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Record of discussion - 24-25 October 2023

Tuesday, 24 October 2023 9:00 – 15:30 (AT)
Wednesday, 25 October 2023 9:00-15:30 (AT)

In-person meeting
134 Kent Street, Veterans Affairs Canada Learning Centre, Charlottetown (PE)
Virtual via Microsoft Teams

Service Excellence and Transition Advisory Group Members

  • Corporal (Retired) Bruce Moncur (member Co-Chair)
  • Joseph Burke
  • Lieutenant-Colonel (Retired) Dave Byrne
  • Dr. Darryl Cathcart
  • Corporal (Retired) Sylvain Chartrand, Canadian Veterans Advocacy
  • Deanna Fimrite, Army, Navy & Air Force Veterans in Canada
  • Steve Graham, RCMP Veterans’ Association
  • Lieutenant (Retired) Carolyn Hughes, Royal Canadian Legion
  • Lieutenant-Colonel Kirk Watson, CAF Liaison Officer to VAC

Regrets

  • Amanda DiFalco, Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness
  • Warrant Officer (Retired) Jessica Hewett (member Co-Chair)
  • Master Warrant Officer (Retired) Michael Hogan

Office of the Minister of Veterans Affairs

  • The Honourable Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Minister of Veterans Affairs Canada and Associate Minister of National Defence
  • Jonathan Wiseman, Special Assistant, Office of the Minister of Veterans Affairs

Veterans Affairs Canada Officials

  • Trudie MacKinnon, A/Director General, Centralized Operations Division (VAC Co-Chair)
  • Steven Harris, Assistant Deputy Minister, Service Delivery
  • Pierre Tessier, Assistant Deputy Minister, Strategic Policy, Planning and Performance
  • Emily Prashad, A/Team Lead, Communications Division
  • Amy MacDougald, Senior Advisor, Stakeholder Engagement and Outreach
  • Megan MacKinnon, A/Program Operations Assistant, Stakeholder Engagement and Outreach
  • Elizabeth Hughes, Project Officer, Stakeholder Engagement and Outreach
  • Noah Ellis, Project Assistant, Stakeholder Engagement and Outreach

Observer

  • Laura Kelly, Director, Strategic Review and Analysis, Office of the Veterans Ombuds

Presenters

  • Captain (Navy) Greg Adamthwaite, Deputy Commander, Canadian Armed Forces Transition Group
  • Lynn Charles, A/Operations Managers, Veterans Employment Unity
  • Jane Hicks, A/Director General, Service Delivery and Program Management
  • Mark Roy, Area Director, Field Operations
  • Dr. Cyd Courchesne, Chief Medical Officer and Director General, Health Professions

Service Excellence and Transition Advisory Group Meeting

Land AcknoService Excellence and Transition Advisory Group Meetingwledgement and Opening Remarks

The VAC Co-Chair gave a land acknowledgement indicating that meeting took place on the unceded territory of the Mi'kmaq people and asked all members to reflect on how to move forward on reconciliation. The VAC Co-Chair opened the meeting and each member briefly introduced themselves.

June 2023 Record of Discussion

The record of discussion from the June 2023 meeting was shared. A member requested the record of discussion be updated to include their suggestion at the June meeting that VAC should re-focus on the individual Veteran, and the benefits and services VAC provides. The group was in agreement and the record of discussion will be updated.

The Minister of Veterans Affairs

The Honourable Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Minister of Veterans Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defense joined the group. Minister Petitpas Taylor thanked the group for their work and shared how she will rely greatly on their advice. She shared her background as a social worker with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, working with victims of crime and in the mental health field. Additionally, the Minister reviewed her current priorities with the group. These priorities include:

  • Backlog Reduction
  • Commemoration
  • Equity-deserving Groups
  • Employment Strategy
  • Long Term Care

Follow-ups from June 2023 meeting

The VAC Co-Chair will provide further information to the group regarding the following items discussed at the June meeting as they become available:

  • The final report for the Let’s Talk Veterans consultation for recording/monitoring of calls.
  • Progress is being made on reducing the backlog and improving service standards. VAC will share the direction regarding the future of our term employees once it is received.
  • Issues regarding access to medical doctors and completion of forms.
  • The ongoing work on the Community Health Needs Assessment.
  • Status update on the Departmental Service Standards.

Program Statistics

The group reviewed the top 10 conditions and medical categories for 2022-23, favorable rates and risks, and the collection of information needed to adjudicate a decision. The group discussed the following:

  • Opportunity to replicate the Mental Health Benefits process for another medical condition. (Musculoskeletal (MSK), Hearing Loss, Tinnitus conditions all to be considered).
  • It would be helpful to have a more clear picture of the statistics as a Veteran could fall into more than one medical category.
  • VAC tracks only the information that is needed to adjudicate decisions, but there are always areas for improvement with program statistics and reporting.

Discussion on bridging gaps in service standards

An open discussion was held on ways VAC has aimed to reduce the gaps within service standard timelines of favorable decisions for program benefits and services; key topics shared were:

  • Review of the Entitlement Eligibility Guidelines (EEG) and the Table of Disabilities (ToD).
  • Apply a Gender Based Analysis Plus (GBA Plus) lens to decision making.
  • Review of current forms and to continue the discussion on the addition of equity-deserving groups.
  • VAC expects a report from the Standing Committee of Veterans Affairs to come out this Fall (2023) on their recommendations to the Department regarding the Experience of Women Veterans.
  • Specialty units were created to reduce gaps for favorable disability benefit outcomes. These units include:
    • Women’s Unit
    • Military and Sexual Trauma (MST) Unit
    • Red Zone Unit
    • Specialty Unit (exposure and complex claims)
    • Bilingual/French Units
    • RCMP Unit (processes RCMP files exclusively)

Paul Thomson, Director General of Commemoration, Veterans Affairs Canada

Paul Thomson, Director General of Commemoration, was introduced to the members and discussed the following:

  • The week’s events include Senate and Candlelight ceremonies in Ottawa, Indigenous Veterans Day events (various locations) and a Veteran Open-Mic series (Ottawa and Charlottetown).
  • Remembrance Day ceremonies will conclude Veterans’ week.

Paul also gave a brief overview of the National Monument to Canada’s Mission in Afghanistan. The group discussed the role the online survey played in the design selection process. The monument will be located across from the Canadian War Museum and the current plan is to unveil in 2027.

Discussion on recommendations

The group had a robust discussion and identified options for priorities going forward. These priorities include:

  • Apply the Mental Health Benefits process to another condition (MSK, hearing loss and tinnitus conditions would be potentially the most beneficial.) VRAB Statistics (overturned decisions) should also be reviewed Joint Steering Committee Release Medical (fit for duty vs potential medical (VAC))
  • Review the VAC Red Zone Criteria
  • Intersectionality (representation of equity seeking groups)
  • Treatment Benefits (benefit grid search results)
  • Operation Buddy Check (system to check on high risk Veterans when a suicide occurs in the Veteran community and is in the media/high profile)

Presentation on Career Transition Services

Lynn Charles, A/Operations Manager, Veterans Employment Unit and Jane Hicks, A/Director General, Service Delivery and Program Management, presented an overview of VAC’s Career Transition Services. The presentation highlighted what services are available, who is eligible, key metrics and messaging and awareness.

Feedback/Comments from Members

  • The two year time restraint for spouses to access this benefit is a barrier.
  • Does completion of basic training need to be a requirement?
  • A member suggested that VAC could improve awareness of the benefit.

Pierre Tessier, Assistant Deputy Minister, Strategic Policy, Planning and Performance and Steven Harris, Assistant Deputy Minister, Service Delivery

Pierre Tessier, Assistant Deputy Minister, Strategic Policy, Planning and Performance and Steven Harris, Assistant Deputy Minister, Service Delivery, discussed several priorities within their branches. These priorities include the following:

  • Veterans and their families
  • Aging in Place / Long-term Care
  • Veterans Homelessness Program
  • Career Transition Services
  • Seamless Canada
  • Telemedicine Pilot
  • Veterans Employment Strategy

Plenary Session* - Canadian Armed Forces Transition Overview

*All Ministerial Advisory Group members were invited to join virtually for this agenda item.

A very informative session on Canadian Armed Forces Transition was led by Captain (N) Greg Adamthwaite, Deputy Commander, Canadian Armed Forces Transition Group in collaboration with Jane Hicks, A/Director General, VAC Service Delivery Program Management. Captain (N) Adamthwaite briefed on various key points including the CAF Transition Group (TG) mission statement, mandate commitments, defence policy, military to civilian transition process and CAF/VAC collaboration.

From the VAC perspective, Jane shared several key items on Transition Services to help Veterans and their families with their transition to life after service. Mark Roy, Area Director, Field Operations shared that capturing post-release Veterans earlier during the transition process helps to identify those in need of varying medical conditions, which in turn leads to a more successful transition. Dr. Cyd Courchesne, Chief Medical Officer and Director General, Health Professionals, VAC, offered several points on outreach on the current complex issue with medical professionals and completion of forms. Dr. Courchesne offered to share with the group members, several VAC Veteran and Family Health Reference Guides, for Health Care Professional meetings with Veterans.

Closing Remarks

The Co-Chairs thanked everyone for their attendance and participation in the two day meeting. It was proposed that the group meet virtually in February 2024. Forward Agenda items proposed include:

  • Debrief on Veterans Week 2023
  • Update of Medical Forms
  • Update on Women’s Unit
  • Update on Intersectionality progress

 

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