New announcement: Commission tackles issue of service dogs

Commission tackles issue of service dogs

By: Mary Agnes Welch

Posted: 02/27/2015 3:00 AM | Comments: 39

Last Modified: 02/27/2015 6:05 AM

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/commission-tackles-issue-of-service-dogs-294332461.html?device=mobile



DISABLED people with service dogs still face confusion and confrontation when trying to eat at restaurants, take taxis or even rent apartments.

And businesses stuck refereeing conflicts between customers want better rules.

That's the upshot of a series of public consultations on service animals held by the Manitoba Human Rights Commission last fall, consultations that were prompted by a boom in service dogs, especially for invisible disabilities such as anxiety or epilepsy.

The commission released its report summarizing the feedback Thursday and recommended more public awareness, including perhaps a TV and radio ad campaign.

"Even today, barriers still exist for individuals who are blind and/or deaf and use service animals," wrote the commission. "It appears, however, that it is individuals with invisible disabilities using service animals who currently experience significant barriers and whose rights are not well-understood by employers, service providers and landlords."

The commission's report comes in the wake of several controversies about service dogs, including the 2011 case of a soldier suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder who was kicked out of a Brandon bar, along with his service dog, Gambler. Master Cpl. Bill Nachuk was told by staff his dog could not be in the bar, even though Nachuk presented the paperwork that certified Gambler was an official service dog. Brandon police, who were also involved, sided with the bar's management. It was against police Nachuk filed a human rights complaint. Police settled the complaint for an undisclosed amount before a formal hearing could take place.

More recently, Winnipeg teenager Mackenzie Lough has spoken out about the harassment she sometimes gets when she brings her Pomeranian into restaurants and stores with her. The small dog is a trained service dog able to help Lough manage her depression, anxiety and social phobia and to detect when she has forgotten to take her medication or may be about to harm herself.

Complaints to the human rights commission about service animals are on the rise. There are currently about 10 complaints working their way through the commission's process, and staffers say they get about one call a week from people asking for information about service animals.

"We have not done enough education in this province, and all of Canada, about the fact that the role of service dogs has really expanded," said commission chairwoman Yvonne Peters, who is blind and has had a service dog for decades.

At last fall's consultations, disabled people said they were fed up explaining to waiters, landlords or store staff the rules governing their service dogs.

"Many thought the simple message to convey to the public was, 'Service animals are allowed wherever the public is invited,' " said the report.

But business owners told the commission they felt caught in the middle, often trying to mediate between a disabled person and other customers who might be allergic or resent the presence of an animal in a restaurant or store.

Scott Jocelyn, executive director of the Manitoba Restaurant & Foodservices Association, said it's unusual for his industry to ask for more regulations, but he said clearer rules on service animals are a must.

He said restaurant owners and staff want clear rules they can rely on when mediating between customers, especially if the animal isn't an officially certified service dog but still important to a person with anxiety or depression as a source of comfort and support.

"It can be complicated to know the right thing to do," said Jocelyn, adding staff never want to find themselves making a judgment call on whether a customer legitimately requires the help of the animal.

The commission's report recommends the province establish a working group on the issue of service dogs, and Jocelyn said he hopes that group will create some kind of certification or standardized identification for animals to help business owners.

maryagnes.welch@freepress.mb.ca

Do we need a better definition of what a service dog is? Join the conversation in the comments below.

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition February 27, 2015 A4

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New announcement: Mentally ill soldiers are more likely to be let go: research

Mentally ill soldiers are more likely to be let go: research

By Murray Brewster
The Canadian Press

http://metronews.ca/news/canada/1296319/mentally-ill-soldier-more-likely-to-be-let-go/

OTTAWA – New research by National Defence shows that soldiers with mental health conditions, especially those with Afghan war illnesses, are far more likely to be declared unfit for military service and almost 70 per cent of them can expect to be mustered out within 10 years of deployment.

The startling figures are contained in an analysis by the Canadian Forces Health Services Branch, which reviewed the medical files of over 30,000 troops who deployed as part of the nearly 12 year Afghan campaign.

The analysis focuses on the long-term career impact of service-related mental disorders and how they are impacted by the military's universality of service rule, which requires all members to be fit to deploy both at home and overseas.

In the fall of 2013, a number of soldiers, many with post-traumatic stress, came forward to say they were being declared unfit and hustled out of uniform.

The analysis, by Mark Zamorski and David Boulos, finds that five years after the first deployment, 40 per cent of soldiers with a mental-health diagnosis were likely to have developed career limitations that would lead to being released, compared with 11 per cent with no medical condition.

After 10 years, the figures jump to 68.8 per cent and 19.8 per cent respectively.

National Defence has invested a lot of time and effort to convince soldiers suffering with mental illness to seek help, but a major barrier in the "self identification" campaign has been the worry that once they seek help, their careers are over.

Former veterans ombudsman Pat Stogran said it is a real fear and the new research will come as little comfort.

"The soldiers call it going away to the island of broken toys," Stogran said. "It's a career death sentence and they're not coming back."

Being diagnosed with a career-limiting condition — mental or physical — does not mean an automatic medical release, but it does set the wheels in motion, said Zamorski.

Some people with either depression, post-traumatic stress or anxiety, which make up the bulk of the post-combat afflictions, respond well to treatment and can lead productive lives, said Zamorski.

But they still might not meet the service standard, he cautioned.

"A lot of people are found to be unfit for continued service, even though we know many of them are just great," Zamorski said. "These are people, many of whom we known from our clinicians, are great. Yes, they have PTSD — or they had PTSD and they no longer meet the criteria for the condition. Maybe they have to take medication and they would be fit for just about any other job under the sun, but not for military service."

Stogran said he believes the universality standard needs to be reviewed and pointed to the fact that overweight — or physically unfit — members can obtain a doctor's exemption.

"I could take you on a walk through (National Defence Headquarters) and show you all the plugs in uniform who couldn't do the PT test," he said. "So they've really got to rethink this."

Prior to the Bosnia peacekeeping mission of the 1990s, Stogran said, the army made room for soldiers who may have been broken by past wars, giving them barracks tasks that were essential and but didn't involve operations.

"All that they want to do is still feel like they contribute to the team somehow," he said. "That by itself is very therapeutic."

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New announcement: Federal Budget 2015: Veterans Affairs Programs, Services Project Modest Increase

Federal Budget 2015: Veterans Affairs Programs, Services Project Modest Increases

CP | By The Canadian Press
Posted: 02/25/2015 4:30 am EST

http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2015/02/25/early-projections-suggest_n_6749814.html

OTTAWA - The Harper government's road map to this year's federal budget suggests it is prepared to pour more money into programs and services for the country's veterans, while largely holding the line on defence spending.

Treasury Board President Tony Clement released the 2015-16 spending estimates on Tuesday, even though it's unclear when the budget will be tabled.

The Conservative government's final fiscal plan before this year's election was postponed until at least April by Finance Minister Joe Oliver, who said he needed the time to assess the impact of collapsing oil prices.

The government has been under mounting political pressure to improve the suite of benefits and entitlements for ex-soldiers.

The estimates, which are not the final word on the budget, project modest increases in the amount spent on disability awards and supplementary benefits.

Despite that, overall spending at Veterans Affairs is expected to decline by 1.5 per cent— or $54 million next year, something federal officials attribute to the declining number of Second World War and Korean War veterans.

Veterans Affairs Canada spends just over $3.5 billion per year.

Over at National Defence, another politically-charged portfolio, spending is expected to increase by 1.5 per cent — $280 million — in the coming year, bringing the military budget to $18.9 billion.

Officials say they will be saving $709.2 million in capital costs, some of which is likely related to the cancellation of the army's plans for a close-combat vehicle and delays in acquiring maritime helicopters for the air force.

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New announcement: Marijuana for Medical Purposes + Vapourizer / Marihuana a des fins medicales

UPDATE: Jan 26 2015: POC 10 - Marijuana for Medical Purposes + Vapourizer - PDC 10 - Marihuana a des fins medicales + Vaporisateur

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http://canadianveteransadvocacy.com/VACDND_Services-Benefits/?p=74

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New announcement: CANFORGEN VIRTUAL LAUNCH OF A MILITARY FAMILY PANEL PROCESS

CANFORGEN 032/15 CMP 015/15 091504Z FEB 15

VIRTUAL LAUNCH OF A MILITARY FAMILY PANEL PROCESS - LANCEMENT VIRTUEL DU PROCESSUS POUR UN GROUPE DE CONSULTATION DES FAMILLES DES MILITAIRES

UNCLASSIFIED

I AM PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE THE VIRTUAL LAUNCH OF A MILITARY FAMILY PANEL PROCESS


IN OCTOBER 2014, MILITARY FAMILY PANEL PROCESS WAS INTRODUCED AT THE STRENGTHENING RESILIENCE CONFERENCE IN CORNWALL, AS A REPLACEMENT TO THE FORMER NATIONAL MILITARY FAMILY COUNCIL


THE MILITARY FAMILY PANEL PROCESS IS AN ONGOING CONSULTATION DIRECTLY WITH FAMILIES TO INFORM POLICY, BENEFITS AND PROGRAM ADMINISTRATION AS THEY AFFECT MILITARY FAMILIES


MILITARY FAMILIES WILL BE ENCOURAGED TO PARTICIPATE IN THE MILITARY FAMILY PANEL PROCESS THROUGH THE FAMILY INFORMATION LINE BY CALLING 1-800-866-4546, COMMUNICATING VIA EMAIL AT MYVOICE(A) FAMILYFORCE.CA OR THROUGH OUR FACEBOOK PAGE. FAMILIES WHO WANT TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT WAYS TO SHARE THEIR VOICE, CAN VISIT WWW.FAMILYFORCE.CA

CANFORGEN 032/15 CMP 015/15 091504Z FEB 15
LANCEMENT VIRTUEL DU PROCESSUS POUR UN GROUPE DE CONSULTATION DES FAMILLES DES MILITAIRES
UNCLASSIFIED


REFS: A. CANFORGEN 154/09 CMP 065/09 021424Z SEP 09 - PROGRAMME DE SOUTIEN AUX FAMILLES DES MILITAIRES - PROCHAINES ETAPES



JE SUIS FIER D ANNONCER LE LANCEMENT VIRTUEL DU PROCESSUS POUR UN GROUPE DE CONSULTATION DES FAMILLES DES MILITAIRES


EN OCTOBRE 2014 LA DEMARCHE DU PROCESSUS POUR UN GROUPE DE CONSULTATION DES FAMILLES DES MILITAIRES A ETE PRESENTEE A LA CONFERENCE RENFORCER LA RESILIENCE TENUE A CORNWALL POUR REMPLACER L ANCIEN CONSEIL NATIONAL POUR LES FAMILLES DES MILITAIRES


LA DEMARCHE DU PROCESSUS POUR UN GROUPE DE CONSULTATION DES FAMILLES DES MILITAIRES EST UN PROCESSUS DE CONSULTATION POUR FACONNER LES POLITIQUES, LES AVANTAGES ET L ADMINISTRATION DES PROGRAMMES QUI TOUCHENT LES FAMILLES


NOUS INVITERONS LES FAMILLES DES MILITAIRES A PARTICIPER A LA DEMARCHE DU GROUPE DES FAMILLES DES MILITAIRES AU MOYEN DE LA LIGNE D INFORMATION POUR LES FAMILLES, AU 1-800-866-4546, EN COMMUNIQUANT PAR COURRIEL A MAVOIX(A)FORCEDELAFAMILLE.CA, OU ENCORE PAR LA PAGE FACEBOOK. LES FAMILLES QUI DESIRENT OBTENIR D AUTRES RENSEIGNEMENTS SUR LES MOYENS DE SE FAIRE ENTENDRE PEUVENT LE FAIRE EN VISITANT LE SITE WWW.FORCEDELAFAMILLE.CA

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New announcement: Please Don’t Thank Me for My Service

Please Don't Thank Me for My Service

The New York Times 7 hrs ago By MATT RICHTEL

http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/please-don%E2%80%99t-thank-me-for-my-service/ar-BBhPFEn?ocid=UP97DHP

HUNTER GARTH was in a gunfight for his life — and about to lose.

He and seven other Marines were huddled in a mud hut, their only refuge after they walked into an ambush in Trek Nawa, a Taliban stronghold in Afghanistan. Down to his last 15 bullets, one buddy already terribly wounded, Mr. Garth pulled off his helmet, smoked a cheap Afghan cigarette, and "came to terms with what was happening."

"I'm going to die here with my best friends," he recalled thinking.

I didn't know any of this — nor the remarkable story of his survival that day — when I met him two months ago in Colorado while reporting for an article about the marijuana industry, for which Mr. Garth and his company provide security. But I did know he was a vet and so I did what seemed natural: I thanked him for his service.

"No problem," he said.

It wasn't true. There was a problem. I could see it from the way he looked down. And I could see it on the faces of some of the other vets who work with Mr. Garth when I thanked them too. What gives, I asked? Who doesn't want to be thanked for their military service?

Many people, it turns out. Mike Freedman, a Green Beret, calls it the "thank you for your service phenomenon." To some recent vets — by no stretch all of them — the thanks comes across as shallow, disconnected, a reflexive offering from people who, while meaning well, have no clue what soldiers did over there or what motivated them to go, and who would never have gone themselves nor sent their own sons and daughters.

To these vets, thanking soldiers for their service symbolizes the ease of sending a volunteer army to wage war at great distance — physically, spiritually, economically. It raises questions of the meaning of patriotism, shared purpose and, pointedly, what you're supposed to say to those who put their lives on the line and are uncomfortable about being thanked for it.

Mr. Garth, 26, said that when he gets thanked it can feel self-serving for the thankers, suggesting that he did it for them, and that they somehow understand the sacrifice, night terrors, feelings of loss and bewilderment. Or don't think about it at all.

"I pulled the trigger," he said. "You didn't. Don't take that away from me."

The issue has been percolating for a few years, elucidated memorably in "Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk," a 2012 National Book Award finalist about a group of soldiers being feted at halftime of a Dallas Cowboys game. The soldiers express dread over people rushing to offer thanks, pregnant with obligation and blood lust and "their voices throbbing like lovers."

The issue has also surfaced, at least tangentially, with Brian Williams's admission that he'd exaggerated about being in a Chinook helicopter hit by enemy fire. In explaining his failed memory, the NBC News anchor said: "This was a bungled attempt by me to thank one special veteran and by extension our brave military men and women veterans everywhere, those who have served while I did not."

The idea of giving thanks while not participating themselves is one of the core vet quibbles, said Mr. Freedman, the Green Beret. The joke has become so prevalent, he said, that servicemen and women sometimes walk up to one another pretending to be "misty-eyed" and mockingly say "Thanks for your service."

Mr. Freedman, 33, feels like the thanks "alleviates some of the civilian guilt," adding: "They have no skin in the game with these wars. There's no draft."

No real opinions either, he said. "At least with Vietnam, people spit on you and you knew they had an opinion."

"Thank you for your service," he said, is almost the equivalent of "I haven't thought about any of this."

For most of us, I suspect, offering thanks reflects genuine appreciation — even if ill-defined. It was a dirty job and someone had to do it. If not these men and women, then us or our children.

Tim O'Brien, a Vietnam vet and the author of the acclaimed book "The Things They Carried," told me that his war's vets who believed in the mission like to be thanked. Others, himself included, find that "something in the stomach tumbles" from expressions of appreciation that are so disconnected from the "evil, nasty stuff you do in war."

The more so, he said, "when your war turns out to have feet of clay" — whether fighting peasants in Vietnam or in the name of eradicating weapons of mass destruction that never materialized.

But doesn't their sacrifice merit thanks? "Patriotic gloss," responded Mr. O'Brien, an unofficial poet laureate of war who essentially elevates the issue to the philosophical; to him, we're thanking without having the courage to ask whether the mission is even right.

It's hard to assess how widespread such ideas are among the men and women of today's generation. So, rather than try to sum up what invariably are many views on the subject, I'll relate more of Mr. Garth's story.

He grew up in Florida, son of a Vietnam vet, grandson of a decorated World War II vet, himself a bit of a class clown who drank his way out of college and wound up working the docks. The Marines offered a chance to make something of himself and, despite his parents' pleadings otherwise, to fight.

It wasn't what he romanticized. First training and waiting. Then the reality that he might die, along with his friends — 17 of them did, in action, by accident or by suicide. And, he now asks, for what?

His ideas about the need to prove himself slipped away, along with any patriotic fervor. He hates it when people dismiss the Taliban as imbeciles when he saw them as cunning warriors. To Mr. Garth, the war became solely about survival among brothers in arms.

Like that day in September 2011 when Mr. Garth was surrounded in the hut. A last-ditch call for help over the radio prompted a small group of fellow Marines to run three miles to save the day, one of them carrying 170 pounds of gear, including a 22-pound machine gun and 50 pounds of ammo.

THE thanks Mr. Garth gets today remind him of both the bad times and the good, all of which carry more meaning than he has now in civilian life. Hardest is the gratitude from parents of fallen comrades. "That's the most painful thank you," he said. "It's not for me, and I'm not your son."

He struggled to explain his irritation. "It's not your fault," he said of those thanking him. "But it's not my fault either."

So what to say to a vet? Maybe promise to vote next time, Mr. Freedman said, or offer a scholarship or job (as, he said, some places have stepped up and done). Stand up for what's right, suggested Mr. O'Brien. Give $100 to a vet, Ben Fountain, author of the "Billy Lynn" book, half-joked, saying it would at least show some sacrifice on the thanker's part.

Mr. Garth appreciates thanks from someone who makes an effort to invest in the relationship and experience. Or a fellow vet who gets it. Several weeks ago, he visited one of his soul mates from the mud hut firefight, which they refer to as the Battle of the Unmarked Compound. They drank Jameson whiskey in gulps.

"We cried in each other's arms until we both could tell each other we loved each other," Mr. Garth said. "We each said, thank you for what you've done for me."

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New announcement: Confidence in VAC management plummets to new low:internal staff poll

Confidence in Veterans Affairs management plummets to new low: internal staff poll

Check this link due to pictures: http://www.pressprogress.ca/en/post/veterans-affairs-sees-confidence-management-plummet-new-low

Veterans Affairs has gone from bad to worse. Just ask its employees.

Four in 10 of the department's staff have lost confidence in their senior management -- a rate far higher than the broader public service.

While the Conservative government has been in damage control mode over the veterans file for the better part of the last year, recently replacing embattled minister Julian Fantino and trying to rehabilitate their image to "undo the damage done to [the] party's pro-military reputation," the new internal survey suggests the problems at Veterans Affairs Canada may run far deeper than they'd like to admit.

The newly released 2014 Public Service Employee Survey presents dramatic numbers showing that a plurality of rank-and-file public servants have lost confidence in the management of the Veterans Affairs Canada.

When asked if "I have confidence in the senior management of my department or agency," 41% answered in the negative while only 38% answered in the positive. That's in contrast to the broader public service, where only 27% answered in the negative while 53% answered in the positive.

Since 2008, the number of VAC employees who say they're not confident in management has increased by 19%, while the number who say they are confident in management has fallen by 23%. Noticeably, the number who "strongly disagreed" that they had confidence in managers also increased 12% since 2008:



Another sore spot for VAC employees is "lack of stability" in their department.

Rising sharply by 21% since 2008, 48% said their quality of work "always" or "often" suffered due to lack of stability at VAC, while an additional 29% said "sometimes." Only 20% said "rarely" or "never":



You'll start to notice a pattern developing here:



What about Conservative cuts to the public service? Could those be having an impact on morale?

When asked if their quality of work suffers from "having to do the same or more work, but with fewer resources," a full 58% answered in the negative while only 17% said lack of resources wasn't effecting the quality of their work.

This also marks a sharp increase from 2008 when 16% fewer VAC employees cited problems with resources:



Amidst ongoing criticism on the file, the Conservatives announced in December that they'd be making new hires to VAC.

But it doesn't sound like VAC employees are terribly confident management will "resolve concerns raised in this survey":

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New announcement: Soldiers more likely to have experienced childhood abuse: study

Soldiers more likely to have experienced childhood abuse: study

Read more: http://www.ctvnews.ca/health/soldiers-more-likely-to-have-experienced-childhood-abuse-study-1.2237375#ixzz3Rqx4Agzs


A Canadian flag sits on a member of the Canadian Armed Forces that leaving from CFB Trenton, in Trenton, Ont., on Thursday, Oct. 16, 2014. (Lars Hagberg / THE CANADIAN PRESS)

Murray Brewster, The Canadian Press
Published Sunday, February 15, 2015 2:38PM EST

OTTAWA -- Canadian soldiers appear to be more likely than their civilian counterparts to have experienced abuse, including corporal punishment, or to have witnessed domestic violence as children, new research aimed at exploring the incidence of depression and suicide in the military suggests.

The as-yet-unpublished findings by health researchers at the Department of National Defence are contained in an internal abstract -- an abridged sample of the results -- that was recently delivered as a presentation to mental health professionals.

The research was carried out by the department of psychiatry at the University of Manitoba and the Canadian Forces Directorate of Mental Health.

Although the data is still being studied, preliminary results suggest 39 per cent of military members had been slapped or spanked more than three times as children; comparable research on the general population indicates some 22 per cent of civilians had the same experience as kids.

Seventeen per cent of military members reported having been thrown, pushed or grabbed more than three times as children, compared with 11 per cent of civilians.

Among military respondents, 15 per cent reported being kicked, bitten, punched, choked, burned or attacked as youngsters, compared with 10 per cent of civilians, while 10 per cent of soldiers also reported witnessing "intimate partner violence" while growing up. In that category, the civilian figure was eight per cent.

The study relies on data in the mental health portion of the 2012 Canadian Community Health Survey, which questioned more than 25,000 people, and the 2013 Canadian Forces Mental Health Survey, which is based on responses from more than 8,100 members of the military.

The Canadian Press was denied a request for additional information beyond the abstract because the research has yet to be officially published. But Dr. Mark Zamorski, one of the study's co-authors, did say the conclusions mirror similar research in the U.S.

They're important in understanding why members of the Canadian military have a higher than average rate of depression, which is linked to suicide, Zamorski said.

"For reasons no one understands ... the people that end up being attracted to or choose military service -- for whatever reason -- have higher rates of exposure to childhood adversity than civilians, or people who don't elect to be in the military," Zamorski said in an interview.

"And given that childhood adversity is such a powerful risk factor for depression, and for suicidal thinking, suicidal behaviour and many other adverse health outcomes -- that, I think, is an important piece of the picture."

Researchers "haven't dug deep enough yet" to fully understand the links, however, Zamorski cautioned.

"We'll know a lot more in a little bit of time," he said. "They were very preliminary numbers. If it didn't fit in with the larger narrative we saw elsewhere, we wouldn't have presented it."

In the U.S., a major 2013 study by the mental health research branch of the Veterans Administration, Duke University and the University of Alabama concluded that abuse, neglect and other childhood ordeals were major contributors to problems for soldiers later in life.

"These findings suggest that evaluation of childhood trauma is important in the clinical assessment and treatment of depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation among military personnel and veterans," said the report by Dr. Nagy Youssef.

In 2014, there were 19 suicides in the Canadian military, according to recently released figures. That's one of the highest levels in the past decade, surpassed only by 22 suicides in 2009 and 25 in 2011 -- the final year of Canada's combat mission in Kandahar.

Much of the public attention in the aftermath of the Afghan war has been focused on post-traumatic stress, which counts depression among its constellation of symptoms.

Yet post-traumatic stress is thought to have played a role in only three of 10 suicides in the Canadian military last winter, according to a separate series of documents obtained by CP.

The military and the Harper government routinely underline the tens of millions of dollars in resources that have been poured into PTSD treatment and research. They're also quick to say the rate of military suicide is below the national average.

But underlying that is the extraordinarily high rate of depression within the ranks, estimated at approximately eight per cent in the last mental health survey.

The military's surgeon general, Brig.-Gen. Jean-Robert Bernier, told a Commons committee last year that the mental health of soldiers is an issue they're struggling to understand.

A lot more research is necessary, Bernier said.

"We haven't been able to pin it down to specific exposures in military life ... although there are all kinds of increased risk factors for depression because of military service."

Read more: http://www.ctvnews.ca/health/soldiers-more-likely-to-have-experienced-childhood-abuse-study-1.2237375#ixzz3Rqxhh3DR

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The Canadian Veterans Advocacy Team.

New announcement: CMP: Mental Health Conversation / CMHA Webinar / Mental Health Week / Families

1.Mental Health Conversation

On 18 February Military Family Services is hosting a group discussion on both the challenges and potential opportunities in the area of mental health and social wellness education for military family members in Canada The aim of this group discussion is to collectively assist MFS to examine both the current strengths and weaknesses of existing mental health and social wellness educational programming that is currently available to military families. In the spirit of the new family panel concept, this meeting will serve as another way to ensure MFS mental health and social wellness programming remains responsive to the needs of military families, and remains coordinated and synchronised with partners who can help inform our work.

The following partner organizations have kindly agreed to participate in this meeting:
a. COPE (Couples Overcoming PTSD Everyday);
b. Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA);
c. Caregiver's Brigade;
d. Dr. Jay's Grief Program;
e. Soldier On;
f. Strongest Families;
g. The Vanier Institute of the Family;
d. Veterans Emergency Transition Services (VETS Canada); and
e. Veterans Affairs Canada.

2. CMHA Webinar

On 25 February Canadian Mental Health Association is hosting a national webinar centred on the theme of military families that will allow MFS HQ to speak to CMHA field staff on the challenges inherent with the military family lifestyle. Particular emphasis will be focussed on how CMHA staff can connect with Military Family Resource Centres (MFRCs) across Canada, and receive programming information that can help address the needs of military family members in their community. LCol Suzanne Bailey will also be participating in the webinar, and will provide information on the mental health services currently available to CAF member. LCol Bailey will also explain the R2MR program and the mental health education currently available for CAF members.

3. Mental Health Week

During Mental Health Week (4 - 8 May), MFS intends to publicly launch the following programs/initiatives:
a. Public Service Announcement promoting mental health resources for military families. Centred on the tag-line "You're Not Alone", this PSA will include military families, CAF service providers (MFS, Chaplain General, CF Health Service Group, and national partners (Canadian Mental Health Association, The Royal) delivering evidence-based mental health factoids that can be easily understood by any audience, and include important contact information, including the Family Force website and Family Information Line. Subject PSAs will be made available to families via internal MFS communication channels (web-site, social media)
b. VAC/MFS Caregiver Program -MFS and VAC are partnering to develop a program to educate family caregivers on the etiology and treatment of Post-Traumatic Stress and other Operational Stress Injuries (OSI), enabling them to best support a family member through the treatment and recovery process as well as to teach the caregiver a practical self-care skillset, enabling caregivers to effectively cope with stressors associated with the caregiver role. The Royal Ottawa Foundation for Mental Health, leading experts in the treatment of OSI and the impact of OSI on families, have been contracted to develop the caregiver content and present it in an online e-learning program. The online program will be available for families of veterans and serving members by May, 2015.
c. Zero-fund memorandum of understanding between MFS and CMHA that potentially promotes/advocates bi-lateral organizational support and/or the sharing of technical competencies and program expertise where feasible and mutually beneficial.

4. Strongest Families Pilot Project

A one-year pilot project is underway with three MFRCs (St. John's, Halifax, Kingston) and the Strongest Families Institute, a psychologically-informed distance education program offering telephone-based parenting interventions to parents of children with behavioral, anxiety, or emotional problems. The program emphasizes early intervention through skill-building for cases of mild to moderate mental health problems.

5.Mental Health Working Group.

MFS has committed to working with MFRCs to develop a short-term strategy to address the increasing mental health challenges facing military families.

Dave

David B. Millar
Lieutenant-General/Lieutenant-général
Chief of Military Personnel/Chef du personnel militaire

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The Canadian Veterans Advocacy Team.

New announcement: Disabled soldier sues over dismissal

Disabled soldier sues over dismissal

Case could have impact on hundreds of personnel

By: Mary Agnes Welch

Posted: 10/27/2014 1:00 AM

Last Modified: 10/27/2014 8:43 AM

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/disabled-soldier-sues-over-dismissal-280490332.html?device=mobile



A Winnipeg soldier turfed from the military because she is disabled is suing the Canadian government, alleging her ouster violated her charter rights.

The lawsuit, filed Friday, asks the court to strike down the "universality of service" rule that mandates all uniformed personnel must be ready for combat deployment at all times. The case could have broad repercussions for the hundreds of disabled soldiers, including those with mental illnesses such as post-traumatic stress disorder, mustered out of the Armed Forces every year against their wishes.

Medical discharge

ABOUT 1,000 soldiers are medically released each year due to illness, employment issues and severe injuries sustained during operations. It's not clear how many are released voluntarily and how many are forced out.

2009 -- 1,074
2010 -- 856
2011 -- 998
2012 -- 1,066
2013 -- 1,190

-- source: Dept. of National Defence

"It feels like you've been thrown out, almost punitive," said Louise Groulx, a former master corporal at 17 Wing. "Those who make the rules have no idea the impact this has on a soldier's soul or heart. We're not disposable."

Groulx, a single mother who served in Haiti during the 1995 peacekeeping mission, badly injured her back in the summer of 1999 during a baseball game on the base, part of her mandatory physical-training requirements. Five surgeries were needed that year to correct a herniated disc. During one, her spinal column was nicked and she was left on a gurney for more than two days with cerebrospinal fluid leaking out from a wet wound that went untreated with antibiotics. From that, she contracted bacterial meningitis, which caused further damage. That debacle left Groulx with post-traumatic stress.

She returned to work at 17 Wing a year after the injury and said she could perform 90 per cent of her duties as an aero-medical technician, a highly specialized trade that involves training all military air crew on the physiological effects of flight.

The only duty she couldn't perform was entering the hypo- and hyperbaric chambers used for training and for emergency treatment, but that amounted to just 10 per cent of her job.

"I loved what I was doing," said the former medic. "I have never had a more supportive group of people."

Not long after returning to work, Groulx was formally assigned "medical employment limitations" which typically trigger a review to determine whether a soldier's injuries put them in breach of the universality policy.

That was a long, complex process for Groulx, as it is for many soldiers. The Canadian Forces gives severely wounded troops up to three years to recover. If they are then unable to meet the standards for combat deployment, the process of medical discharge kicks in.

In 2005, officials in Ottawa decided Groulx was in breach of the rule, but because her trade was critical to operational capability, she was given a temporary reprieve and allowed to remain in the Forces.

Despite hard lobbying by her superior officers, Groulx's reprieve ran out in 2009 and she was finally discharged after a decade of doing her job despite her back injury.

Groulx said she loved being in the military, had no backup plan and cried at her retirement party.

"Talking about my release is still so raw and it shouldn't be after five years," said Groulx. "I think it's an injustice, not just to me but there's many out there who have been let go under universality of service."

Groulx is asking the Court of Queen's Bench to declare the rule, in place since 1985, a violation of the equality clause in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms that prohibits discrimination, including on the basis of physical disability. She is also seeking damages.

"There are all these soldiers like Louise, serving just fine, getting recognition, and then all of a sudden they're not good enough," said Groulx's lawyer, Corey Shefman.

Groulx's statement of claim contains allegations not proven in court, and it will be several weeks before the government files a statement of defence.

A spokesman for the Department of National Defence said he could not comment on the case as it's now before the courts.

But the issue of universality of service has made headlines over the last year, a year in which a rash of soldiers committed suicide. Last fall, several injured ex-soldiers told The Canadian Press they were shown the door on a medical release though they begged to retrain for other jobs within the military.

Many said they were released just shy of hitting the 10-year mark, when they would qualify for a fully indexed pension.

Earlier this year, Canada's outgoing military ombudsman, Pierre Daigle, told a parliamentary committee injured soldiers, especially those with PTSD, fear coming forward because they could lose their jobs and pensions. He called the universality rule arbitrary and unfair.

Groulx agreed, saying she knows many soldiers unwilling to come clean about an illness or injury, especially mental ones, for fear disclosure will trigger their dismissal.

Earlier this month, Defence Minister Rob Nicholson revealed a working group is studying the universality rule, following recommendations by the defence committee.

"This working group is examining how the policy can be best applied to retain individuals who are willing and able to serve, while also ensuring the necessary availability of all Canadian Armed Forces personnel to perform their lawful military service," Nicholson wrote to the committee.

Shefman said the universality rule has been challenged in court before, but no case ever progressed to the stage where a judge ruled on the policy's constitutionality.

Groulx was able to find work soon after her discharge but is now recovering from a sixth back surgery. She says she isn't angry at the Canadian Forces and would return to work as an aero-med tech "in a heartbeat."

maryagnes.welch@freepress.mb.ca
http://docs.google.com/viewerng/viewer?url=http://media.winnipegfreepress.com/documents/Groulx%2BStatement%2Bof%2BClaim.pdf
http://docs.google.com/viewerng/viewer?url=http://media.winnipegfreepress.com/documents/Groulx%2BStatement%2Bof%2BClaim.pdf

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Regards,
The Canadian Veterans Advocacy Team.

New announcement: New Erin O'Toole criticized for tweeting veterans benefits report details

New Erin O'Toole criticized for tweeting veterans benefits report details

Update seen as first significant test for Erin O'Toole

The Canadian Press Posted: Feb 02, 2015 3:52 PM ET Last Updated: Feb 02, 2015 4:12 PM ET

http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/erin-o-toole-criticized-for-tweeting-veterans-benefits-report-details-1.2940757


Over the weekend, Veterans Affairs Minister Erin O'Toole posted an info graphic on social media over the weekend, which apparently tracks the government's progress in implementing changes to legislation and benefits proposed by the veterans committee. (Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press)

The new veterans minister is under fire for posting some details of a highly anticipated progress report on improving the treatment of ex-soldiers on Twitter and Facebook even before MPs and the wider veterans community had a chance to see it.

The update is seen as the first significant political test for Erin O'Toole, who replaced the embattled Julian Fantino last month, but the report did not arrive well after the close of business Friday night, missing a deadline imposed by a parliamentary committee.

The six-page letter was tabled Monday, but is in limbo because the Commons veterans affairs committee does not have a chairman to receive it.

O'Toole posted an info graphic on social media over the weekend, which apparently tracks the government's progress in implementing changes to legislation and benefits proposed by the veterans committee.



He defended releasing the information to his 3,300 followers, telling the Royal Canadian Legion in a tweet that young vets are online and that he had shared details with veterans and serving members in Hamilton over the weekend.

Liberal veterans critic Frank Valeriote called it contemptible that O'Toole seems more interested in posting to social media, than being accountable to Parliament and the wider veterans community.

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The Canadian Veterans Advocacy Team.

Minister's O'Toole letter to Mr Gerg Kerr Chair on ACVA 30 Jan 2015 The New Veterans Charter Moving Forward.

Minister's O'Toole letter to Mr Gerg Kerr Chair on ACVA 30 Jan 2015 The New Veterans Charter Moving Forward.

CAREGIVERS: There will be a web-based caregiver training and support module in scheduled for on line release in May 2015.

http://bit.ly/1CT15xg


Regards,
The Canadian Veterans Advocacy Team.

http://canadianveteransadvocacy.com/Board2/index.php