Veterans Affairs committee  We provide them with in-class training. The training also includes a practical component, with a supervisor reviewing each decision.

Veterans Affairs committee  Are you asking about the adjudicators of the Veterans Review and Appeal Board or about the adjudicators who make first decisions?

Veterans Affairs committee  Thank you. So you are talking about adjudicators who make the first decision. They are nurses. The requirements have been changed, and those adjudicators must have a nursing background. They have bachelor's degrees in sociology or in another health-related field. They are trained for 6 to 12 months.

Veterans Affairs committee  Yes, they are trained by the department.

Veterans Affairs committee  Thank you, Bernard, Mr. Chair, and committee members. As Bernard said, my name is Rick Christopher. I'm the director of program management at Veterans Affairs Canada, or VAC. My role is to oversee management of the department's disability benefits programs. Today I'm going to describe for the committee the process that a disability benefit application goes through.