I think that's an excellent question. How do we deal with that?
If you look at the homelessness issue, the big problem for women veterans is that they are invisible because we can't find them. They don't go to the homeless shelters. The homeless shelters are too dangerous for women. What they do, as the senator mentioned, is couch surf. Some of them live rough. We don't see them immediately. That's why they're invisible.
I think this goes back to making sure that VAC tracks these people, especially people who are on a medical release. They should be tracked. They should not rely on them to come back to VAC. VAC should say, “Where are you, and how are you doing?” I think that's one thing that could make a difference.
Again, for me, I think the transition issue is also something.... As Lee-Anne mentioned, she didn't go back to VAC for five years. Me neither. I said, “I'm fine; there's nothing wrong. I'm strong. I can do it.” We don't want to admit that we could use some help. A lot of my veteran friends feel exactly that way. They don't want to admit it.
If there was a way—without having to go through all the paperwork and without having to end up in a crisis—to go back to VAC and say they would like to talk to somebody, let's make it easy for them during that period. Let's make it so it doesn't have to become a crisis.