics on suicide in general. You noted that soldiers and veterans were at risk of suicide and that, like the general public, they were dealing with this issue.
I'm from Quebec. I started working in social services in the mid-1980s. After several decades of research, it was determined that we needed to work ahead of the clinicians. In Quebec, what is known as a sentinel program was developed. As I'm asking you the question, I realize that a military term was selected to name this program.
You said that soldiers are the most likely to seek help, which is good.
That said, does your centre of excellence also study the approaches developed on the civilian side? I'm thinking of a system that teaches families and people how to detect the suicidal thoughts of a family member.
Since veterans are no longer part of a military social network, how do you plan to teach the families to recognize the veterans' distress, when it emerges, and to encourage the veterans to consult clinicians who can help them?