Thank you, Mr. Chair, for inviting me to speak today.
I was asked to speak today as a service provider who may be impacted by the new rehabilitation contract.
By way of background, I am a registered occupational therapist in the province of Ontario and have been since 1982. I have been a service provider for Veterans Affairs Canada for well over 20 years. I have provided services as a field occupational therapist—or FOT for short—during that time and have had an additional role as a clinical care manager—or a CCM—since 2018.
It is the role of the CCM that I will speak of today because this role that is aimed at veterans who have complex needs and who are in the rehabilitation program.
CCM referrals in the past were made by the veteran's case manager. Involvement with the veterans varies depending on their needs and can include things such as helping the veteran reconnect with services in the community, assisting the veteran re-engage in community activities, or working with the veteran to facilitate re-engagement with their daily activities. The veterans I have seen through this role have multiple needs within the realms of physical barriers, social barriers and mental health struggles.
As a CCM, I work in conjunction with other people working with the veteran, including psychologists, social workers, family physicians when needed, and in the past with the March of Dimes vocational staff when needed, and case managers and those who may be involved with the veteran through community agencies or community services.
To date, I have not been able to identify how the CCM role, and subsequently my role as this provider, may be impacted by the new contract.
I received an email in the summer asking about my expression of interest and I expressed interest. I subsequently received an email from the new provider in late September, asking me to complete a data collection form. Upon reviewing the form I noted that there was no selection for an OT or CCM, so I was unsure if I should complete it. I reached out to the contact person with the new provider and subsequently spoke with that person. I was also directed to a link through Veterans Affairs.
Unfortunately, to date my questions remain unanswered. As an OT who has been providing clinical care management to veterans with complex needs who are in the rehab program, my questions include the following: Will the CCM role be used? If yes, will an OT still provide this role? If yes, will this need be done under the umbrella of the new provider or can this be done autonomously as it has been done in the past? If this must be done under the umbrella of the new provider, will there be changes to the compensation structure?
As a service provider for Veterans Affairs Canada for well over 20 years, I have always worked through my private practice and I am unclear at this time whether the new provider will use only providers under their umbrella or whether independent providers such as me will have any role to play.
Those are my comments.