Wednesday, September 19, 2023
14:00 - 16:00 (ET)
Virtual – Microsoft Teams
Mental Health Advisory Group Members
- Sergeant (Retired) Alannah Gilmore – Co-Chair
- Warrant Officer (Retired) Brian McKenna
- Dave Gallson, Mood Disorders Society of Canada
- Corporal (Retired) Dennis MacKenzie, Brave and Broken – Co-Chair
- Dr. Don Richardson, Canadian Psychiatric Association
- Dr. Gail Wideman
- Dr. Maya Roth
- Sergeant (Retired) Michael Blais, Canadian Veterans Advocacy
- Captain (Retired) Robert Thibeau, Aboriginal Veterans Autochtones
- Dr. Stewart Madon, Canadian Psychological Association
- Captain (Retired) Tarik Kadri
Regrets
- Sapper (Retired) Aaron Bedard
- Ed Mantler, Mental Health Commission of Canada
- Cons. (Retired) Trevor Jenvenne, Royal Canadian Legion
- Corporal (Retired) Victoria Jonas
Office of the Minister of Veterans Affairs
- The Honourable Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Minister of Veterans Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defense
- Abigail Garwood, Senior Policy Advisor, Office of the Minister of Veterans Affairs
Veterans Affairs Canada Officials
- Cyd Courchesne, Chief Medical Officer, Health Professionals Division (Co-chair)
- Alexandrea Heber, Chief of Psychiatry
- Noah Ellis, Stakeholder Engagement and Outreach
- Amy MacDougald, Stakeholder Engagement and Outreach
Observer
- Sonia Poirier, Office of the Veterans Ombudsperson
Welcome/Opening Remarks/Administrative Updates
The VAC Co-chair opened the meeting, extending a welcome to all members and thanked everyone for joining the meeting. The member Co-chairs extended a welcome to the group and expressed their eagerness for the meeting.
Land Acknowledgement
The VAC Co-chair offered a land acknowledgement, recognizing that we are all on sacred land, subject to numerous treaties.
Approval of the previous Records of Discussion
The VAC Co-Chair tabled the Records of Discussion (RoD) for the 25 April 2023 meeting. The VAC Co-Chair asked members to review the RoD and bring forward any points for discussion. After which, the Record of Discussion for 25 April 25 2023, was approved by the Advisory Group, without objection.
VAC Ministerial Advisory Group Co-Chairs Meeting, 12 September 2023
The member Co-chairs shared a summary from the combined Co-chair meeting. They expressed how each of the groups held similar areas of focus, and that it would be beneficial to all Ministerial Advisory Groups to harmonize their areas of work. Specifically, that key interest on areas of policy development could be developed in collaboration, to ensure the best outcomes. Finally, the Co-chairs reiterated the necessity of considering RCMP Veterans, and Veterans’ families when developing future policy recommendations.
Commemoration Advisory Group and Mental Health Advisory Group: Joint working group on recognizing Veterans who died by suicide.
Following previous points of discussion by the Mental Health Advisory Group, a joint working group was struck with the Commemoration Advisory Group to explore how to best recognize and commemorate Veterans who have died by suicide, including:
- A recognition of the need for commemoration and recognition for those who have died by suicide;
- An emphasis of the importance of language and how it is used in the commemorative process;
- A reiteration of how families of Veterans who have died by suicide be a key consideration in the process; and
- An understanding of potential safety risks that may be associated with public discussion of suicide and how that may affect vulnerable individuals.
The Advisory group engaged in a robust discussion on these points, expressing their agreement with the need for recognition in a thoughtful and deliberately crafted process. They further added an emphasis on suicide prevention, including: the need to remove silos when accessing mental healthcare, including the consideration of self-referral to treatment clinics. Additionally, the group committed to receive a technical briefing on the Joint Suicide Prevention Strategy, developed by the Canadian Armed Forces and Veterans Affairs Canada.
Minister of Veterans Affairs
The Mental Health Advisory Group was joined by The Honorable Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Minister of Veterans Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defense. Minister Petitpas Taylor shared her excitement to join the committee and to meet the members who would be advising her. She discussed her personal background as a social worker with the RCMP Victims of Crime resource unit, sharing how that informs her strong understanding of the importance of mental healthcare for Veterans and their families. Finally, she shared her intention to join the group at their upcoming, meeting in late-fall; she hopes to be able to engage in a robust and detailed discussion on the groups work.
Future Meeting
The Mental Health Advisory Group decided to meet in late-fall, with a tentative date set the last week in November, to have in-person discussions and continue their work. Following which, the meeting was adjourned.