AFP Newsletter - Summer 2019

Armed Forces Pensioners’ / Annuitants’ Association of Canada Issue #33 • July 2019 T he VAC Assistance Service provides psychological support 24 hours per day, 365 days per year to veterans, former RCMP members, their family members, or caregivers. It can be accessed by calling 1-800-268-7708 (or TDD/ TTY 1-800-567-5803 for those with hearing impairments). This service is provided at no cost and individuals do not need to be clients of VAC to receive services. It is delivered via a na- tionwide team of mental health professionals who are bilingual, hold at least a master’s degree in a psychosocial field and are trained in crisis and suicide intervention. If they determine that it is an urgent situation, they will provide imme- diate support over the phone. If it is not urgent, they will make recom- mendations for further support and refer callers to a mental health professional in his/her region for face-to-face psychological support. For anyone living in a remote area where access to in-person services is limited, psychological support can be provided by telephone. Those requiring assistance can re- ceive up to 20 hours of confidential support for each issue about which a call is placed. The actual number of hours will vary depending on the nature, severity and urgency of the problem. If the professional determines that a particular issue requires longer-term support than the program can offer, a referral to external resources will be made and support will be offered until those specialized services are available. The VAC Assistance Service provides support for a range of mental health difficulties that may be affecting well-being, including but not limited to work-related issues, health concerns, psychologi- cal difficulties and family or mar- ital problems. Even after receiving support, should another issue arise, the veteran or a family member can call the VAC Assistance Service to describe this new issue and receive additional psychological support for up to 20 hours. Spouses and children up to 21 years old – or up to age 25, if they are full-time students – may access the VAC Assistance Service for any issue they may have. Caregivers are also entitled to psychologi- cal support for issues related to the care of the veteran or former RCMP member with the objective of assisting them so they can better support the person for whom they are caring. Note that caregivers can include children over age 21 who are not full-time students, extended family members and friends if they The VAC Assistance Service Stand up Continued from page 3 The trial will assist the Transition Group in developing the profession- al, standardized, and personalized approach to transition that will even- tually be put in place across the CAF. We expect a 3 to 5 year time frame for implementation of these services. The second step is to start now, and launch new tools, such as My Transition Guide, empowering members and their families to take ownership of their future and ad- dressing the needed culture change regarding transition within the CAF. This is fundamental to ensuring that all members successfully tran- sition. Evidence suggests that when members and their families consid- er their transition options earlier in their career, they are better pre- pared to meet its challenges. A third step is to better enable CAF leaders to support their people at tran- sition time. The chain of command will continue to play a key role in sup- porting members and their families through the transition process. It’s important to remember that transition does not always mean leaving the Forces. A key success factor for the new Transition Group will be its contribution to the reten- tion of its skilled, experienced, and well trained members. The care and support of ill and injured members and their families, and the families of fallen members, is a continuing priority. The Tran- sition Group will continue to work with Veterans Affairs Canada and its other partners in serving the ill and injured, as well as all Canadian Armed Forces members, veterans, and their families. In addition to VAC, these partners include: n Base and Wing Partners includ- ing Personnel Selection Officers, Chaplains, Release Sections, and more. n Military Family Services n SISIP Financial n Personnel Support Programs n Canadian Armed Forces Health Services n Other federal government de- partments n Numerous non-governmental employers and agencies Those wishing more information about the Transition Group, click here: https://tinyurl.com/y5p5b49u