Veterans Affairs Canada inviting applications for advisory groups

10 June 2021 – Charlottetown – Veterans Affairs Canada

Individuals passionate about supporting Veterans now have the opportunity to share their knowledge, expertise, and experiences with the Minister of Veterans Affairs as members of ministerial advisory groups at Veterans Affairs Canada.

The Department is seeking to renew membership with Veterans, Canadians, and stakeholders with diverse backgrounds and experiences. Applicants should be Canadians who want to make a difference by sharing their perspectives on issues relevant to the Veteran community.

New members will be appointed to one of the six advisory groups:

• Policy: Advises on priority issues associated with policy aspects of existing programs and services, as well as new initiatives and emerging priorities.
• Service Excellence and Transition: Advises on priority issues associated with: transition from military to civilian life; program service delivery; and services and benefits that support the health and well-being of Veterans and their families.
• Mental Health: Advises on priority issues related to mental health among Veterans, notably, suicide prevention, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other operational stress injuries (OSI).
• Care and Support: Advises on priority issues related to the special health needs and continuity of care for Veterans of all ages.
• Families: Advises on priority issues related to Veterans’ families and support systems.
• Commemoration: Advises on priority issues related to the delivery of departmental commemoration services’ activities, commemoration of recent conflicts, and education.

“We are grateful for the significant contributions made by current and past advisory group members. We look forward to adding new members to our groups, which will in turn add diversity and new perspectives to important discussions to create positive change for our Veterans and their families.”

The Honourable Lawrence MacAulay, Minister of Veterans Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defence.

Diversity and inclusion are core values of the Government of Canada. To foster greater equality, diversity and inclusion, we will be seeking candidates from groups that are currently underrepresented. This includes candidates who are members of one or more of the following groups: Black and racialized people, gender diverse people, Indigenous peoples, LGBTQ2+ people, persons with disabilities, and women.

For more information and to apply to a ministerial advisory group vacancy, please visit https://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/about-vac/what-we-do/public-engagement/advisory-groups

The Ministerial Advisory Groups were created in 2016 to broaden engagement with Veterans and stakeholders. Their purpose is to provide the Minister and Veterans Affairs Canada with advice on departmental priority issues related to Veterans and their families.