23 May 2024
13:00-15:00 (ET)
Virtual – Microsoft Teams
Care and Support Advisory Group members
- Mary Boutette, The Perley and Rideau Veterans’ Health Centre (Member Co-Chair)
- Alexa Pasha, Royal Canadian Legion
- Sergeant (Retired) Andrea Newton
- Second Lieutenant (Retired) Walter Callaghan, Department of Anthropology, University of Toronto
- Lieutenant Navy (Retired) Sylvain Bouliane, VeteransCanada.ca
- Major (Retired) Bruce Henwood, National Council of Veteran Associations
- Captain (Retired) Rod Holowaty, Zone Commander Legion District 3 Zone 1
- Marie-Andrée Malette, Canadian Caregivers Brigade
Regrets
- Reverend Ken MacLaren
- Major (Retired) Jorma Hamalainen, NATO Veterans Organization of Canada
- Chief Petty Officer 2nd Class (Retired) Debbie Eisan, Aboriginal Veterans Autochtones
Office of the Minister of Veterans Affairs
- Jonathan Wiseman, Policy and Operations Advisor (Ontario)
- Mouctar Yali Bah, Summer Intern
Veterans Affairs Canada officials
- Jane Hicks, A/Director General, Service Delivery and Program Management (Co-Chair)
- Gladys Bradley, Strategic Advisor, Service Delivery and Program Management
- Kristy McGuigan, Senior Advisor, Community Engagement
- Elizabeth Hughes, Project Officer, Community Engagement
Observer
- Bronwyn Rodd, Office of the Veterans Ombud
Welcome and opening remarks
The VAC Co-Chair welcomed the Advisory Group members, outlined the meeting agenda, and reviewed the Minister’s Mandate Letter Commitments.
Land acknowledgement
The VAC Co-Chair provided a land acknowledgement, recognizing Indigenous people, the heritage of their land, the importance of this connection, and the work required for a better future together.
Approval of previous Record of Discussion
The 09 May 2024 Record of Discussion was tabled. The VAC Co-Chair advised members to provide any concerns by end of day on Monday, 27 May 2024, otherwise the Record would be considered approved; no concerns were raised.
Continuity of Care, Veterans’ Independence Program, and Long-Term Care
The Member Co-Chair provided an overview of previous discussions on this priority area, noting the three overarching themes she heard from members. The Member Co-Chair led discussion on Eligibility and Access, Programs and Services, and Knowledge and Expertise.
Eligibility and Access:
- Enhance access to continuity of care supports and simplify and clarify eligibility, based on individual needs rather than service.
- Awareness of services to families and support networks, ensuring programs, services, and applications are as accessible as possible.
Programs and Services:
- Enhance financial support for Veterans to bridge the gap between living independently and moving to long-term care such as the introduction of a handyperson allowance.
Knowledge and Expertise:
- Establish regional support hubs and/or a Centre of Excellence with a research focus aimed at understanding the aging process of Veterans and how it differs from the general population.
Members then had a robust discussion on these three points, with agreement among all Members to support these ideas. One member noted the need of continual reliance and expertise within Veteran hospitals and that the transfer and knowledge of staff was diminishing. In addition, they noted that we need to understand the needs of Veterans, their unique experiences, and social/cultural triggers. The VAC Co-Chair advised the group that she would follow up on palliative and respite day programs that are currently available to gain better awareness of the degree of access. Another member reiterated the need to help typical Veterans and their ineligibility for certain programs and services, and to bridge that gap between staying at home and moving to long-term care by providing additional needs based support.
Housing, Homelessness, and Rebuilding Trust
The VAC Co-Chair led the discussion on the most common themes in relation to this mandate commitment, which included:
- Develop a ‘Relationships First’ model – as face to face interaction is integral to developing rich relationships.
- Adopt a ‘tell us once’ principle, which would reduce unnecessary barriers during interactions.
- Introduce a ‘Tiger Team’ with ‘Navigators’ or ‘Street Service Agents’ to serve as dedicated points of contact and offer personalized support and streamlined service.
- Ensuring trust in the system is built into a Veterans’ transition process.
An excellent member discussion was held surrounding these themes. One member included a comment on the toll that this type of work may have on staff. Additional training to support positive interactions aimed at building trust and continuity of care would be needed, plus additional support for staff to reduce possibility of burnout. Another member noted in regards to a Tiger Team, that the dedicated team would ideally come together in buses or vans, bearing their laptops, into the Veteran homelessness community to offer this direct support, on the Veterans’ terms.
Closing remarks and next steps
The Co-Chairs thanked the members for the insightful discussion and their feedback, surrounding the mandate commitments. The Stakeholder and Engagement Team advised that all recommendations are due by Friday, 31 May 2024. As next steps, post-discussion today, the Co-Chairs will draft some recommendations for member review by early next week.