Record of Discussion - 30 November 2023

30 November 2023
9:00 - 15:30 (ET)

66 Slater St, Veterans Affairs Canada, Ottawa, ON
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
  • Constable (Retired) Trevor Jenvenne, Royal Canadian Legion
  • Corporal (Retired) Dennis MacKenzie, Brave and Broken – Co-Chair
  • 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
  • Corporal (Retired) Victoria Jonas
  • Dr. Don Richardson, Canadian Psychiatric Association

Office of the Minister of Veterans Affairs

  • The Honourable Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Minister of Veterans Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defence
  • Abbie Garwood, Senior Policy Advisor
  • Danielle Boyle, Manager of Operations
  • Nathaniel Mullins, Director of Parliamentary Affairs

Veterans Affairs Canada Officials

  • Dr. Cyd Courchesne, Chief Medical Officer, Health Professionals Division, (Co-Chair)
  • Alexandra Heber, Chief of Psychiatry, Health Professionals Division
  • Julie Drury, Director, Mental Health, Health Professionals Division
  • Pamela Harrison, Senior Director, Engagement and Events
  • Christine Hastie, Senior Communications Advisor, Communications Division
  • Megan MacKinnon, A/Program Operations Assistant, Engagement and Events
  • Elizabeth Hughes, Project Officer, Engagement and Events
  • Lisa Matte, Project Monitoring Officer, Engagement and Events

Observer

  • Sonia Poirier, Office of the Veterans Ombud

Land Acknowledgement and Welcome Remarks

The VAC Co-Chair commenced the meeting by extending a welcome to all attendees both in-person and virtually and offered a land acknowledgement.

Discussion with the Minister of Veterans Affairs

The VAC Co-Chair welcomed The Honourable Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Minister of Veterans Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defence to the meeting. Minister Petitpas Taylor expressed her gratitude for the group's work and shared with them the two issues of priority she would like them to work together on:

  • Supporting Veterans and their families affected by substance use disorder; and
  • Actions VAC can take following the death of a Veteran by suicide, including supports for families.

The Minister will be providing a letter to the group, outlining these priority areas and is looking forward to seeing their recommendations in the near future.

The VAC Co-Chair informed the group that effective today, 30 November 2023, Canada adopted a suicide crisis line, 988. Call or text 988 to access suicide prevention support 24/7/365 anywhere in Canada.

Approval of previous Record of Discussion

The 19 September 2023 record of discussion was tabled and approved by the members.

The comments below are from the Advisory Group members in discussion with the VAC Co-Chair:

Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder

An open discussion was held on how VAC can support Veterans and their families dealing with substance use disorder. The following points were discussed:

Communication:

  • Establish a common language to understand substance use and the continuum of use.
  • Collaboration can aid in developing effective strategies to address the challenges.
  • Consideration should be given to the word ‘disorder’ as it can be viewed as carrying a negative connotation.
  • Understanding and applying a stepped care model to substance use treatment.

 

  • The need for supports inclusive of family members, including separated families.
  • Process to allow families to request supports for themselves or the Veteran.

Other Supports:

Cannabis for Medical Purposes (CMP):

  • Proper medical diagnosis and review of medical history needed before prescribing CMP and proper follow-up/physician monitoring.
  • Address the negative stigma around CMP use – it is an effective treatment if prescribed correctly with proper reporting and prescription system.
  • Substance use and treatment should be viewed as a continuum.
  • Use of psychedelics - learn from the experience with CMP and be cautious as we look at psychedelic assisted psychotherapy.
  • Comprehensive overview of evidence-based practices from experts in the field.
  • Sharing stories of those with lived experience and substance use impacts.

Joint CAF-VAC Suicide Prevention Strategy

VAC recently provided a progress update on the Joint CAF/VAC Suicide Prevention Strategy to all the advisory groups. Two Mental Health Advisory Group members were present for the update and discussed the following with the group:

  • The importance of communication on the topic.
  • Intervention.  
  • Recognition of those who died by suicide and the importance of engaging the family members in the discussion.
  • Additional education for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) on suicide prevention.
  • Gaps in suicide data for VAC.
  • Tracking injuries among those who die from suicide to identify any trends.

There was a roundtable discussion on the kinds of support VAC should have in place after the death of a Veteran by suicide and supports for the families. The following points were raised by the group:

Communication:

  • The need for additional community and peer support.
  • Proactive outreach opportunities for those in remote areas.
  • The use of the word 'sacrifice' instead of ‘suicide’.

Family Supports:

  • Hearing lived experiences from family members to gain their perspective.
  • Information sharing (one-pager of benefits) to survivors.
  • Additional support from VAC in completing forms, applications and follow-up (maybe a MH Nurse to engage).
  • Postvention protocol for Veteran families affected by suicide.

Other Supports:

  • Examples of programs:
    • Employee Assistance Plan (EAP) - increased coverage for families impacted by suicide
    • HOPE peer support program
    • The ‘Trinity Wellness Centre’ in PEI
  • Updating VAC website for Health Care professionals to provide them with the best tools to offer care and resources.
  • Mental Health First Aid courses should be offered to Veterans, unit heads, family members, and children.

Members also raised the issue of Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI), the overlap with symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder and impacts to overall mental health. There is a need for education, recognition, access to care, diagnosis and treatment and all were stressed as a priority from time in service.

Next steps and closing remarks

The VAC Co-Chair expressed gratitude for everyone's contributions to a productive meeting. The group will meet virtually during the winter months to continue their discussions and address the priorities assigned by the Minister.

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