Special Reports

A Long Road to Recovery: Battling Operational Stress Injuries

December 2008

Conclusion

The Ombudsman’s office has been closely associated with the issue of post-traumatic stress disorder and other operational stress injuries in the Canadian Forces since 2002. Annex A shows that, while progress has been made by the Department and the Canadian Forces, only 13 of the original 31 recommendations in the 2002 report have been fully implemented to the satisfaction of the Ombudsman’s office. There are a number of important issues that remain unresolved, which are resulting in some military mental health sufferers slipping through the cracks of an ad hoc system.

In going forward, the Ombudsman’s office calls on the Department and the Canadian Forces to implement the intent of all 31 recommendations. The office is also focused on nine recommendations to address current realities and current problems regarding post-traumatic stress disorder and other operational stress injuries.

The following recommendations will form the basis of all future monitoring and reporting by the office:

  1. A full-time position of National Operational Stress Injury Coordinator be created, reporting directly to the Chief of the Defence Staff and responsible for all issues related to operational stress injuries, including: the quality and consistency of care, diagnosis and treatment; and training and education across the Canadian Forces.
  2. The Canadian Forces develop a database that accurately reflects the number of Canadian Forces personnel, including members of both the Regular and Reserve Forces, who are affected by stress-related injuries.
  3. The Canadian Forces conduct an independent and confidential mental health survey, which should include current and former Canadian Forces members from both the Regular and Reserve Forces.
  4. Any changes – formal or informal – to the Accommodation Policy (or the approach taken by the Canadian Forces to wounded members who want to continue their military careers) be applied equitably to Canadian Forces members with both mental health and physical injuries.
  5. The rules regarding occupational transfer be changed to accommodate, in an efficient manner, members diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder or other operational stress injuries who could continue their military service if they transferred to another military occupation.
  6. The Canadian Forces establish and properly resource an organization – at the national level – responsible for working with external agencies and all levels of government, as required, to ensure that military families and individual members of the families of military personnel have access to the broad spectrum of services and care they need.
  7. The Canadian Forces provide an appropriate level of funding across the country for the identification, prevention and treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder and other operational stress injuries.
  8. The Canadian Forces monitor and assess the requirement for additional mental health care professionals should the challenge associated with mental health injuries continue to grow.
  9. The Canadian Forces develop and implement a national program or initiative aimed specifically at assisting and preventing stress and burnout among the mental health care community.

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