Mr. Chair and committee members, my name is Amanda Logan and I'm a local president in New Brunswick. I've been a case manager for almost five years.
I was taught from a young age that it is important to be able to speak and interact with others, to get to know people, learn about them and understand them. My strength is my ability to connect with others. When I meet with a veteran, I genuinely enjoy getting to know them and taking the time to listen and ask questions. I am interested, and I want to help.
When people talk about their passions, I think this is mine. This is why I became a case manager. This trusting relationship or working alliance allows veterans to share their trauma, the challenges they deal with each day, their fears. This trust allows them to feel comfortable to voice what they need. Can you imagine being in that position, being vulnerable in this way? It is not an easy thing to do to share this information with a stranger, and it is even more challenging during a global pandemic when we are unable to see veterans in person.
This relationship is the foundation that a veteran's case plan is built on.
Right now we are under tremendous pressure to meet deadlines for the transition of case management services to the third party contractor. We are doing this at the same time as we are trying to help veterans and their families. Since June, we have asked questions about the implementation of the new contract, only to be told that this information is forthcoming—a time that has not yet come.
There has been no meaningful consultation with case managers. We've been instructed to adhere to the changes and to do it quickly. We have not been properly trained on this new rehabilitation contract. We have only been provided with an informational 52-step process and new acronyms.
It is very challenging to know what to share with our veterans to prepare them for these changes when we do not know ourselves. Our worth as case managers is no longer measured by our ability to connect with veterans and assess and develop their case plans with care, compassion and respect. Our worth today is measured by data, stats, ribbons, complexity levels and concluded files.
We often talk about high caseloads. The promise of managing 25 cases never happens. Let me be clear. This has a direct impact on our ability to meet our mission of providing exemplary client-centred services. With upwards of 40 files, our process becomes diluted. We are more susceptible to making mistakes. This has consequences for our health and well-being. Quite frankly, it keeps us up at night. We worry whether something has been missed and what kind of impact that could have on our veterans and their families.
I often hear from our veterans that they are coming to us after struggling on their own for so long. In the past, we have had the autonomy to develop that individualized plan. This allows us to put measures in place to ensure that our veterans feel safe so they can begin to heal. Case managers work at the veterans' pace, meeting them where they are, bridging the gap between our expectations and where they are coming from. We do this because they have been injured serving our country and their lives have been completely changed because of it.
I am afraid that in the future, this piece will be lost. I am afraid that veterans will be forced to adhere to rehabilitation plans that are guided by specific and hard timelines, and that their rehabilitation plan will be prescribed by a contract that was awarded through a tendering process, not developed from the veteran's physical and mental health needs. I am afraid that if they are not able to participate in the streamlined process, they will face cancellation of the program and file closure, a financially and emotionally devastating measure.
As case managers, we are worried about how all of this will affect our veterans. I am afraid that this new contract will reduce the role of a group of workers who are an experienced, well-trained group of professionals who want to serve our veterans and their families. We have knowledge, integrity and commitment to service. We take pride in our role as public servants. We can make effective decisions and are accountable for our work to our employer and, most importantly, to our veterans and their families. Just imagine how well we could do this work if we had appropriate resources and permanent funding in place.
As a final note, I want you to know that I love my job. I'm honoured to work with veterans and their families. I'm thankful for the organization and my colleagues. This is why I'm here today sharing my concerns on behalf of my union and my fellow case managers.
Thank you.