Good afternoon, Mr. Chairman and committee members. It's my pleasure to appear here before you once again. Thank you for the invitation.
My name is Debbie Lowther, and I am the chair and co-founder of Veterans Emergency Transition Services, VETS Canada. I'm also the spouse of a 15-year veteran of the Canadian Armed Forces, a man who served this country proudly for 15 years before his career was cut short due to injuries both physical and psychological. He was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder in 2002 and was released in 2005. Together we founded VETS Canada in 2010.
VETS Canada is a volunteer-driven registered charity with the aim to provide immediate on-the-ground support to veterans who are in crisis, at risk of becoming homeless, or already homeless. We have more than 800 volunteers working tirelessly across the country, who to date have responded to more than 3,000 requests for assistance. In 2014 we were awarded a contract with Veterans Affairs Canada, making us their service provider in the field of outreach to veterans in crisis.
The majority of our volunteer base comprises still-serving members and veterans of the Canadian Armed Forces and RCMP, who are equipped to provide peer support to the veterans we are assisting. We've learned that peer support is a key component in a successful transition, not only from a crisis situation to a more stable life but also from military service to civilian life.
This past year our organization conducted an informal research project in which we asked a series of questions to a number of the veterans we had assisted. One question we asked was what reasons they felt contributed to the crisis situation that led them to need our assistance. We learned that the top three reasons were financial instability; health concerns, both physical and mental; and lack of social support. What surprised us was that, overwhelmingly, more people identified the lack of a social support network as their biggest obstacle. One veteran made a comment that resonated with me. He stated that when he was serving he felt that he was a member of a family, and when he took off his uniform he became an orphan.
Because of the large number of veterans we've had the privilege to assist and the large number of veterans in our volunteer database, we are in a unique position to hear many stories of transition from life in uniform to civilian life. One thing that we often hear is that the members were not ready to release, whether that was due to an injury that cut their career short and left them mentally unprepared for their release; or perhaps they weren't financially prepared for the long wait time to receive their pensions; and they were certainly not prepared to deal with Veterans Affairs, which can be a cumbersome process.
We've been talking for a long time now about a seamless transition and closing the gap. While improvements have been made, there's still a long way to go. It's our belief, one that we know is shared by others who have come before this committee before me, that a member should not be released until he or she is ready. All documentation should be in order so that they receive their pensions in a timely manner. They should be connected to Veterans Affairs, and applications for VAC or SISIP benefits should be completed. Even something as simple as finding a family doctor would be a good thing to have in place.
While our organization's mandate is to assist veterans, we sometimes receive calls from still-serving members who are struggling. Some will contact us saying that they'll be releasing soon and they know that they will need our assistance when they do. If those members are in a situation where they need assistance from us, they should certainly not be releasing.
In April of last year we were contacted by five serving members looking for assistance; one was homeless, living in a couch-surfing situation, and was about to be released—a serving member of the Canadian Armed Forces who was homeless. That is not acceptable, but what is also not acceptable, more unacceptable, is that he was on his way out. That member's transition was already doomed to be unsuccessful.
Serving in the Canadian Armed Forces is not just a career; it's a unique culture. When members take off the uniform they struggle with loss of identity and they lack a sense of purpose. We have assisted many veterans who were successful in gaining civilian employment upon release but were not successful in maintaining it, as they had difficulty adapting to less structured environments.
We put forth great effort and resources to train our men and women who join the military, most of whom have just barely entered adulthood. They endure rigorous training, where they are moulded into soldiers, sailors, airmen, or airwomen. They are taught to rely on the person to their left and to their right. They are told what to wear and when to eat, where to be and when to be there. They are trained to follow orders. At the end of their careers, should we not put forth just as much effort to help them integrate into civilian lives—for lack of a better term, perhaps an exit boot camp? We know the value of peer support, and veterans have told us that social support is important. Perhaps releasing members should be paired with a peer or a mentor, someone who has already transitioned, who can provide that support and guidance.
Many veterans transition successfully on their own, and many need additional support to do so.
At the end of their careers, I think veterans just want to feel that their service and their sacrifice meant something. I think the very least that we can do to show them that it did is to support them as they move into the next phase of their lives.
Thank you, ladies and gentlemen. I look forward to your questions.
