Question Period Note: STANDING COMMITTEE ON VETERANS AFFAIRS SERVICE DELIVERY REPORT

Report of the Standing Committee on Veterans Affairs “Reaching out: Improving Service Delivery to Canadian Veterans”
Addressing recommendations raised in the report:
• The Government of Canada is committed to ensuring Veterans and their families have the care and support they need, when and where they need it.
• Our Government’s commitment to service excellence is ongoing, and the way we improve and adapt our services will evolve as we continue to learn more about what matters to Veterans and their families.
• In addition to demonstrating progress on the Standing Committee on Veterans Affairs recommendations such as improving usability of My VAC Account and providing better guided support to Veterans applying for benefits and services, the Service Delivery Review report of February 2017 outlined a way forward for improved service excellence. Many of the recommendations overlapped with the Standing Committee on Veterans Affairs report.
• The Government of Canada is committed to ensuring Veterans and their families have the care and support they need, when and where they need it.

BACKGROUND – STANDING COMMITTEE ON VETERANS AFFAIRS SERVICE DELIVERY REPORT

Standing Committee on Veterans Affairs’ Review
The study involved analyzing the quality of the interactions between the Department providing the services and the individuals receiving them.

Accordingly, the goal of the study was to examine whether existing benefits and services, as designed, can achieve their objectives, as perceived by the intended beneficiaries: Veterans and their families.

The report is divided into four sections.

• The first presents a look back at the last decade, which saw profound changes take place within Veterans Affairs Canada.

• The second section describes what could be called the departmental “culture,” which was highly criticized during this study and is, according to a number of witnesses, the source of many problems associated with service delivery.

• The third section deals with the transition from when a member of the military is injured or becomes ill, and when he or she leaves the Canadian Armed Forces and becomes a veteran. A successful transition is without doubt the best guarantee of a veteran’s long-term well-being.

• The fourth section discusses issues surrounding the delivery of specific services: the Department’s handling of secondary injuries or illnesses; long-term care programs; professional training; the key role of case managers; families; and mental health.

Service Delivery Review (Veterans Affairs Canada-led)
The Department’s Service Delivery Review was the result of research and extensive consultations with Veterans and their families, staff, external experts and Canadians. The Review provided a set of recommendations that overlapped closely with the Standing Committee on Veterans Affairs Service Delivery Report.

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