24 September 2025
09:00 – 15:00 (ET)
Hybrid – In-person in Ottawa / Microsoft Teams
Service Excellence and Transition Advisory Group Members
- Julia-Joseph Burke, CD
- Dr. Darryl Cathcart (co-chair)
- Corporal (Retired) Sylvain Chartrand, Canadian Veterans Advocacy
- Deanna Fimrite, Army, Navy & Air Force Veterans in Canada
- Steve Graham, RCMP Veterans’ Association
- Master Warrant Officer (Retired) Michael Hogan
- Lieutenant (Retired) Carolyn Hughes, Royal Canadian Legion
Canadian Armed Forces Representative
- Lieutenant Colonel Michael Draho, Liaison Officer to Veterans Affairs Canada, Canadian Armed Forces
Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) Officials
- Nathalie Pham, Director General, Field Operations
- Jeff Gallant, Manager, Community Engagement
- Kristy McGuigan, Senior Analyst, Community Engagement
- Elizabeth Hughes, Project Officer, Community Engagement
- Megan MacKinnon, Program Operations Assistant, Community Engagement
Regrets
- Warrant Officer (Retired) Jessica Hewett (co-chair)
- Laura Kelly, Office of the Veterans Ombud
- Master Warrant Officer (Retired) Floyd Powder, Métis Veteran Council
Land acknowledgement and welcome remarks
The VAC co-chair welcomed everyone attending in person and online. She started with a land acknowledgement, noting that the meeting was being held in the National Capital Region, the traditional, unceded territory of the Anishinaabe Algonquin. She proceeded to review the agenda and encouraged all participants to remain open-minded and focused in order to effectively achieve the meeting objectives.
Group check-in
Participants introduced themselves, highlighting their backgrounds and expectations for the day. Attendees asked about the status of previous recommendations. The group reviewed the last Record of Discussion and proposed circulating future records by email before posting them online.
Summary: SETAG survey responses
The member co-chair reviewed the survey responses, emphasizing successes, challenges, and opportunities for VAC actions. The survey results identified three key priorities: improving access to services, addressing equity concerns, and enhancing communication and accountability. The group engaged in a thorough discussion regarding the survey responses. Topics addressed include:
- Timeline from client intake to benefit receipt.
- Systemic challenges within VAC.
- Technological barriers including difficulties accessing and signing required forms.
- A need for client-centered service delivery and increased proactive communication.
- Increased personalization of client-facing tools and resources such as the Benefit Navigator and My VAC Account.
- VAC’s responsibility in addressing and resolving issues.
Status review of existing recommendations
The VAC Senior Analyst reviewed the current status of the Service Excellence and Transition Advisory Group’s previous recommendations. The group had a thorough discussion on the following points:
- Access to mental health services remains challenging.
- Requested an update on the recommendation to automatically grant treatment benefits for musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions upon application.
- Called for increased oversight of Veterans in facilities, including spot inspections.
- Discussed updating the Veterans Independence Program (VIP) to better meet evolving needs.
- Recognized the value of organizations while urging caution with those that charge fees for assistance.
- Reviewed the Government of Canada’s definition of an equity-deserving group to help shape the foundation of the group’s mandate.
Recommendation discussion
The group focused on framing recommendations and defining the next steps for gathering the necessary information. The following recommendations were considered:
Modernizing IT
- Improve usability of and refine information shared through My VAC Account to better meet the needs of Veterans and RCMP members.
- Leverage AI and customizable features.
- Do not show ineligible benefits on an individual’s My VAC Account.
- Requested a demonstration from VAC on the current and future My VAC Account and Benefit Navigator.
Enhancing client outcomes
- Proactive and comprehensive file reviews could help identify owed compensation, ensure fairness, and reduce delays.
- Veterans should be proactively notified when compensation is owed.
- Concern that Veterans who received less than four-fifths entitlement for disability claims, other than for hearing loss, may be facing unnecessary challenges by having to appeal individually through the VRAB.
Modernizing the Veterans Independence Program
- Update supports to reflect evolving needs across the care continuum and the cost of living.
- Share insights across advisory groups to improve consistency and alignment.
Including social responsibility in VAC funding agreements
- Include a social responsibility clause in funding agreements to ensure accountability and positive impact.
- Third-party providers must be Veteran-aware, with VAC responsible to hold them accountable.
Supporting education to strengthen Veteran care
- Even when VAC benefits are made available, some Veterans face challenges when trying to access care.
- VAC to consider sponsoring graduate education for psycho-social professionals to help address the workforce shortage.
Improving communication to support Veterans
- Effective support requires both proactive communication (to inform Veterans of new decisions) and retroactive communication (to reach those already receiving benefits).
- Clear and accessible information on changes to both current and past benefits is essential to ensure Veterans are not overlooked.
- VAC should ensure that all Veterans are informed of policy or entitlement changes, including those eligible for retroactive adjustments.
Summary and closing remarks
The member co-chair reviewed the draft recommendations with the group and will circulate a written version for discussion. The VAC co-chair provided closing remarks, thanked participants for participating both in person and online, and noted that the Record of Discussion will be shared for information purposes. The next meeting is tentatively scheduled for 2 December 2025.