Frontline staff supporting Veterans
Veterans are supported by a team of VAC staff dedicated to providing them with the appropriate level of support and services based on each individual’s unique needs. The Veteran Services Team consists of Veteran Service Agents and Case Managers, who report to a Veteran Service Team Manager. The team has access to doctors, nurses, occupational therapists, mental health specialists, rehabilitation specialists, and provincial and local programs and service providers to ensure Veterans have the support they need.
Typically, a Veteran Service Agent (VSA) is the primary point of contact for Veterans and their families and helps them get the services they need. VSAs also conduct transition interviews for releasing members of the Canadian Armed Forces and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and conduct comprehensive screenings to determine the Veteran’s needs, assess risks and action referrals as needed.
Case Management Services
Through the initial screening, if a Veteran is deemed to have higher needs or risks, a case manager is assigned to the Veteran. Veterans who require the support of a case manager include individuals that have complex needs in areas such as physical health, mental health, employment, financial, housing, social integration, life skills, or are finding it difficult to navigate a transition/change in their lives. Case managers work with Veterans to identify needs, set goals, and create a plan to help them achieve their highest level of independence, health, and well-being.
As of January 2023, VAC has 482 case managers providing case management services to Veterans and their family members.
Targeted Assistance & Guided Support
VSAs provide support to Veterans and their families through targeted assistance and guided support:
Targeted Assistance
Veterans with minimal needs who occasionally require help with a specific inquiry or task receive targeted assistance. It is typically short term to address a specific need. For example, a Veteran may have specific questions related to their need for housekeeping and grounds maintenance through the Veterans Independence Program. Guided support is available to Veterans who require more support.
Guided Support
Working closely with the Veteran, the VSA analyzes the Veteran’s needs, coordinating and integrating services and helping them navigate the system to ensure their needs are met. Generally, the type of Veteran who requires this level of assistance is not case-managed but needs some extra help.
In addition to providing guided support to Veterans, VSAs also respond to secure messages received via MyVAC Account and receive transferred calls from the National Contact Centre Network (NCCN). These secure messages and calls are from Veterans and family members who often do not have case managers and have questions about VAC’s programs and benefits. These interactions with Veterans are noted in their file.
As of January 2023, VAC has 186 veteran services agents supporting Veterans through guided support.
Support for Veterans Available through NCCN & My VAC Account (MVA)
Veterans can also call VAC’s National Contact Centre Network to get general information and request services. As of 16 January 2023, VAC has 125 NCCN analysts responding to calls. For Veterans who prefer to do business online, they can send a secure message through MyVAC Account. VSAs respond to these secure messages and a complete record of the exchange is saved in the Veteran’s file for future reference.
Calls to the NCCN are recorded — a common practice for call centres in order to monitor the quality of services and because discussions are generally not sensitive. If a caller’s request goes beyond the authority of the NCCN analyst, the call is transferred to a VSA in their area. These phone conversations are not recorded. VAC’s current practice holds that recording interactions between case managers and Veteran service agents and Veterans could harm the building of a trusting relationship and limit the importance and accuracy of the information shared by Veterans. VAC does not record phone interactions the same way it does not record home visits, transition interviews and in-person services with Veterans or their family members. However, after any interaction with a Veteran has occurred, staff are required to document the interaction in the Veteran’s file. (Annex A: Record of Veterans’ Communications with VAC Staff)
Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD)
MAiD became legal in Canada in June 2016 when federal legislation was passed which allows eligible Canadian adults to request medical assistance in dying. MAiD is a deeply complex and personal medical issue that falls outside the jurisdiction of VAC. Providing advice on MAiD is not a VAC service and employees have no role or mandate to recommend or raise it with Veterans or family members.
Like other Canadians, there are Veterans suffering from terminal illnesses who are choosing to proceed with MAiD as a means to end their suffering. If a Veteran has chosen to pursue MAiD with their primary care provider and calls to inform the Department, employees can help the Veteran and family understand the VAC benefits to which they would be entitled, as well as to discuss any other supports or services that might be relevant in the Veteran’s circumstances. This support can include resource coordination and navigation such as connecting a Veteran and their family to community resources, mental health practitioners, grief counsellors, pastoral outreach or other local resources. This support does not include VAC employees providing advice or suggestions on MAiD-related considerations.