Filling the Gaps at The Centre

In April 2002, The DND-VAC Centre for the Support of Injured Members and Their Families celebrated its third anniversary. Since 1999, the Centre has been providing services for injured and retired members, Regular Force and Reserve members, and their families. The uniqueness of the Centre stands in the interdepartmental co-operation, which brings together the joint efforts of both the Department of National Defence (DND) and Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) in providing referral, support and advocacy assistance under a Memorandum of Understanding between the two departments.

There are currently 28 staff members at the Centre, 24 of whom are DND/CF members and four who are from VAC. DND employees are comprised of six Regular Force members, six Reserve members, and twelve civilians. The staff work side-by-side to address gaps in services that have been identified between the programs administered by DND and VAC and to assist those clients who are dissatisfied or unable to reach a solution using the services provided through departmental channels. Clients approach the Centre before pursuing other options, such as legal action, the DND Ombudsman's Office, or through the media. The staff also work in partnership with departmental staff in VAC District Offices, Regional Offices, Head Office, and in DND bases.

The Centre provides bilingual services and acts as a resource centre. It receives an average of 1,000 calls per month on the Help Line from people in need of assistance in case management, casualty administration, and transition services. Their concerns include: missing documents, financial problems, VAC's programs and appeal processes, treatment benefits (CF or VAC), DND or VAC death and disability benefits, etc. The staff assist them in identifying services and benefits for which they may be eligible and then direct them to the right place to receive those services.

The Centre also manages a short-term contingency fund for the purpose of providing immediate aid for daily living to injured, still-serving, or released CF members and their families. It also administers the Family Visitation Fund that provides financial assistance to CF members and their families who cannot afford to travel to visit a relative who has been admitted to a hospital that is distant from their primary residence.

The Centre also administers the Transition Assistance Program (TAP) that deals with managing an active job placement program. TAP encourages prospective employers, in both the public and private sectors, to consider providing employment to highly skilled, fully trained, qualified, and job-ready CF members who are being or have been medically released from the Canadian Forces.

A diverse set of tasks fall under the Centre's responsibility. These tasks include: maintaining and analysing the CF Casualty Data Base, tracking and logging all relevant forms with the Canadian Forces, final review and approval of Summary Investigations and Boards of Inquiry, approving and managing disability compensation for Reservists, coordinating National Military Cemetery policy and applications, searching and confirming service dates, coordinating vocational rehabilitation with Service Income Security Insurance Plan (SISIP), and coordinating the Service Personnel Holding List (SPHL). The SPHL is an administrative tool to facilitate support to a Regular Force member who becomes ill or is injured. The intent of SPHL is to provide to the CF member the best opportunity to adequately prepare for release. Placement of the CF member on the SPHL will benefit the member's unit by allowing the replacement of that CF member and will benefit the CF by providing a more accurate picture of deployable human resources.

The latest addition to the Centre's activities is the Operational Stress Injury Social Support (OSISS) Project. Operational Stress Injuries (OSI) is a term coined by DND to describe a number of conditions resulting from military trauma, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, anxiety, and addictions, among others. OSIs can occur as a result of stresses including exposure to a traumatic incident, cumulative exposure to human atrocities, or simply the sustained exposure to intense military operation. The pilot, launched on February 18, 2002, has the mandate to create a national peer support network for members, veterans, and their families. The aim of the OSISS Project is to increase the level of support to serving and retired members affected by operational stress injuries, both inside and outside of the workplace. This new initiative will provide the CF with a unique ability to address all of the non-clinical and non-medical issues pertaining to operational stress injuries. Peer Support Coordinators are now located in Edmonton, Winnipeg, Petawawa, and St. John's.

The Centre is one of many VAC initiatives to improve services to CF members and their families. Whether they happen at the corporate level or local level, they will eventually allow for a seamless approach for services and benefits provided by either VAC or DND.

For assistance or more information about the DND/VAC Centre, simply call the toll free number 1-800-883-6094.

Or you may wish to contact us through one of the following:

Fax:
613-996-1493

Mail:
The DND/VAC Centre
National Defence Headquarters,
Major-General George R. Pearkes Building,
101 Colonel By Drive,
Ottawa, ON K1A 0K2

Email:
Centre@dnd.ca

Visit Us at:
285 Coventry Road
2nd Floor
Ottawa, ON