26 – 27 September 2023 Virtual – Microsoft Teams Advisory Group on Families
Advisory Group on Families Members
- Colonel (Retired) Telah Morrison (Co-Chair)
- Laryssa Lamrock
- Lieutenant Colonel (Retired) Steven Deschamps
- Namita Joshi, True Patriot Love Foundation
- Yvonne Watson
- Lieutenant Commander (Retired) Charles Gendron, Royal Canadian Legion
- Superintendent (Retired) Dave LeBlanc, RCMP Veterans Association
- Tamara Kleinschmidt, Trenton Military Family Resource Centre
- Nora Spinks
Regrets
- Lieutenant Colonel (Retired) Robert Bell
- Jenny Migneault
- Laurie Ogilvie, Military Family Services, Canadian Armed Forces
Office of the Minister of Veterans Affairs
- The Honourable Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Minister of Veterans Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defense
- Michael Unsworth, Special Assistant, Office of the Minister of Veterans Affairs
Veterans Affairs Canada Officials
- Pamela Harrison, Senior Director, Engagement and Events (Co-chair)
- Megan MacKinnon, Project Operations Assistant, Engagement and Events
- Noah Ellis, Project Operations Assistant, Engagement and Events
Presenters
- Julia Pike, Senior Operations Manager, Business Integration Directorate
- Mark Hodder, Product Owner, My VAC Account
- Kara-Lee Casselman, Military Family Services
Observer
- Joanne Ghiz, Office of the Veterans Ombudsperson
Joint Session of the Advisory Group on Families and the Policy Advisory Group
26 September 2023, 12:00 - 16:00 ET
Opening Remarks
Members of the Policy Advisory Group and the Advisory Group on Families met in a joint session to discuss issues of common interest.
The Minister of Veterans Affairs
The Minister of Veterans Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defense joined the group, to open their joint session. Minister Petitpas Taylor shared her experience as a social worker with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, assisting victims of major crimes. She spoke of how this experience helps to inform the work which she does as Minister of Veterans Affairs. Further, the Minister spoke of how she deeply values the insight and perspectives that members of both advisory groups are providing, expressing that she hopes to be able to have detailed working discussions at future meetings.
Land Acknowledgement
The VAC Co-Chair for the Advisory Group on Families gave a land acknowledgement.
Common Topics of Discussion Between the Groups
The groups discussed areas of mutual interest between the two advisory groups, setting forth points of discussion for their afternoon session. This included:
- Family access VAC programs and services in their own right;
- The Caregiver Recognition Benefit eligibility criteria;
- Access to MH Benefit treatment for families; and
- Family benefits through transition and post-release.
Definition of Family
The group discussed the definition of a family with the following core principles:
- Must mirror CAF/DND’s definition so to contribute to a seamless transition for families;
- Definition must be as open as possible;
- The nuclear family is no longer the norm; and
- A review of Five-eyes definitions may help in updating/renewing the definition of a family.
Family Access to Mental Health Program treatment benefits
The group discussed further exploration of having families be approved for the Mental Health (MH) Program treatment access in their own right, following a defined screening process including that injuries are linked to service.
Caregiver Recognition Benefit
The group discussed:
- the historical establishment of the Benefit;
- the eligibility criteria;
- understanding the reasons why caregivers are denied the benefit;
- review of the Ombuds report on Caregiver Recognition Benefit;
- understanding supplementary programs available to caregivers; and
- access to the benefit for those under the age of 18 versus only adults.
Closing Remarks
The Families and Policy VAC Co-chairs acknowledged the great discussion between both groups. They committed to bringing the co-chairs together within 6 weeks to discuss priorities and next steps.
Meeting of the Advisory Group on Families
27 September 2023, 9:00 - 15:00 ET
Land Acknowledgement
The VAC Co-chair lead the group in an acknowledgement of the unceded ancestral lands of the Inuit, Métis, and First Nations peoples, upon which the advisory group will conduct their work.
Approval of the Record of Discussion
The VAC Co-Chair presented the members with the Record of Discussion (ROD) from the 4 May 2023 meeting. The Record of Discussion for 4 May 2023 was approved without objection.
Discussion of Group priorities and topics of interest
The VAC Co-chair lead the group in a discussion to set common goals and priorities to accomplish during the meeting after providing a summary of the topics that were discussed in the joint session with the Policy Advisory Group.
Access to Treatment Benefits
The group engaged in a discussion on families’ access to the Mental Health Benefit program in their own right. Points of discussions registered were as follows:
- How many claims have been declined (statistics were shared);
- How could families access MH treatment for a member’s service related injuries;
- How referrals are made for MH treatment;
- Discussion on operational stress injury (OSI) clinics supports to families; and
- Community services that exist to support families (e.g Military Family Program and Maple, Beechwood Veteran Clinic).
Veterans Independence Program (VIP)
The group discussed family supports under the Veterans Independence Program (VIP) including the following discussion points:
- family members are critical to a Veteran’s well-being;
- Member/Veterans should be able to identify who their family member is;
- VIP remaining in place post a Veterans’ death;
- Simplified decision making (and application process); and
- Variations on eligibility (caregiver vs survivor).
Education and Training Benefit for families
The group supported the work proposed previously by the Policy Advisory Group to explore access to ETB for family members if the eligible member elects to not use the benefit in their own right.
My VAC Account
The Advisory group on families received a presentation on the features of My VAC Account with an emphasis on Power of Attorney access. The My VAC Account team demonstrated how family members can access My VAC Account for benefits they receive within their own right..
Closing remarks
VAC Co-chair provided closing remarks and discussed upcoming plenary sessions that the advisory groups could participate in on common issues to all Advisory Group members.
Next meeting: Tentatively scheduled a virtual meeting for the week of 4 December 2023.
The meeting was then adjourned. Immediately following the meeting, the Advisory Group on Families members were given a tour of the Ottawa Military Families Resource Centre (MFRC), where they were able to learn about the different services offered by the MFRC to families.