Improving services to improve quality of life for veterans and their families : Report of the Standing Committee on Veterans Affairs

IMPROVING SERVICES TO IMPROVE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR VETERANS AND THEIR FAMILIES Report of the Standing Committee on Veterans Affairs Greg Kerr, M. P. Chair MAY 2012 41st PARLIAMENT, 1st SESSION Published under the authority of the Speaker of the House of Commons SPEAKER’S PERMISSION Reproduction of the proceedings of the House of Commons and its Committees, in whole or in part and in any medium, is [...] The underlying objective of these efforts is to deliver service as seamlessly as possible, integrating the four components of the service continuum: (1) health and transition services provided to serving members of the CF and the RCMP; (2) medical services offered under the responsibility of Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC); (3) non- medical benefits and transition services provided by VAC; and (4) s [...] The purpose of those programs is to rehabilitate injured military members and return them to the regular force, and to prepare for the transition of military members who are to be discharged for medical reasons or who choose to leave the CF but may have access to VAC programs. [...] The Department acknowledged the need to provide a clearer picture of the underlying objectives of these new programs and pledged to provide better information: We’ve developed an outreach consultation and engagement strategy, and part of that strategy concerns the communication of programming and benefits to veterans.… We’ve just finished a series of 19 visits to all of the major bases in Canada i [...] Although initiatives involving cooperation between the private sector and the federal government have not developed to the same degree as in the United States, the growing awareness on the part of businesses and the Canadian public is starting to produce encouraging results.