Veterans Affairs Committee on April 21st, 2016

[Bob Bratina, Liberal, Hamilton East—Stoney Creek, ON]

The question of data sharing comes up all over the place. There are too many silos, people not communicating with each other, and I that's something we're working on here on this committee.

In my riding—and I'm sure everyone around the table has a similar situation—I have 95-year-old Dieppe veterans and I have 26-year-old Afghan veterans. I know the Legion grew out of the experiences of the First World War, around 90 years ago, and then the Second World War, and so on. Are the young veterans being attracted to the Legion? What is your outreach to those young men and women?

[Brad White]

It's a good question, and I'll answer it quickly.

Over 90% of our veteran community within the Legion are people who are post-Korea already. A large segment of our veteran population within the Legion is already in that world you're talking about: the post-Korea, NATO, UN, and Afghanistan people.

We've just created an operational stress injury special section, which is a ground-up movement for Afghanistan veterans to have a special voice within the Royal Canadian Legion. We do outreach to all of the Canadian Forces members when they retire. We offer them a one-year membership in the organization. We participate in the Second Career Assistance Network's seminars when members of the Canadian Forces leave the military, by saying “Come and see us; we can give you help. It doesn't cost you anything. It's free of charge.” Even now we've increased our processes for our visibility on social media. We're increasing our output of information and our outreach, and that's how we're reaching the new veterans today.

[Bob Bratina, Liberal, Hamilton East—Stoney Creek, ON]

Mr. McKenna, could you comment on that?

[Brian McKenna]

What I would add to that is that technology, obviously, has changed and updated many things. I think most of us are fluent on email right now. There's Wi-Fi in many branches of the Legion, among other places. What we haven't quite adapted to, and it is an issue in the veterans' world, is how much the technology has changed the culture. People expect to be able to get onto their phone and find answers right now. They expect Google to give them viable answers. Sometimes that can be a hit, and sometimes that can be a miss.

One of the problems we find—probably Brad would agree—right across the board is just reaching the members themselves. The day and age of an entire battalion being raised from a single suburb, going over and fighting, and coming back to that suburb has long passed us by. In my community of Delta, two or three guys might go on a tour, come back, and the community doesn't even know they left. That's essentially what we're tackling right across the board in connecting to veterans.

[Bob Bratina, Liberal, Hamilton East—Stoney Creek, ON]

The Legion representatives—

[The Chair, Liberal, Neil Ellis]

Sorry, we're done. We're out of time.

Ms. Moore is next.

[Christine Moore, NDP, Abitibi—Témiscamingue, QC]

My first question will be for the Legion.

I want to bring a specific case as an example. There is a veteran, Robin Brentnall, from Newfoundland, who is currently on a hunger strike due to his being denied benefits. What would or could your organization do to support a veteran like him?

[Brad White]

I think Mr. Brentnall has finished his hunger strike at this stage in the game. I think he quit two or three days ago. If he needs the assistance of the Royal Canadian Legion, we have service officers who can go and readily assist him to determine what his needs are as he moves forward in his claims and whatever. All he has to do is take that step, have the interview, and away we go. We start looking after what his needs may be. It's not an issue at all.

[Christine Moore, NDP, Abitibi—Témiscamingue, QC]

Thank you. I have another question.

I sometimes have the impression that where veterans are concerned, no consistent logic is applied regarding illnesses. In my riding, one person was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress syndrome. This syndrome causes him to grind his teeth; it is one of the recognized and possible symptoms of PTSD. This tooth grinding has caused the destruction of his teeth, a condition known as bruxism. However, bruxism is not recognized as an illness covered under the Veterans Affairs plan.

So this person has been fighting for several years to try to get treatment for his bruxism. However, every time he reaches a certain stage, he gets rejected by the plan. And yet, on the American side, this disease is recognized.

Do you sometimes get the impression that the symptoms a disease can cause, or the health conditions it can precipitate, the potential consequences of a first symptom at the origin of other complications, are not accepted?

[Ray McInnis]

The main claims we are handling are for PTSD. Following on to PTSD, there are many consequential claims. It is recognized that bruxism, one condition you spoke about, can be a consequential claim to PTSD. There are avenues there for claiming in the claim process.

As for the follow-up case management, if the person who receives a disability benefit for PTSD requires the services of a case manager, it will be up to the case manager, during his or her involvement with the veteran, to determine whether there are any other conditions arising from the main condition that we can claim as consequential. We see that many times.

Many of our veterans who are claiming or have disability benefits for PTSD do not have a case manager because they are not at that stage yet. Many of them have the initial minimum 10% assessment, because they are not stable enough yet to be assessed at a higher level.

There are avenues within the disability system for conditions that are consequential to PTSD.

[The Chair, Liberal, Neil Ellis]

If you want to relay your question, say which witness you want to ask, because the people here on video conference can't see us.

[Christine Moore, NDP, Abitibi—Témiscamingue, QC]

It was both.

[The Chair, Liberal, Neil Ellis]

We will put that question to Mr. McKenna.

[Brian McKenna]

What the member has asked is, essentially, in reference to secondary illnesses. It is a very good question, and it does come up.

I also want to advise the member that this comes up for physical injuries too. One of the things that happens to amputees is that they lose a lot of surface area of their body, so their body tends to overheat. There have been cases of amputees receiving care for their original condition, but then having to go back to the hospital because their body constantly overheats. When they turn to VAC for service for that, they wind up having to jump through a lot of hoops to prove that it is part of the original illness.

Grinding your teeth at night is part of what happens when you are having nightmares and night tremors, so yes, it is also part of post-traumatic stress disorder.

The lady's question is a very sound and accurate one. We all run into trouble trying to get secondary care for previously approved primary care conditions.

[Christine Moore, NDP, Abitibi—Témiscamingue, QC]

Good.

[The Chair, Liberal, Neil Ellis]

You have one minute.

[Christine Moore, NDP, Abitibi—Témiscamingue, QC]

It was reported yesterday that an emergency fund that is administered by Veterans Affairs but funded by private donations has run out of money. Do you have any suggestions on how the government can improve emergency funding that can be accessed quickly and that does not rely on donations?

[The Chair, Liberal, Neil Ellis]

We have 30 seconds for both groups to answer that.

We'll start with the Legion.

[Brad White]

The Royal Canadian Legion, with the poppy fund, can provide emergency assistance to veterans in need.

[The Chair, Liberal, Neil Ellis]

Equitas, go ahead.

[Brian McKenna]

We have nothing to add on that point.

Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Neil Ellis]

There are 15 seconds left.

[Christine Moore, NDP, Abitibi—Témiscamingue, QC]

I would like to know if we can have an emergency fund that does not rely on donations; that way it would never run out of money. Do you have any suggestions for the government?

[Brad White]

The only way that could occur is if money was set aside in the budget to have that emergency fund available to case managers on an on-call basis.

[Christine Moore, NDP, Abitibi—Témiscamingue, QC]

Thank you.