Veterans Affairs committee  Thank you for the question and your kind words. We're more than happy to share our experience with anybody who wants to learn from what we've learned, but I think one of the key reasons that we have such great success with the veterans we support is most of our volunteers are veterans themselves or still serving members, so there is that element of peer support that's certainly helpful.

Veterans Affairs committee  You're right. A checklist sounds very impersonal, but case managers need some guidance in asking the right questions. As I mentioned earlier, a checklist could be done in consultation with veterans to make sure that the proper questions are asked. We need consultation with veterans from all walks of life, so that we can ensure that the questions are asked pertain to each veteran's situation.

Veterans Affairs committee  You know what? I'm not 100% sure why that is so difficult. I don't have a clear answer on that one.

Veterans Affairs committee  Yes, we do often hear comments to that effect. Veterans who are francophone and who are forced to deal with case managers in English may be able to speak English, but it's not the language of their choice. Because there is a lack of bilingual case managers, veterans are forced to receive that service in English.

Veterans Affairs committee  Yes, that's definitely our understanding: that they speak both languages fluently and they can communicate effectively in both languages.

Veterans Affairs committee  I think it is feasible. There are many bilingual people in this country. If it's not possible to have everybody in the department being bilingual, I think it's very important to at least have a sufficient number who are, particularly those on the front lines providing service delivery and those adjudicating the claims.

Veterans Affairs committee  Thank you for that, and it's great to see you as well. Yes. In 2014-15, we received our contract, which made us service providers. Then, as I mentioned earlier, in 2018, our funding changed. It was to come from the veteran and family well-being fund. We still have the same sort of relationship with VAC.

Veterans Affairs committee  I think a checklist could be created in consultation with veterans, as well as perhaps veterans groups. I understand that checking off a box is very impersonal, but if it's done in the proper way, it doesn't have to appear as an interrogation. It can be done in a—

Veterans Affairs committee  Our intake is very detailed. It asks a lot of questions, so we are able to gain a really good picture of that veteran's situation. I can refer back to when my husband released from the military and he was connected with Veterans Affairs. The case manager that he was assigned was amazing.

Veterans Affairs committee  In the situation with my husband when he released?

Veterans Affairs committee  It's quite quick. We've learned from it over the years. We started out with our intake being very brief, and then we found that it was taking us a longer time to get a full picture of the veteran's situation, so we expanded our intake forms. We collect a lot of information—

Veterans Affairs committee  —so it could take an hour.

Veterans Affairs committee  I think we're definitely talking about mental health issues more, so that helps with the stigma and veterans being willing to come forward and talk about their mental health issues. They definitely impact the veteran's ability to be successful in their day-to-day life. As one of the witnesses stated earlier about veterans, they stay in the dark—they don't go out, they socially isolate—and that affects the whole family.

Veterans Affairs committee  The purpose or basis of the project was our experience that veterans are more likely to accept support from somebody who understands them, their military culture and their service. We thought that if we took that one step further, maybe veterans who identified as LGBTQ2S+ would appreciate receiving services from somebody within their own community.

Veterans Affairs committee  If some of those recommendations were put into place, they would decrease the stress veterans feel when interacting with the department. We hear about things. Veterans tell us all the time about the “brown envelope syndrome”. They panic when they receive a brown envelope in the mail.