Hello, everyone. Thanks for having me.
I have a small correction. I'm actually with the veterans transition centre. I was part of the Veterans Transition Network's founding team. Oliver Thorne may have presented, or will be presenting, for the network. He is still a good friend of mine and doing very good work.
Coming here, my perspective is twofold. One is as a veteran. I served in Afghanistan in 2008. I went back to school and got a master's degree in counselling psychology, so I'm now a trained counsellor. I'm working with veterans on their journey back to civilian life and overcoming trauma.
I wanted to give a very veteran take on this. What we're talking about today is a contract that PCVRS received. I have the numbers: It's $600 million that the Canadian government has given to PCVRS. From the veterans I've worked with and from my own experience.... We had one case manager at Veterans Affairs before this contract, and that was somebody you could go to to help you access your benefits. When you were applying for things, they helped you navigate the system. We now have two case managers. One is from Veterans Affairs and one is from PCVRS.
If that's not enough bureaucracy, because of privacy concerns, we're told that we're not allowed to be emailed by either of these groups, so we have to get a separate log-in for email communication with Veterans Affairs through the My VAC account. There is one password and email you have to remember and check frequently. You then get a second one from PCVRS, so you have a separate log-in and email there. Now you have two emails you have to remember passwords for and regularly check to make sure you're not missing any important information.
I want to try to highlight for the committee the experience of a veteran and the stress of going through this new program with PCVRS. When you are going through the program, you are told that participation is mandatory. It's not a voluntary program, you're told. It's mandatory if you want to receive your income replacement benefit.
Put yourself in the shoes of a veteran. Maybe you've had a response to some traumatic event. You've found your coping mechanisms, you're out of the military and you're looking for a new career. You are now thinking, “Okay, I'm getting government support through this income replacement benefit, but I'm also being told that I have to go to counselling a certain number of times and have to go to physiotherapy. What if there's a snowstorm and I can't make it to my session? If I miss this physiotherapy [Technical difficulty—Editor]”—