Evidence of meeting #14 for Veterans Affairs in the 43rd Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was help.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Director for Veteran Families, Caregivers' Brigade
Jeanette, do you want me to go ahead?
Director of Community Education, Caregivers' Brigade
Yes, please. Thank you.
Director for Veteran Families, Caregivers' Brigade
When I'm not able to support my veteran, it becomes chaos. We have two little children who are eight and 11. The blocks for us are going back and forth from Blue Cross to VAC and to Blue Cross from VAC. One will say something and the other hand will say another thing. I'll give a straight example.
My son has ADHD, which greatly affects the behaviour of my husband. It triggers him quite a lot. We requested help from VAC. VAC approved the psychological supports. To get the support, I have to prove to Blue Cross that it affects my husband. It's about running from one part of bureaucracy to another and ping-ponging yourself back and forth. VAC says yes and doesn't relay the information. Blue Cross requests a letter from a psychologist.
Mind you, a couple of weeks ago, we were in crisis here. My son is very combative. He is very hard on us. I'm a full-time nurse. In the COVID situation, I work with units. I didn't have time to run after a psychologist to get a letter approved that says it triggers my husband when my eight-year-old screams non-stop.
That itself puts a lot of strain on a couple. It puts a lot of stress on us, to the point where we ask, “Is this worth it? Should I stay here and live with all that stress all the time?” It's also very hard on the children when their father is not able to play with them, to cope with them, to help with schoolwork. It just drags an entire family down.
Jeanette, do you want to add anything?
Director of Community Education, Caregivers' Brigade
I think you've really covered it, Marie. I think that's a lot of what we needed to say there.
NDP
Rachel Blaney NDP North Island—Powell River, BC
Thank you.
I really appreciate what you said about having to prove to VAC and then having to re-prove to Blue Cross. Would you say there's a challenge in the communication structure between those two entities and that the person paying for it is the veteran, along with their family?
Director for Veteran Families, Caregivers' Brigade
It's a huge challenge. I'm well versed in that world because I'm a nurse, and I know how they work. Someone who doesn't do that for a living will just abandon it. Then they will go into full crisis mode and, as somebody else has testified, they will end up in the streets, in the hospital or in jail, because it's a lack of support....
Something I've always said is that you cannot ask someone with mental issues, psychiatric issues, to navigate VAC. You cannot do that. My husband forgets chicken fingers in the oven and burns them. Do you think he's going to be able to manage all that paperwork? Never. Without anybody's help, he's never going to be able to do it.
NDP
Rachel Blaney NDP North Island—Powell River, BC
You spoke really clearly about the impacts on children, and we definitely heard that in the veterans ombudsperson's report, where she talked about what she was seeing in some of the studies they were doing when the supports weren't there for the family and then the breakdown of the family.
Could you talk a little about the impacts on children in your own life, and if you've heard anything from other veterans as well? What stressors seem to be consistent?
Director for Veteran Families, Caregivers' Brigade
On our end, my husband is still very militarized with the children. It's either black and white and with children you cannot do that. It has to be gray sometimes.
That component has to be addressed in therapy, and it has to be addressed in couples therapy also because sometimes we fight about it. The children sometimes will be stressed about this because his expectations are very militarized, very high, but they are children. They have to have a break sometimes.
Most of the time it's fine, but there are those days where my husband hasn't been sleeping, when he has been having a string of nightmares, and during those days it becomes nightmarish here. I mean, try to keep an ADHD boy quiet.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Bryan May
I'm sorry to interrupt, but we are past time.
The witnesses will slowly realize that my job tends to be chief interrupter, and I do apologize in advance.
Up next we have MP Doherty, for five minutes.
Conservative
Todd Doherty Conservative Cariboo—Prince George, BC
Thank you, Chair.
I want to take a brief moment to say thank you to our witnesses today. From the moment I was elected in 2015 I have been a tireless champion for our frontline heroes, those who serve our country and our communities and their families. Far too often the families are left behind to pick up the pieces, so I want to say thank you to all who are here today.
With respect to Veterans Affairs Canada, the mental health assistance service, according to the Office of the Veterans Ombudsman, the low participation rate of family members is because:
This service is an important element in providing short-term counselling for a defined issue as well as crisis intervention, but it is unable to provide mental health diagnosis or address the long-term mental health needs of family members of Veterans.
In your view, is this the case, and why is there such a low participation rate in this program?
Ms. Malette, I think it is exactly what you just said about how frustrating it is. Is that correct?
Director for Veteran Families, Caregivers' Brigade
That's what it is. It becomes.... We have to work for a living. I don't have time to wait and call, and run after people and run after letters, and....
Conservative
Todd Doherty Conservative Cariboo—Prince George, BC
That leads me to my next question. Back in May 2016 then-director of the brigade, Kimberly Davis, testified before this very committee and said:
The answer to the question of whether there have been any changes with regard to improvements in paperwork is no. Even though the number of pages in the paperwork has been reduced, the process of completing the paperwork is still a challenge.
Five years later, have there been any improvements in the paperwork?
Director for Veteran Families, Caregivers' Brigade
There have not, really. Even though there is the My Vac Account platform, you still have to submit form after form, and everything is siloed. A veteran is not considered a whole person. It's a back issue, a knee issue, a PTSD issue, and each component has its different set of paperwork that needs to be filled out.
There is a French movie about Astérix et Obélix and it's called Les 12 travaux. That's what it is. It's mind-blowing how much paperwork and stuff you have to write down. You get three lines to describe....
Conservative
Todd Doherty Conservative Cariboo—Prince George, BC
Sadly, each time they have to relive those experiences.
Conservative
Todd Doherty Conservative Cariboo—Prince George, BC
Mr. Lavallée and Mr. Cameron, I really appreciate the work you do with our veterans and those who are on the street. We know that a high percentage of the homeless are veterans.
How can we better serve them?
As an Individual
That's a good question. Thank you for that.
Keeping track of releasing members from the military would be a great way. I've been out 15 years now, and I've never had one phone call saying, “How are you doing? You did 26 years, some of it in pretty crappy conditions in the North Atlantic, in boiler rooms and engine rooms. We just want to know how you're doing.” That never happened. I don't expect it, but if you're leaving the forces with potential mental health problems or physical problems, then they should be able to have a number for you and keep track of you to make sure you're not falling through the cracks.
Mr. Lavallée, you are pursuing the ones who fell through the cracks, who are already on the street and who don't have a lot of support. Hats off to you, sir.
That's what needs to be done, if you ask me.
Conservative
Todd Doherty Conservative Cariboo—Prince George, BC
On the mental health impact of the growing backlog, how is that impacting our caregivers and their children, Ms. Malette?
Director for Veteran Families, Caregivers' Brigade
When their father is not doing well, the kids are stressed out and we see the physical signs of it—tics, nervousness and repetitive questions. It is my role as a mother to calm them down, calm him down and calm everything down. Who calms me down? No one.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Bryan May
That's time, Todd. Thank you.
MP Samson, you're up next for five minutes, please.
Liberal
Darrell Samson Liberal Sackville—Preston—Chezzetcook, NS
Thank you, Chair.
First of all, I want to wish all the women here today, of course, and in the world, a happy International Women's Day. I thank them for their contributions. It's our responsibility to continue to support them as they move forward.
To the witnesses, I want to thank each and every one of you for your information. It's so important to our study. Thank you again for that information.
I want to recognize and thank Mr. Cameron and Mr. Lavallée for their service. I also want to thank the spouses of veterans for their service. As we know, if men or women serve, their family is serving as well.
Mr. Cameron, as you know, since 2015 we've had many new programs and benefits for veterans—for example, the pension for life we brought in, the education program, the added resource centre, the caregiver program and others. My question is focused on awareness. Would you say that the veterans you speak to are aware of these new programs and are accessing them?
Is there something we could be doing better to make those individuals more aware of what's available to them, whether it be for mental health or whatnot?
As an Individual
Thank you, Mr. Samson. I do see progress. I do.
Just recently an email came in on the My VAC Account where you could order a book that would have your name at the top of it and that would explain the services available to you. Seeing as I've been out 15 years, I pretty much know the services I have, but for people getting out now or in the future, if they're made aware that they can order that booklet specifically for them, that would help with the services.
I've been wearing a brace on my left knee since 2004. I have a knee pension under the first Pension Act. I receive a monthly payment for it. Just last month I finally became aware of a clothing allowance I could ask for. Sometimes my pants are too tight and I have to cut them, or they wear out prematurely. I have extra costs involved with being respectful and dressing properly.
I found out just last month about the allowance. I asked the lady at VAC why somebody at VAC didn't say, “Mr. Cameron is wearing a brace, and I see that he doesn't have that allowance. Maybe we should reach out to him to see if he needs that allowance.” That's just a small example. That's a trivial example, based on some of the things I've heard that veterans with claims are needing.
To answer your question, I guess it would be more reaching out from the department to make sure they're taking care of the veteran after he's released and he's on his own.
Liberal
Darrell Samson Liberal Sackville—Preston—Chezzetcook, NS
Thank you, Mr. Cameron.
Quickly, for our listeners and the participants today, thank you for your advocacy around the Nova Scotia announcement of not separating spouses in long-term care. That's a very important win. We hope this happens right across the country. Thank you for your advocacy on that one.
My final question is for Jeanette McLeod. You spoke about your work in volunteering with VETS Canada. Can you talk to us about some of the work you're doing? I know from the stories we're hearing that it's so great and they're being so helpful. Also, connecting that with homelessness would be nice.
Thank you.
Director of Community Education, Caregivers' Brigade
Thank you very much for your question, and good afternoon.
I have not been with VETS Canada for a long time, but I can speak briefly to some experiences with it. With VETS Canada, there are an awful lot of homeless vets we do have. However, with VETS Canada, it's not necessarily about someone who is homeless. It could be a veteran who is going through a hard time. It could be for anything from needing a bit of help with gas, with some groceries.... We cover a large variety of different things with what VETS Canada does.