Friday, December 16, 2022
13:00 - 14:00 (ET)
Care and support advisory group members
- Major (Retired) Bruce Henwood, National Council of Veteran Associations
- Major (Retired) Jorma Hamalainen, NATO Veterans Organization of Canada
- Captain (Retired) Rod Holowaty, Zone Commander Legion District 3 Zone 1
- Marie Andrée Malette, Canadian Caregivers Brigade
- Sergeant (Retired) Andrea Newton
- Second Lieutenant (Retired) Walter Callaghan, Department of Anthropology, University of Toronto
- Lieutenant (Retired) Sylvain Bouliane, VeteransCanada.ca
- Mary Boutette, The Perley and Rideau Veterans’ Health Centre
- Major (Retired) Linda Lander
Regrets
- Alexa Pasha, Royal Canadian Legion
- Chief Petty Officer 2nd Class (Retired) Debbie Eisan, Aboriginal Veterans Autochtones
- Ken MacLaren
Office of the Minister of Veterans Affairs
- Erika Lashbrook Knutson, Press Secretary, Minister’s Office
Veterans Affairs Canada officials
- Jane Hicks, A/Director General, Service Delivery and Program Management (Co-chair)
- Pat Lynch, Senior Advisor, Stakeholder Engagement and Outreach
- Toby Hill, Project Officer, Stakeholder Engagement and Outreach
Presenter
- Danica Arseneault, Director, Re-establishment and Financial Well-being
Observer
- Kandace Bogaert, Office of the Veterans Ombudsperson
Care and support advisory group meeting
Welcome/Opening remarks/Administrative updates
The VAC Co-Chair brought the meeting to order and extended a welcome to all. She and the member acting Co-chair briefly discussed a few administrative updates as follows:
- Potential for face to face meeting in early spring – details to come.
- Member Co-chair(s) to be selected now that quorum is established. The VAC Co-chair asked for members to email her following the meeting if any were interested in putting their names forward. If more than 2 names are received, VAC will set up an anonymous poll through Engagement inbox. All members were in agreement.
- VAC Co-chair reminded members that these meetings are for discussion of global issues that affect Veterans as a whole and not specific individual issues.
- If any members need corrections or updates made to their title/rank/organization, please forward the information to the Engagement inbox and it will be done.
- Reminder that discussions within the group and documents circulated are to remain for internal use only. Members are asked to speak to the Co-chairs before sharing anything outside the group.
- Acting member Co-chair stressed the importance of Veterans signing up for access to My VAC Account.
Two CASAG reports
The acting member Co-chair brought forward two reports (dated 2017 and 2019) from previous Care and Support Advisory Groups for the current members to review. He indicated that he will scan and send the work plan items that came from the Minister’s office on these reports to the members, and asked members to reflect on them and provide feedback.
It was acknowledged that a lot has changed in the last 3 years since these reports were submitted and that some priorities have been changed by the pandemic. There are reviews underway that will lead to changes in legislation and regulations. The VAC Co-chair indicated that updates can and will be provided on some of these items and suggested that theme-based meetings may be an option to fully address certain issues.
One member asked if it might be possible to obtain a summary and/or strategic plan for where VAC is going with some of these programs, in order that the group can prioritize items according to the Department’s mandate. The access of healthcare resources is a major concern and alternate means of accessing services may need to be implemented.
Rehabilitation services and vocational assistance project (RSVP) update
The VAC Co-chair and the Director, Re-establishment and Financial Well-being, gave a brief update and answered questions regarding the new contract for the Rehabilitation and Vocational Assistance Program (RSVP), which went live on November 29. Files are being migrated in stages and the document transfer should be completed within the next week. From VAC’s perspective, this has been a positive move so far. There is a new participant guide for the program which may be something for this group to look at, as it covers privacy concerns, claims processing etc. and may answer some questions.
A member asked what the definition of “professional” was in regard to Rehabilitation Service Specialists (RSS). The VAC Co-chair explained that it means someone with a designation as a health professional (registered occupational therapist, nurse, kinesiologist, physiotherapist, etc.) and that they must have a minimum of 3 years’ experience in the rehab field to be considered as a provider under the new contract.
There was a discussion of capping of fees as described in the Letter of Understanding from LifeMark. There is concern that this will affect continuity of care and that it will also prevent some providers from offering services under the new contract. The VAC Co-chair encouraged any members who heard concerns about service providers and their rates to forward them to her. Continuity of care will remain for those already in the system who are being migrated over, but new participants will use PCVRS providers. She emphasized that the Department wants to set this program up for success and will be happy to have conversations about any concerns raised.
Roundtable
- A member stated that they receive a lot of questions about what benefits are available to Veterans who served and discharged in good health but then later had issues that necessitated care. They asked if the Legions could get some in-service training on matters such as these and the VAC Co-chair replied that this was an option and would look into it.
- A member asked if group members were willing to share telephone numbers on top of the email addresses, which they already have access to. Everyone seemed fine with this.
- A member commented on rate increases by some care providers and asked if there was any way for the Veterans to be reimbursed for the amount not covered by Department. The VAC Co-chair responded that there is a rate review currently underway by the Department that will address this. It should be completed by the end of March. Once the Federal Health Claims Processing (FCHPS) contract is renewed, there will be an annual rate review going forward.
- A member informed the group that her trajectory as a professional now includes medical assistance in dying (MAiD) and palliative care. They have a relationship with a specialist in their region who can answer questions that the group might have. The Co-chairs suggested that multi-group meetings may be called on issues where there is intersectionality, such as these.
Closing remarks/Next steps
The acting member Co-chair asked that there be hybrid options in place if face-to-face meetings are planned, as some members are unable to travel. The Project Officer from Stakeholder Engagement and Outreach advised the members that VAC staff will be in touch to get information from members that is required to book travel.
The VAC Co-chair thanked all members for their participation in today’s discussions. Meetings will be the third Thursday of the month from 13:00 – 14:30 ET going forward, with the next meeting to be held on January 19, 2023. Will start thinking about an in-person meeting date that will work for the most number of participants.
Co-chairs wished a happy holiday season to all.
Meeting adjourned at 14:29 ET.
December 19, 2022 - Addendum to Record of Discussion
VAC Co-chair reports that Bruce Henwood and Mary Boutette will serve as member Co-chairs, with Andrea Newton as a backup as and when required.