Nova Scotia Division RCMP Veterans’ Association

Support & Advocacy Committee 2016 Report

PROGRAM DELIVERY:

The activities of the NS Division RCMP Veterans’ Association Support and Advocacy Committee continued throughout 2016 in all theRegions of the Nova Scotia Division. This was achieved through theseinitiatives:

1. Participation and delivery of presentations at each “Annual Regional Meeting” (ARM).

2. Delivery of Benefits and Information Workshops in Port Hawkesbury and Kingston (May and November), with RCMP Veterans, Associate members and spouses, reserve military persons, and serving RCMPmembers attending.

3. Providing current documents and information to populate theNS RCMP Veterans’ Association websitelocated at ( with references for the Membership, including web-links and items of current interest including the Workshop material from all professional presentations.

4. Sharing information and research with the RCMP Veterans’ Association National Advocate, Benefit Trust Fund Coordinator, and other Divisions to encourage wider participation and accurate knowledge transfer.

5. Monthly meetings of the Committee to continue to move forward the service delivery to the Membership, explore new avenues and share experiences from challenges presented by various VAC processes and other benefit streams.

RESULTS:

Committee members and Region Consultants continued to increase their contacts internally with the RCMPVA Membership and externally to non-members in 2016. The following results are from the 16 Committee Members and Region Consultants who forwarded their work activities statistics to be tabulated in late November 2016 (statistics included numbers from December 2015-November 2016).

A. Review of categories served:

The 2016 Support & Advocacy Activity Report Indicates that a total of 372 persons were assisted by the Committee and/or Consultants in the past 12 months. This is a 54% increasefrom the 2015 report and it represents a75% increase in the numbers of persons impacted from just two years ago in the 2014 report.

  • NS RCMPVA members and non-members: The largest increase in numbers during 2016 came from the retired veterans – including “regular” members of the Association and retired Civilian members, and Associate members such as retired Public Servants and spouses. For 2016, 304retired persons sought some assistance from the Committee; this number is 49% more than last year and 90% more than in 2014. Numbers of “non-Association members and non-Associate members” were tallied separately. The Committee has taken the approach that no person will be refused assistance service from the Committee/ Consultants or refused attendance at Workshops; as a result, nearly 28% of all those retired persons served were determined to be non-members. (No effort was made to determine if they later joined the NSRCMPVA, however it is known that several took application forms and made known to the Committee their intentions to join.)

Other categories of persons served included retired members out of province, serving military and militia personnel, and adult children / friends of retired RCMP. Indications are that over 30 persons in at least 9 provinces were recipients of information supplied by the S&A Committee and Consultants.

  • One of the most notable increaseswas seen in the numbers ofspouses – especially of “non-Associate member spouses” who approached the Committee/Consultants during the year. In 2016,there were 59 spouses who required some information/assistance – representing almost 16% of the total served. Of those spouses, 49 persons were “non- Associate member spouses”. In 2015 there had been a total of 17 spouses (non-Associate members) counted. As many spouses are encouraged to attend the workshops, the message is getting to them about the benefits available from VAC, CRA and other agencies – benefits that could positively impact their lives and the situations of their spouses. The processes are de-mystified, the treatment options are highlighted and the financial impacts /residual survivor benefits are explained. Many of the spouses have never been made aware of these options and indeed, their ex-RCMP spouses are often unaware as well.
  • Regular serving members of the RCMP:While there were no Workshops delivered at RCMP “H” Division HQ this past year, there was an increase of 65% over the previous year in thesupport provided to those still serving, with 38 serving uniformed persons seeking assistance. NSRCMPVA continues to fill a gap due to the continued absence of such information within the “working environment”. In total over the past four (4) years, there have been 107 uniformed members of the RCMP seeking assistance from the Committee.

Including this year’s total of 372 persons, over the past four years, there have been at least 975+ persons served in some manner by the Committee and Consultants.

B. Assistance Provided:

Types of assistance provided by the Committee and Consultants continued to focus primarily with the Veteran’s Affairs Canada disability benefits and allowances; some persons received assistance several times as they worked through the various disabilitypensions and allowances levels. The Bereavement support can often entail more than one visit to the survivor/family and each case is different in how much preparation has been accomplished prior to death.

  • InitialVAC Application
  • VAC Quality of Life form
  • Process for obtaining their medical/service/personal files from the RCMP.
  • Referrals to Medical Professionals
  • Audiologists (over 270 referrals in the past 4 years)
  • Psychologists(over 91 referrals in the past 4 years)
  • Applications for various VAC Allowances – Attendance , clothing, Exceptional Incapacity
  • VAC Reassessments and Appeals
  • VAC Travel claims, hospital benefits and equipment rental
  • Benefit Trust Fund: there is still one (1) recipient living within the NS Division and receiving support.
  • Bereavement Assistance– often service is delivered to non-member spouses/ families
  • Canada Revenue Agency Disability Tax Credit and the Medical Deductions
  • Over the past four (5) years, there have been eleven (11) VAC Information / Benefits & Information Workshops presented to the RCMPVA membership in NS with a total of 540 persons participating. This year,123persons attended sessionsin Port Hawkesbury (May) and Kingston (November). Thesessions included a half-day related to PTSD and a half-day with an audiologist detailing hearing loss, hyperacusis and tinnitus, and the Committee providing information related to the VAC process and the Survivor & Executor Packages.
  • In November 2016, the Committee conducted a full day training workshop for the elected Executive, Region Consultants and Committee members. The morning was primarily focused upon bereavement – understanding the stages of grief and how to converse with persons dying or recently bereaved. Rev Katherine Bourbonniere conducted much of that session. Also included was a review of the Post-Death Package which can assist survivors in the financial transitions following the death of a retired member of the RCMP. The afternoon was dedicated to the VAC processes, forms completion and Survivor’s & Executors Package.

C. New Initiatives:

The activities of the Committee have also expanded to include attendance at some local meetings and gatherings relevant to “veterans” issues, both military and first responders. This has permitted the gathering of more information, an awareness of more resources and contacts, and a broader view of the issues affecting retired and serving members. In-roads have also been made with other agencies and businesses who could potentially serve the RCMP Veterans and families.

In late November, four of the Committee travelled to Charlottetown PEI for a scheduled meeting with representatives various departments within VAC. This meeting was formatted around some pre-sent questions and issues from the S&A Committee. VAC ensured that the appropriate persons were present to present the responses to the questions and then all responses were also delivered in written format. The clarifications provided will go a long way towards the Committee and Consultants delivering the best service possible to the Membership.

A final initiative within the Committee was to develop “templates” for applicants to follow when applying for VAC Benefits and VAC PTSD Benefits. The information contained in thesetemplates was co-ordinated as well with VAC and are now posted on the NS Veterans website under the Support & Advocacy header -(Application Process - )

D. Support & Advocacy Committee and Region Consultants:

The2016 Support & Advocacy Committeeconsisted of Brian Flanagan, Les Kakonyi, Gary Grant, Wayne Maxwell, Keith Sherwood, Phil Young, Gerry LaPierre and Co-Directors Vic Gorman and Jan Gorman. The Association 2nd VP, Mike Baker, continues to attend the meetings and Workshops.

Region Consultantsinclude:

Metro: Phil Scharf, Lindy Glenn, Greg McGrath

Colchester/East Hants: Graham Geddes, Gary Bishop, Allan Wellwood, Lee Fraser, Gerry Tucker

Valley: Don LeGrow, David Cunningham, James Arsenault, Baxter Upshall, Ralph Pietersma

Northumberland: Chris Paley, Dave McGrath

Cape Breton: John Ryan, Don Peters

South Shore: Jim Kelley

North East: Tom Bennett

Yarmouth: vacant

December 30, 20161 | Page