Ottawa ON
Canada
January 19, 2021 – Ottawa, ON The Office of the Veterans Ombudsman (OVO) today released its report, Mental Health Treatment Benefits for Family Members, in Their Own Right, for Conditions Related to Military Service.
The OVO finds, through this investigation, that family members of Veterans should have better access to mental health treatment when the need is connected to military service. The report examines how this service can uniquely impact family members as individuals.
The OVO recommends the following to government: 1) Provide government-funded mental health treatment to family members of Veterans when their mental health condition is related to military service, regardless of the Veteran’s own treatment needs; 2) Conduct a full gender-based analysis on these treatment benefits to determine if some groups are being excluded from receiving needed care; and, 3) Encourage VAC to continue demonstrating flexibility for the urgent mental health needs of family members of Veterans and explore expanding authorities to include more families so that the significant financial costs are minimized for those seeking access to mental health treatment connected to their service.
Quote:
“Military service is a shared family experience that can affect each member differently. Family members of Veterans need the support they are due when seeking treatment for their own mental health condition. A spouse or child should not be denied access to funded treatment because the Veteran isn’t seeking, or in need of help. Our report illustrates the barriers some family members experience in trying to successfully secure the treatment that they themselves need.”
- Colonel (Ret’d) Nishika Jardine, Veterans Ombudsman
Key Findings:
- Literature points to frequent postings, long and multiple absences, and the inherent risk of illness, injury or death as potential impacts to family members’ mental health well-being.
- Family members eligible for VAC support have limited access to the treatments that some may need for their specific mental health condition.
- The door is shut on VAC support for family members with needs beyond short term counselling when they seek mental health treatment independent of the Veteran’s treatment plan.
Related Link:
Mental Health Treatment Benefits for Family Members, in Their Own Right, for Conditions Related to Military Service: https://www.ombudsman-veterans.gc.ca/en/publications/systemic-reviews/mental-health-treatment-benefits-for-family-members