Veterans Affairs Committee on Feb. 17th, 2021

[The Chair, Liberal, Bryan May]

I call this meeting to order.

Welcome to meeting number 13 of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Veterans Affairs.

Pursuant to Standing Order 108(2) and the motion adopted by the committee on October 27, 2020, the committee is beginning its study on supports and services to veterans' caregivers and families.

Welcome to all of the witnesses who have taken time to join us today.

From the Department of Veterans Affairs, we have Mr. Steven Harris, assistant deputy minister, service delivery; Mitch Freeman, director general, services delivery and program management; and Crystal Garrett-Baird, director general, policy and research.

Also, from the Office of the Veterans Ombudsman, we have Colonel Jardine, veterans ombudsman. Joining the colonel is Duane Schippers, strategic review and analysis, director and legal advisory.

Welcome to all of you, and thank you so much for your patience, and thank you for accommodating our sometimes very crazy schedule.

Without further ado, I will turn it over to Mr. Harris, who will start off with his five-minute opening remarks.

Again I will just remind people that once Mr. Harris has finished, we will go into the first rounds of questions, and at about the halfway mark, we will switch over to Colonel Jardine.

Mr. Harris, the first five minutes are all yours.

[Steven Harris, Assistant Deputy Minister, Service Delivery, Department of Veterans Affairs]

Good afternoon, Mr. Chair—or good evening, almost, now—and members of the committee. Thank you for the invitation to be with you today.

Good evening.

Mr. Chair and committee members, I'm happy to be here today.

It's been almost a year since the COVID pandemic started in the Canadian context, and it has greatly affected all of our daily lives. The effect has been felt by those we serve, our veterans and their families, members of the Canadian Armed Forces and the RCMP, and by those in the department in how we are organized to deliver much-needed programs and services.

As I reflect back over the last year, I'm proud of the innovation, flexibility and resilience of veterans and the organizations that are dedicated to supporting them.

With the pandemic still a priority concern for all of us, Veterans Affairs Canada has adapted, and will continue to adapt, to support the needs of our veterans and their families.

Before I speak to you about some of these changes, I want to take this opportunity to provide the committee with a brief update on the wait-times initiative plan that was submitted to ACVA in June 2020, and to thank the committee for its report “Clearing the Jam”. Since the minister's last appearance in November, we have hired more than 350 additional staff from across the country to strengthen our capacity to make more, and more timely, decisions for veterans on their disability benefit applications. These staff are now trained and are making decisions, and this will be one way that we will reduce wait times for veterans.

In addition, I want to note that, since March 23, 2020, the start of the pandemic, Veterans Affairs Canada has issued nearly $1 billion in new disability benefits to veterans.

Over the last few years, we have expanded the programs and services that contribute to the well-being of veterans and their families. We are making sure that these programs are available to the veterans who want and need them.

Newer programs like the education and training benefit provide veterans with funding for post-secondary education, training, or shorter courses like workshops or seminars, while career transitions services assist veterans by providing individualized support for job search skills and career counselling. Finally, the veterans emergency fund is there to help when veterans are facing a financial crisis or emergency, and is available to veterans whether they have a service-related disability or not.

Faced with a prolonged pandemic environment, we know, our most vulnerable veterans are at risk, and so we have made more than 18,000 calls to check on them. We have reached out to connect with our case-managed veterans, those with health-related issues, those who live in remote areas and those at risk of homelessness. We are currently reaching out to all of our women veterans. In all cases, we can use these opportunities to make adjustments to programs and services based on the needs of these veterans.

Of course, COVID has had a significant impact on long-term care facilities. As VAC supports about 4,000 veterans in long-term care facilities across the country, we are working with long-term care homes and family members to make sure our veterans are safe. In some cases, we are ensuring that veterans have the supports they need if they want to bring their family member home. We've also been paying for personal protective equipment for veterans who receive face-to-face treatment, and we've waived the need for prescription renewals during the pandemic and extended our telehealth coverage.

Given that COVID-19 has had a negative financial impact on some veterans, we've changed the veterans emergency fund to cover costs related to COVID-19 and allowed for a maximum funding of $10,000. All these measures are in place to ensure that veterans can continue to receive the help and support that they need.

These examples of programs and services are important, but we also recognize the need to highlight the impact that mental health can have on our ability to take care of ourselves. That is why Veterans Affairs Canada offers a range of supports to mental health services for our veterans and their families.

With access to over 12,000 mental health professionals across the country, the VAC assistance service, which is available 24-7 to veterans and their families, and with 11 operational stress injury clinics and satellite service sites, there are multiple ways to access support and treatment. In the COVID environment, many of these services can be provided virtually, allowing all veterans, even those who live in remote areas, to be able to continue to access safe support and treatment.

Recognizing the critical role of families in supporting our veterans, Veterans Affairs provides a benefit to caregivers of veterans with serious disabilities and expanded the veteran family program to the 32 military family resource centres across Canada. This program is there to help veterans and their families transition to post-military life and connect them with community resources.

There's still much research to be done on mental health and post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD. The centre of excellence on PTSD and related mental health conditions is funded by Veterans Affairs Canada and is doing some excellent research on the impact of COVID-19 on the mental health of veterans, the mental health of veterans' families, peer support and types of treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder, to name a few.

More and more, veterans and their families are coming to us and finding services and supports they need. We continue to adjust as new information becomes available.

We've given our employees the necessary tools and support to work from home so that they can support our veterans and their families. We'll work together to have a positive impact on the well-being of veterans and their families.

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bryan May]

Thank you very much.

As I said, we're going to go right into questions.

First up we have MP Wagantall for six minutes, please.

[Cathay Wagantall, Conservative, Yorkton—Melville, SK]

Thank you, Chair.

I do thank you, Mr. Harris, for your comments, and as well, Mr. Freeman and Ms. Garrett-Baird, for being here today.

This is a really important issue to me in my communications with our veterans and their families. What I hear over and over again is: “We were told when we signed up that we had no need to worry, that our families—our spouses and our children—would be a high priority within the armed forces and as veterans.”

However, I have to say today that I have some deep concerns that I'm relaying to you, especially on behalf of spouses I've communicated with, having had a town hall with the Caregivers' Brigade recently and discussing this very issue around the caregiver benefit.

One of the first comments was that it was changed it to “caregiver recognition benefit”, but many of them feel that the recognition is still not there. One of the main reasons is that the focus is entirely on physical, visible injuries. Those who suffer with mental injuries may have physical injuries as well, but they don't impact their ability to function in the way that their PTSD or operational stress injuries do. They do not qualify as caregivers for this benefit.

Do you not see that as a huge incongruency when we talk about taking care of veterans' families, Mr. Harris?

[Steven Harris]

Thanks very much for the comment and for the feedback you're receiving and your ongoing work to speak with veterans and their families.

I think that when we made the transition from the family caregiver benefit to the caregiver recognition benefit, it was in response to input we received from veterans, in fact. Part of the challenge when it was in place before was that the FCRB, the previous benefit, went to the veteran instead of to the actual caregiver. The change to the caregiver recognition benefit meant that the tax-free allowance that's associated with it went to—

[Cathay Wagantall, Conservative, Yorkton—Melville, SK]

Excuse me, sir. I'm not arguing with how it's provided. That's all very clear, but things on paper don't necessarily translate into the true needs of the spouses or of the caregivers.

In this case, the focus is on physical injuries. I don't know who you spoke with, but there's this thinking that they can go out and do their yard work and that's good for them if they have mental health injuries. However, these are people with serious issues that trigger them and that can be involved in things like that, like the smell of gas or oil, or backfires, or noise levels and this type of thing. The expectation is that they can function in ways that those who have physical disabilities can't, yet it's not true.

The ombudsman, since 2016, has indicated that this should be a change, and that these caregivers should receive the same recognition that those who are supplying that care—the armed forces and Veterans Affairs—say they will give to our veterans' families. However, they don't qualify.

What is your perspective on whether or not that should be re-addressed? The impression I get is definitely that this is a huge incongruency within the program.

[Steven Harris]

The answer to the question is that the caregiver recognition benefit was designed for the most seriously disabled veterans and to recognize the role of families or caregivers involved in supporting them.

[Cathay Wagantall, Conservative, Yorkton—Melville, SK]

What is the definition of “most severely disabled”? Is there a definition?

[Steven Harris]

There's a particular definition, although I'll turn to my colleague, Crystal, to provide that. It's assessed against a series of activities of daily living, which recognize the severity or the impact of either physical or mental health disabilities on the individual veteran and, as a result, on the supports that are required from the caregiver.

Crystal, I don't know if you wanted to add something on that one.

[Crystal Garrett-Baird, Director General, Policy and Research, Department of Veterans Affairs]

As Mr. Harris indicated, the benefit is focused on those with the most serious service-related physical and/or mental health disabilities. When we look at the criteria as set out in the regulations we follow, there is reference, of course, to veterans being unable to carry out most activities of daily living.

However, other criteria that are set out there include individuals who would be institutionalized—be it hospitalized or in a care facility—if not for their caregiver.

Another criterion relates to—

[Cathay Wagantall, Conservative, Yorkton—Melville, SK]

Ms. Garrett-Baird, I appreciate what you're saying. I do, but the truth of the matter is that there isn't an equal access to this caregiver benefit for those who have more mental challenges than physical ones. The truth of the matter is that many of them cannot function on a day-to-day basis. They can put their pants on. They can have a shower on their own, but they need assistance to get to that point, or they cascade down so badly in response to something that they literally can't function at all. It's up and down. It's constant.

I would like to hear that there is a realization that in circumstances where an individual has physical disabilities, possibly.... I would imagine that most of them have some, but there is not a true focus on dealing with the mental health issues that caregivers have to deal with in their spouses and, as a result, that they often suffer too, as do the children. This benefit has been challenged many times.

Can you not indicate that truly we need to take a far better look at how we implement this particular program? When you say “most disabled”, how do you define that?

[The Chair, Liberal, Bryan May]

We're actually over time, but I'll allow a very brief answer.

[Crystal Garrett-Baird]

We recognize that caregiving can be stressful and burdensome and can negatively impact the mental health and well-being of our caregivers. When we look at the criteria, we are applying them to individuals with physical and mental health conditions.

Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bryan May]

Thank you.

MP Fillmore is next, for six minutes, please.

[Andy Fillmore, Liberal, Halifax, NS]

Thank you, Chair.

Thank you very much to Mr. Harris and to your team there, for being with us tonight and for all of your work.

I wanted to ask you about the veteran and family well-being fund, the veterans emergency fund and funds like them.

I wonder if you could describe for committee members some of the success stories you've seen on the ground. I was going to ask you for specific examples of organizations, but maybe we can avoid specific names and just get to what the money is doing and how it's helping. What are some of the successes you've seen through that funding and some of the limitations we should be looking at?

[Steven Harris]

I'll ask Crystal to answer with respect to the veterans and family well-being fund, and we may come back on the veterans emergency fund later.

[Crystal Garrett-Baird]

The creation of the veterans family and well-being fund was announced as part of budget 2017. It provides $3 million annually in grants and contributions for organizations to conduct research and implement initiatives and projects that support the well-being of veterans and their families.

This fund has enabled us to have strong collaboration and support innovation. It's a strategic approach that gives us capacity to find innovative ways to enhance our support to veterans' health and well-being while preventing duplication in service and program delivery.

When we look right now, this fund is available to non-profit charities, research and educational institutions, indigenous organizations and in some cases for-profit organizations, if they meet the criteria. The program is working, and we have some really good success stories both specifically for veterans, but also for family members and caregivers.

I'll just touch quickly on one organization that has been a recipient. It is supporting women veterans, soon-to-be veterans and our spouses of veterans where they gather to prepare for the next chapter of their lives, which is leaving the military. The funding that has been provided to this organization has supported multiple workshops that have allowed these participants to map their future and how they access services and to develop a network of mentors. So it's very much a collaborative approach.

Another wonderful success story is related to veterans where they are being impacted positively in the community and supporting survivors of disasters. This organization has exceeded every target set and has gone well beyond expectations, reaching a greater number of veterans because of their ability to provide meaningful opportunities to continue to serve communities and provide high-quality training initiatives that upskill the abilities and skills of the veteran population.

Through this, this group has been able to have deployment-ready capacity to support disasters, increase the volunteer capacity, increase the number of veterans engaged, and give veterans a sense of community and purpose to give back.

I'll just touch on one final one as well. It is related to an organization that works with grief experts, veterans and their families to develop a series of online psychoeducational learning modules that are tailored to the unique grief experience of Canadian veterans, former RCMP members and their families. These modules supported through the fund assist veterans to understand and work through grief, stress, occupational stress and the support for their families with that.

We've had 43 projects that are part of the fund to date, many of them being very successful in supporting key populations such as our homeless veterans and our families and caregivers. We've recently completed a call as well for applications and we're in the process of evaluating them to support even more organizations.

[Andy Fillmore, Liberal, Halifax, NS]

Thanks for that.

Chair, if there's time it would be nice to hear a little about the veterans emergency fund and how it specifically lands on the ground and what programs it's helping.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bryan May]

You have just under a minute and a half.

[Steven Harris]

Mitch, do you want to go ahead and answer that?

[Mitch Freeman, Director General, Services Delivery and Program Management, Department of Veterans Affairs]

Certainly, thank you.

What a wonderful question about the boots on the ground with respect to the veterans emergency fund. This fund is set up to deal with those unforeseen crisis situations that a veteran, a spouse or their family may find themselves in.

As a really clear example, in the dead of winter, a furnace was in distress and needed to be repaired. The veteran was not capable of fixing it because of their own financial situation. The veterans emergency fund was able to deal with that situation, both repair that furnace and make sure that the family was looked after.

Another example would be going to veterans who find themselves needing shelter. We are able to put them up in a hotel while we then work with them to find other services, be it provided by Veterans Affairs, other provincial services or other community services in their particular region.

[Andy Fillmore, Liberal, Halifax, NS]

Thank you for that.

Chair, are we out of time?

[The Chair, Liberal, Bryan May]

You have about 15 seconds.

[Andy Fillmore, Liberal, Halifax, NS]

While we go through this evening and hear from you I think the members of the committee would also like to hear where the challenges are. So while it's important to hear how the successes are going and where the programs are working, we'd also like to hear a little about where extra help or changes might be required.

I'll just leave that thought for the rest of the testimony.

Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bryan May]

Thank you.

Up next we have MP Desilets.