Evidence of meeting #78 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 family.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Conservative
Alupa Clarke Conservative Beauport—Limoilou, QC
In your work, do you think that the current or former governments, whichever, and senior officials are communicating or have communicated with you as an expert, to seek your advice on how to improve the transition? Have you been asked to share your thoughts?
Director General, Policy and Research Division, Strategic Policy and Commemoration, Department of Veterans Affairs
I'm not sure I'm an expert in this field, but as director general of the department's Policy and Research Division, I can say that we have certainly been asked for recommendations and advice.
Conservative
Alupa Clarke Conservative Beauport—Limoilou, QC
Ms. McIntyre, I have another question for you.
In the United States, unless I am mistaken, the burden of proof is reversed. If someone has a psychological or physical problem, it's up to the U.S. government to prove that it is not real.
Director General, Policy and Research Division, Strategic Policy and Commemoration, Department of Veterans Affairs
Yes.
Conservative
Alupa Clarke Conservative Beauport—Limoilou, QC
Does it work the opposite way in Canada? Is it the soldier who has to prove to the state that he or she has a problem?
Director General, Policy and Research Division, Strategic Policy and Commemoration, Department of Veterans Affairs
Do you mean an injury or illness?
Conservative
Alupa Clarke Conservative Beauport—Limoilou, QC
Yes. Is it up to the soldier to prove that he or she is injured or sick?
Director General, Policy and Research Division, Strategic Policy and Commemoration, Department of Veterans Affairs
Yes, the soldier has to prove it. We've already taken several concrete steps. For example, in the case of a helicopter pilot who has knee problems from doing multiple parachute jumps, we won't—
Conservative
Director General, Policy and Research Division, Strategic Policy and Commemoration, Department of Veterans Affairs
Exactly.
Conservative
Alupa Clarke Conservative Beauport—Limoilou, QC
It seems to me that I've read more than once that in the United States, the burden of proof is completely reversed. What are your thoughts on that?
Director General, Policy and Research Division, Strategic Policy and Commemoration, Department of Veterans Affairs
I can't comment on that subject.
Conservative
Alupa Clarke Conservative Beauport—Limoilou, QC
I have 20 seconds left.
Colonel, the table at the end of your brief says that a distressed person believes life has no meaning or purpose. I do not quite agree with that. The philosophers Camus, Schopenhauer, and Nietzsche said life has no meaning, yet they had a very positive world view. It's possible to believe that life has no meaning and still be happy. I just wanted to make that comment.
Many thanks to you all.
NDP
Gord Johns NDP Courtenay—Alberni, BC
We've heard a lot from veterans, who have said that the front-line workers, the caseworkers, lack empathy or don't have the understanding. Maybe it's, as Colonel Maurais said, that compassion burnout may be happening, or also that, not having lived that experience, there's a lack of the empathy that's necessary.
I appreciate Ms. McIntyre talking about global programs like the Building Better Caregivers program in the United States. We can learn from the United States. I may be wrong, but I think 30% of their caseworkers are former veterans. They have a really strong return-to-work program.
Mr. Parent, when he testified, talked about the need for maybe a concierge program, to help that veteran, to walk them through those stages, especially in that transition piece.
You talked about the need for recruitment, Colonel Maurais. I think this could maybe help with recruitment for the chaplaincy. Some of those employees leaving the military could be converted into those roles or into other jobs that could be served. I know Canada is lagging behind in many of the countries in the OECD in terms of return-to-work policies and plans. Are those on the radar?
I've talked to you, Ms. McIntyre, about Pacific Coast University workplace health services, their global school, and return-to-work trainers. We haven't seen a lot of that around disability management and occupational health and safety. The opportunities are staring us in the face. I'm wondering if it's on the radar and where we're going. I see that $42.8 million in terms of helping with service delivery. It seems to make sense, with so many veterans who are going to be needing to transition to the workplace. Maybe you could speak to that a bit.
Director General, Policy and Research Division, Strategic Policy and Commemoration, Department of Veterans Affairs
Thank you very much.
I'll start by saying that at Veterans Affairs Canada we recently put together veterans in the public service unit. It's a unit on behalf of the government that we have in our human resources division that really is there to be able to help veterans seek public service jobs. You most likely are familiar with priority hiring and some of the statutory and regulatory provisions that are in there. This unit will actually be a concierge service for veterans who want to be employed in the public service. We've already seen some benefits from that.
NDP
Gord Johns NDP Courtenay—Alberni, BC
Are you working with any of the private institutions to start to do that kind of work?
Director General, Policy and Research Division, Strategic Policy and Commemoration, Department of Veterans Affairs
Yes. The next piece of this is that we're very actively engaged in a career-transition employment strategy. Certainly at the heart of well-being—and we talked very much about what that means—is a sense of purpose. For some, that sense of purpose might be retiring and having a hobby. For others, that sense of purpose is returning to work. We know statistically that the sooner you return to work after an injury or illness, the more successful you will be in maintaining that employment and really having that sense of well-being. Our case-management and rehabilitation principles are very much built around the National Institute of Disability Management and Research.
NDP
Gord Johns NDP Courtenay—Alberni, BC
Is there a target number you want to get to in terms of caseworkers? The U.S. is at 30%. I know we're well off that.
Director of Field Operations, Strategic Affairs, Department of Veterans Affairs
To my knowledge, there are no targets that have been set. However, there are increasing numbers of veterans who are occupying these roles. We have a number of veterans playing a number of roles as employees.
NDP
Gord Johns NDP Courtenay—Alberni, BC
Will the government set a target? I think we need targets if we're going to get anywhere. We have to have a plan and we have to have targets. I think it's essential.
Director of Field Operations, Strategic Affairs, Department of Veterans Affairs
The veterans' perspective is an absolute invaluable one. They bring a perspective that we can't.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Neil Ellis
Thank you. That is our time today.
On behalf of the committee, I'd like to thank every individual here who testified today and for all that you do and have done for our men and women who serve.
We're going to need to recess and clear the room and come back for committee business. Maybe we can just take five minutes and recess.
Thank you.
[Proceedings continue in camera]