AFP/AAC Newsletter #32 - English

Armed Forces Pensioners’ / Annuitants’ Association of Canada Issue #32 • March 2019 T he Veteran Family Program (VFP), launched as a pilot in October 2015, allowed med- ically-releasing Canadian Armed Forces members and medically-re- leased veterans, as well as their families, to access services at seven Military Family Resource Centres (MFRCs) in Esquimalt, Edmonton, Shilo, Valcartier, Trenton, North Bay and Halifax. As of April, 2018, all 32 MFRCs across the country are now included in the VFP. Access to the MFRCs is avail- able to medically-releasing CAF members and their families as well as medically-released veterans their family members, including both Regular Forces personnel and Reservists. Veterans’ families can continue to access the VFP even after a medically-released veteran has passed away. Enabling access to MFRCs by veterans and their families repre- sented an extension of the man- date for these centres, which were initially founded to provide services only to still-serving members of the Canadian Armed Forces and their families. The centres, situated on Canadian Armed Forces Bases, Wings and in other locations, were established as hubs of military com- munities, delivering programs and supports to sustain individuals and families. The expansion of the VFP from the seven original pilot sites to all MFRCs represents a commit- ment of $147 million over six years to veterans and their families. Independent not-for-profit orga- nizations, MFRCs provide a range of support services to CAF members, veterans and their families, includ- ing transition programs, referral services, intervention support and advocacy services. Including med- ically-releasing and medically-re- leased veterans among those who can access the MFRCs has been done with an understanding of, and appre- ciation for, the many adjustments veterans and their families typically need to make before, during and after release from service. Research has shown that the transition from military to post-service life can be very stress- ful so the program’s offerings are intended to assist with this jour- ney and support the health and well-being of families during this time. Some of the available services include national transition pro- grams such as families in transition sessions, mental health first aid for the veteran community, financial planning workshops and facilitated group sessions. No application is required; qualified personnel simply go to the local MFRC and speak with the Veteran Family Program Coordi- nator. The coordinator will assess each individual or family’s unique needs, develop a family care plan if needed, then help find the appro- priate programs and services such as local civilian community groups, transition programs, referrals or intervention support. To find the nearest MFRC, visit www.cafconnection.ca an d click on ‘local sites’ or call the Family Information Line, available 24/7, at 1-800-866-4546 . This line is a confidential, bilingual service which provides information, support, referrals and crisis management; it is staffed by trained counsellors who can help individuals and families connect with the services they need. Veteran Family Program support services now available across Canada 2019 Pension Rates Pension indexation increase as of January 1, 2019 based on the Consumer Price Index, is 2.3% in ac- cordance with Section 75 of the Pension Act. More information can be found on our website www.afpaac.ca under announcements. Notice of the 2019 Annual General Meeting The AFP/AAC Annual General Meeting will be held on Wednesday May 22nd, 2019 at 2:00 PM EDT by teleconference call. For those members wishing to participate, please contact us by calling 1-613- 432-9491 or email us at admin@afpaac.ca to receive the call-in infor- mation. There will be no costs incurred for members to call-in. A motion to approve the 2018 audit will be made at the AGM. The audit was conducted by Nephin Winter Bingley and subsequent draft financial statements were provided to the board. The financial statements are available to members upon request.