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THE VOLUNTEER PATRICIA PROGRAM

THE REGIMENTAL FAMILY AND YOU

We are our brother’s keeper. Whether a wounded or injured serving soldier, a long-retired veteran, a widow or family member, the Regiment owes each a Duty of Care. This care bonds the Regiment together. It keeps the faith with those who have served in its ranks and who have contributed to the peace and security Canadians enjoy. Governments provide programs and benefits, but only comrades and effective caregivers can deliver assistance that really works. This in turn gives soldiers, retired veterans and their families the assurance that as they face challenges in their lives the Regiment will be there to help. This assurance is particularly meaningful to young soldiers who face a determined enemy.

Veterans’ Care is the responsibility of all members of the Regimental family. Since 2004, the Regiment has developed a framework of support to meet both the demands of our current operational tempo and the aging of our retired members. This framework reflects the rapid developments in veterans’ support within the Canadian Forces and Veterans’ Affairs Canada and the Regimental response to these changes. The Regimental care framework has three components:

1. Units. Recent changes in DND and CF policies have placed the responsibility for support to serving soldiers squarely on the lap of unit commanding officers. This responsibility extends beyond posting to a holding list and even medical release. Given their heavy responsibilities to train for and conduct operations, part of this burden is being taken on by Regimental Headquarters.

2. Regimental Headquarters (RHQ). In the autumn of 2006, the Regiment established a veterans’ care cell within RHQ to provide support to units and individual casualties and members in need of assistance. The Regimental Veterans’ Care (RVC) cell performs these functions:

• Provides information on veterans’ support programs on the www.ppcli.com website,

• Maintains a library of information and brochures for individual soldiers and units,

• Assists units to train and advise Assisting Officers and other casualty support personnel,

• Acts as a contact point for any veteran or family member seeking assistance from the Regiment and refers them to the most appropriate program or agency,

• Maintains a data base of casualties,

• Ensures the Colonel of the Regiment and the Colonel in Chief are informed of the welfare of members of the Regimental family,

• Organizes events related to Regimental veterans and casualties,

• Receives, disperses, secures and accounts for funds collected to support Regimental veterans,

• Provides feedback and information to CF and other care-giving agencies on the effectiveness of their programs,

• Provides assistance to any veteran searching for personal or operational documents or finding witnesses to past events; and

• Coordinates support to veterans using Regimental resources including VPP volunteers.

3. PPCLI Regimental Association. The Association’s Volunteer Patricia Program (VPP) supports retired and retiring members of the Regiment and their families who need assistance adjusting to changes in their lives and in obtaining support from professional caregivers. The VPP may also assist in the support of units and serving personnel at the request of a unit or RHQ or as a local initiative. The program has been established under Article III.1 of the Association’s Constitution ‘to foster and maintain the spirit of the Regiment, circulate information regarding the Regiment amongst its members, perpetuate the close bonds of comradeship, mutual regard and esprit de corps amongst all ranks formed whilst serving in the regiment by assisting members, including serving members of the Regiment, widows and children of deceased members, when and where social assistance is not available’. The VPP is branch-based and acts as the Association’s action arm. The VPP:

• Provides information and referral services to veterans and to their families and survivors and referring them to the most appropriate program or agency,

• Investigates requests for support, gathers information, and finds witnesses and documents to support a request for support from a third party,

• In the absence of other caregivers, provides direct assistance to veterans and their families who are in need,

• Sponsors Regimental fundraising activities,

• Stands ready to provide morale and material support to units in operations, assistance to rear parties and families, and assistance to units in delivering humanitarian support to local populations and

• Assists serving soldiers at the request of a unit or RHQ.

WHO WE HELP

While the core clients of the program are casualties and their families and retired veterans in need of assistance, the scope of veterans’ care in the Regiment extends to those who may be in financial difficulty, having administrative or family problems, are imprisoned or who may be in other difficulties.

Casualties most likely to require the assistance of RHQ or the Association are those who are extra-regimentally employed, in medical care or on the Service Personnel Holding List (SPHL), and without the strong support units provide.

PHILOSOPHY

The underlying philosophy of Regimental veterans’ care is that the Regiment is a family whose members are under a lifelong bond to support one another and their families. Through this support, serving members of the Regiment draw strength, and those who are retired maintain and increase their commitment to the Regiment and to the values for which it stands.

The VPP follows these principles

• The Regiment supports all who have served in or with the Regiment and to their families and survivors.

• The Regiment will complement and not replace existing care providers.

• Care provided by the Regiment will respect the Chain of Command. RHQ and the Association VPP will assist serving soldiers only at the request of the unit and will keep the unit fully informed of the status of cases, consistent with the Privacy Act.

• The VPP is a no fault and totally non-judgemental support program. No person will be denied a fair hearing and the support he or she may need.

·        Support will not be denied under any of the areas of discrimination in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

·        All members seeking support are entitled to the Duty of Care and Standard of Care expected within Canadian society under Common Law.

·        Serving members must comply with CF regulations, orders and instruction.

·        The PPCLI Association is responsible for the actions of its volunteers and must ensure that all necessary actions are taken and sustained to ensure a reasonable standard of care.

·        All members engaged in the VPP will be volunteers who will be provided with the necessary information and guidance to accomplish their task. They will also be provided with protection should they be exposed to personal or financial risk.

·        All Canadian legislation, regulations and common practice relating to privacy, access to information and security of personal information will be observed.

·        Association volunteers will be entitled to reimbursement for major out of pocket expenses related to their service.

·        Association branches will operate independently based on the policies and procedures contained in the VPP Handbook.

HOW WE HELP

The Association assists, through the VPP by:

1. LETTING THINGS HAPPEN By providing information to units, individuals and VPP volunteers on support programs through the www.ppcli.com website, through brochures and advertising and through personal contact with branch and national volunteers and by referring clients to CF, VAC and other agencies with programs aimed at identifying and resolving problems.

2. HELPING THINGS HAPPEN By assisting members in making the right contacts, locating key information or witnesses and successfully applying for assistance.

3. MAKING THINGS HAPPEN By overcoming obstacles and crises where established processes and programs are unable or unwilling to help or are unavailable because of distance or other factors and by providing companionship and listening to their concerns.

If you call or contact a VPP volunteer for assistance, he or she will go through these stages to put the let it happen, help it happen and make it happen process under way:

OUR RESPONSIBILITIES TO YOU

Over the years, our Common Law has established the broad principle that a person is responsible for providing a reasonable level of care consistent with the circumstances. The best way to apply this principle is to practice the Golden Rule, by treating others as we would expect to be treated ourselves.

PRIVACY AND CONFIDENTIALITY

Privacy Legislation is intended to protect individuals from intentional or unintentional release of personal information that brings harm to them. Inappropriate release of personal information is counter to the Duty of Care. Every person who contacts the RVC or VPP is entitled to and will receive the protection required by this legislation.

The Privacy Act allows a third party to obtain personal information with your written consent. Should you agree in writing, the VPP may use your authority to find key documents to help you.

SUPPORT TO UNITS IN OPERATIONS

Providing moral and material support to units in operations alleviates the stress of operations and strengthens the bond between soldiers and the Regiment. Providing this form of assistance requires close coordination between the unit, RHQ and the Association. Regimental assistance to unit rear parties and families can form part of the total rear party support plan. While VPP support focuses on individual assistance, VPP volunteers are in place and able to assist such initiatives whatever their source. RHQ will coordinate all such efforts.

RVC/VPP HANDBOOK

The VPP Handbook provides serving members of the Regiment, VPP volunteers and all members of the Regimental family with the purpose, philosophy, principles, policies and procedures employed in Regimental Veterans’ Care. The Handbook is available in either hard copy or electronic form. Requests for hard copies may be submitted to RHQ. E copies are available for download in the DOWNLOADS section below.

ORGANIZATIONS AND PROGRAMS THAT SUPPORT VETERANS AND THEIR FAMILIES

WHATS OUT THERE FOR YOU

There are many federal departments and agencies providing care to Canadian veterans and their families. DND/CF and Veterans Affairs (VAC) are the two most obvious. Provincial, regional and municipal governments provide a range of services to veterans and seniors. The challenge is to match you with the program. To see a list of the programs available, click here - LINKS

NGO PROGRAMS

There are many non-governmental organizations (NGOs), such as The Royal Canadian Legion that sponsor programs across Canada. A good website for locating NGOs is http://www.canadian-charities.com/alpha.htm. This website lists all charitable agencies in Canada with links to them.

DND/CF

DND/CF support is a combination of well-established programs and new initiatives. An extensive array of new programs has been introduced to help serving soldiers and their families and to assist those facing medical release with their reintegration into Canadian society. These new programs are well staffed and funded. DND/CF has forged an alliance with VAC at the national level. The focal point for support of medical and stress (OSI) casualties and their successful transition to civilian life is The Centre located in Ottawa. This is a joint DND/VAC office providing support to serving and retired soldiers. The Centre and the Centre’s regional representatives are program expeditors and are primary points of contact.

VAC

VAC provides benefits to veterans and their families and to serving members in receipt of a disability pension. Receipt of a disability pension under the Pension Act has been a major gatekeeper for VAC support, however under the NVC this is no longer the case. There are two branches in VAC of direct interest; the Veterans’ Services Branch, which administers programs and benefits, and the Bureau of Pension Advocates, which supports claims and appeals under the Pension Act. District offices are located across Canada at the locations shown at this website: http://www.vac-acc.gc.ca/clients/sub.cfm?source=contact. A central contact number for all VAC services is now available at 1-866-522-2122. Within these district offices, a client services team follows each case and each client is assigned a specific Area Counselor. A central contact number for all VAC services is now available at 1-866-522-2122.

New Veterans’ Charter (NVC). The NVC was passed into law in May, 2005. These services and benefits apply to veterans who retire or apply after April 1, 2006. Veterans who retire prior to that date receive entitlements under the Pension Act and other VAC programs. The NVC or The Canadian Forces Members and Veterans Re-establishment and Compensation Act focuses on providing benefits and services to ensure a successful transition to civilian life. This is exactly what the VPP is about as well.  While the benefit or PROGRAM elements of the NVC affect those in transition on April1, 2006, the SERVICES elements apply to all veterans.  You can download more information on the NVC in the DOWNLOADS section below.

Service Canada

Service Canada has recently absorbed responsibilities for income security programs. Almost all of today’s seniors receive income from Canada’s Public Pensions. Basic financial support is also available to survivors and to people who become too disabled to work and to their children through the Old Age Security (OAS) program and the Canada Pension Plan (CPP).  The SC website is at www.servicecanada.ca.

Health Canada

The delivery of health care services in Canada is a provincial responsibility. Nevertheless, Health Canada plays a big role in collecting and disseminating health information. Its website at http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca contains a number of sections that are particularly useful and help find links to provincial and NGO caregivers, including healthy living, health care, diseases and conditions and health protection. The division of Aging and Seniors is also useful (http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/seniors-aines, email - seniors@hc-sc.gc.ca , telephone: (613) 952-7606). The handbook Seniors Guide to Federal Programs and Services is an excellent guide to both federal and provincial services. It may be downloaded from the Health Canada website publications page (http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/seniors-aines/index_pages/a_z_index_e.). It contains program descriptions, contact points and websites of many support agencies and at all levels.

SISIP

SISIP provides a range of financial services for serving and retired members of the CF. The range of services has expanded since the Quality of Life study and the introduction of the NVC. The SISIP website is at http://www.sisip.ca/en/index.asp. It is easy to use and provides a comprehensive list of programs, benefits and other information. Offices are located at many bases across Canada where SISIP representatives work closely with VAC and DND transition support teams. Several SISIP programs are being integrated with VAC programs under the New Veterans’ Charter, particularly those related to disability and rehabilitation services. Be alert to changes in this area.

Royal Canadian Legion (RCL)

The Legion is the largest veterans' based community service organization in Canada mandated by its members to care for the needs of veterans, ex service members and their families. Programs include direct assistance to veterans at the community level as well as advocacy and advisory services. The Legion's flagship in this endeavor is the Veterans' Service Bureau. The Bureau is a free service to all veterans. The Legion has a national network of service officers who assist veterans with claims for disability pensions involving their service with those agencies or with financial problems following retirement. Today, most Legion branches conduct seniors' programs or provide services focused on health care, home support and housing. At the national level there is advocacy for seniors' rights and their well-being.

PPCLI Regimental Programs

The PPCLI Association provides support to members of the Regimental family through two programs: the Hamilton Gault Memorial Fund Bursaries and the PPCLI Benevolent Fund.

VOLUNTEERING

Volunteers are members of the Association who give their time and efforts to help others. If you are interested in becoming a VPP volunteer helper in the VPP, you should download and read the VPP Handbook. You can then contact r your nearest Association Branch President. You can find these contacts on the Association web page. The organization for delivering services of the VPP is based on branches guided by the Association VP East, as VPP Director, and assisted by a VPP Facilitator.

CONTACTS

Here are some key contacts. Some operate during business hours only but have call answering service. The CF/VAC Member Assistance line operates 24/7. It provides both information and emergency assistance and counselling.

• RVC Cell at PPCLI RHQ - MCpl MP (Monty) Robson, (780) 973-4011 ext 5546. Email robson.mp@forces.gc.ca

• The Centre at NDHQ - 1 800 883-6904

• VAC - 1 866 522-2122

• CF/VAC Member Assistance Program - 1 800 268-7708

• VPP Volunteers – See the Association web page

Forms

• VPP Volunteer Application Form

• VPP Volunteer Reimbursement Form

• VPP Client Case Form