Thank you.

Good morning, Mr. Chair and members of the committee.

My name is Elizabeth Douglas, director general for Service Delivery Program Management for Veterans Affairs Canada.

I am responsible for 200 employees, located primarily in Charlottetown, in the areas of online services, strategic and enabling initiatives, case management and support services, health care programs, income support programs, rehabilitation services and vocational assistance, and long-term care.

I would like to thank you for the invitation to appear before the committee with my colleagues Nathalie Pham, acting director for the western Quebec area, and Mark Roy, acting director for case management and support services.

I am pleased to provide an overview of Veterans Affairs Canada’s work in the integrated personnel support centres.

As you know, our mission is to improve the well-being of veterans and their families. Through a comprehensive approach to veteran well-being, we are committed to ensure a seamless and simpler transition to civilian society for Canadian Armed Forces members.

There was an increase in medical releases from the Canadian Armed Forces between 2013 and 2017, going from an average of 1,200 per year to 2,500 in the years 2016-17. The Canadian Armed Forces are projecting 2,500 medical releases per year over the next five years. Since 2013 the average number of total releases from the CAF is 9,107 per year.

What we have learned from the 2016 life after service studies is that although 52% of regular force veterans report easy or moderately easy adjustment to civilian life, 32% report having trouble adjusting. This is a clear indication for VAC that we need to strengthen our transition services for all members who are transitioning to civilian life.

Over the years, VAC and the Canadian Armed Forces have made many improvements to programs and services for members and veterans and for their families. We have dedicated even more resources to improving transition services and we are committed more than ever to working with the Canadian Armed Forces to better support our veterans.

VAC is present at a total of 24 integrated personnel support centres, or IPSCs, and at seven satellite centres. These support centres are located across the country, providing one-on-one contact and support for serving and former Canadian Armed Forces personnel and their families. More than 130 VAC staff are serving veterans and CAF members from these locations every day. Some centres have full veteran service teams, including case managers, veteran service agents, managers, and admin staff; others, depending on the size, will have one or two case managers or veteran service agents. The integration of VAC staff within the IPSC has permitted VAC the opportunity to better understand military culture and the issues facing ill and injured veterans and the opportunity to work with the other partners serving this population.

VAC's presence at the IPSCs allows for earlier and immediate intervention in the event of casualties involving members who are still serving. Upon notification of a casualty, a case manager is assigned and can work directly with the IPSC staff and CAF officers to support the member and family, providing information on benefits, services, and support that could be of help to them. If the member/survivor or family representative is ready to proceed with applications, the VAC case manager can assist with completing applications and gathering supporting documentation as required.

Members and veterans are informed of VAC programs and services while serving and during their transition to civilian life through a variety of outreach activities and initiatives such as the second career assistance network, the SCAN seminars.

VAC staff participate in these outreach activities in order to share information on the programs and services available to Canadian Armed Forces members making the transition from military to civilian life. In 2017, VAC front-line staff delivered more than 70 SCAN sessions to serving CAF members across the country.

Since September 2015, VAC and the Canadian Armed Forces have worked together on the enhanced transition services, which are focused on supporting collaborative work at local levels. Specifically, the Canadian Armed Forces nurse case managers, the VAC staff professional case managers, and veterans service agents have been working closely together to ensure earlier intervention in support of effective transition services.

Moving forward, the enhanced transition services will continue to focus efforts on improving transition services for those medically releasing. While we are moving in the right direction, we know that some members continue to face challenges transitioning to civilian life. That is why we've been working closely with the Canadian Armed Forces in our efforts to improve the transition process, and we will continue to do so.

Thank you again for the invitation to speak to you today. I very much appreciate the opportunity to support the work of your committee and consider what it may hold for the future of Canada's services to veterans and families in recognition of their extraordinary contributions and sacrifice.

Thank you.

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