Ombudsman flags concerns over the lack of mental health support for Primary Reserve members participating in domestic operations such as fires and floods
OTTAWA, ON, Sept. 6, 2023 /CNW/ - Primary Reserve members participating in domestic operations are not having their mental health needs well supported.
National Defence and Canadian Armed Forces Ombudsman Gregory Lick came to this conclusion after investigating this issue over the previous year. The findings are contained in his report Hidden Battles: A systemic investigation into the identification of mental health needs and support for Primary Reserve members participating in domestic operations.
The report identified six recommendations to Defence Minister Bill Blair to help ensure Primary Reserve members are taken care of, treated fairly and with respect, and receive the benefits to which they are entitled.
The investigation revealed:
- Inconsistencies related to mental health, including barriers to accessing supports before, during, and after a domestic operation,
- A lack of oversight of the processes to identify and support mental health needs,
- Cultural challenges continue to be a barrier to accessing mental health supports. This includes various forms of stigma (self-imposed, social, and structural), and
- Limits to mental health care access caused by the class of Reserve Service employment before or after a domestic operation.
Lick's office investigated how the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) identifies the mental health concerns of Primary Reserve members participating in domestic operations (such as fires and floods) and how those needs are supported. They compared the treatment of Primary Reserve members to Regular Force members.
Hidden Battles comes a year following progress reports three previous reports investigating issues related to the health and wellness of Reserve Force members. Most of the recommendations made in these reports from 2016 and 2017 have yet to be implemented.
Quote:
"In Canada, we increasingly rely on our part-time Reserve Force to help provide security, search and rescue missions, and responding to natural disasters. But we do not always provide them with the mental health support they need before and after operations."
- Gregory A. Lick – National Defence and Canadian Armed Forces Ombudsman
The report is available https://www.canada.ca/en/ombudsman-national-defence-forces/reports-news-statistics/investigative-reports/mental-health.html.
For more information about the National Defence and Canadian Armed Forces Ombudsman's Office, visit www.ombuds.ca.
SOURCE National Defence and Canadian Armed Forces Ombudsman
Andrew Bernardo, (613) 992 6962, [email protected]
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