I can also add that I appreciate the work you are doing in studying aboriginal veterans' issues, especially as many of our veterans, after extraordinary service in the Canadian Armed Forces, return to their communities which are often remote, and therefore the difficulty of providing them with a full suite of support is always a real challenge. The fact is thousands have served in both world wars, and in peacekeeping missions continuing to this day, so their problems are really unique.
It is terrific that we have the aboriginal veterans association, which is represented at the summit today. Aboriginal veterans are represented on all of the minister's advisory committees and substantially in the summits whether they be regional summits or the national summit. Their voice is very loud and clear in all of the outreach that we are doing with different veterans' communities.
With regard to service in the communities, we not only have our offices fully staffed but then are also able to use electronic means, whether between Veterans Affairs and the veterans or in fact between mental health practitioners. We are encouraging the health authorities across the country with whom we partner for the treatment of mental health. We have 4,000 mental health practitioners coast to coast who deal with veterans on a daily basis. We also have 10 stress injury clinics, including one residential at Ste. Anne's Hospital, leveraging telemedicine and telehealth. Whether the veteran be in a remote community, say, in northern Manitoba, or whether that serving member be on CFB Shilo, we can connect the psychiatrist, psychologist, and mental health nurse with them no matter where they are across the country.
We have to get better at that and up our game because no matter where these folks are, we need to provide them with a standard level of service.