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Reconstitution

  • The Canadian Armed Forces serves Canada by defending our values, interests, and sovereignty at home and abroad.
  • However, the Canadian Armed Forces is also experiencing a shortfall in personnel that has been exacerbated by the COVID- 19 pandemic and Canada-wide labour shortages.
  • That is why we are undertaking significant reconstitution efforts to make us a stronger and more effective organization.
  • On October 6, 2022, we released the Canadian Armed Forces Reconstitution Direction that is focused on rebuilding the strength and number of our members, and the structures necessary to defend and protect Canadians.
  • We want every Canadian to see service to Canada within the Canadian Armed Forces as a fist-rate career choice, and we are prioritizing efforts that strengthen how we recruit, retain, and take care of our people.
  • This includes creating an environment where members feel welcomed, valued, and safe.
  • This period of reconstitution and modernization is essential to ensure that the Canadian Armed Forces is optimized to meet current and future security needs both at home and abroad.

Key Facts

Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) Reconstitution Directive

  • Released October 6, 2022, the CAF Reconstitution Directive will help ensure the long-term viability of the CAF through an in- depth analysis and prioritization of all tasks, operations, plans, and activities.
  • The directive focuses on two priority areas:
    1. People:
      • Every Canadian needs to see the CAF as a first-rate career choice, where they will feel welcome, valued, and safe to bring their talents to bear in service to our country.
      • To attract and retain talent from across Canada, the Military Personnel Management System needs to be modernized to support CAF members so that they can achieve their goals and have fulfilling and successful careers.
      • Similarly, policies that directly address the stressors of military service will see further refinement to enhance retention and demonstrate a commitment to our people.
      • To support recruitment, retention and reconstitution efforts, National Defence is taking steps to ensure that current and prospective Canadian Armed Forces members have baseline financial security for them and their families, modern infrastructure, modern equipment and meaningful work at home and abroad.
    2. Operations:
      • Limited staff capacity means bold steps must be taken to rationalize activities, reduce process limitations, and cease activities that do not directly contribute to the growth of the CAF, operations, or modernization.
      • Readiness will be further reinforced by developing operational capacity in the burgeoning domains of cyber and space.

Recruitment and Retention

  • We are committed to evolving our culture, growing the Canadian Armed Forces, and ensuring that our Forces reflect Canada’s diversity.
  • We are improving the recruiting experience by digitizing, streamlining and redesigning the recruitment process to ensure each application is processed efficiently.
  • To attract all eligible Canadians and permanent residents, we are prioritizing the recognition of past experience during the recruiting process, which will accelerate military career paths.
  • Permanent residents are also now welcome to apply to the Canadian Armed Forces as they represent an important, skilled, and diverse workforce in Canada.
  • Additionally, we are improving our talent management efforts to better place members in occupations that match their interests, skills, abilities, and experience.
  • Further, to increase our outreach and education to eligible Canadians, including to under-represented groups, we are conducting focused engagements with communities across Canada.
  • We are also enhancing Canadian Armed Forces branding and conducting targeted advertising to convey to Canadians the value of a military career.
  • In October 2022, National Defence launched a new retention strategy to better support our members by responding to their emerging and changing needs.
  • In addition, we are reviewing the training programs at every level, including basic training, to ensure we remain prepared to excel in operations at home and abroad while building a more inclusive team.
  • Through these efforts, the Canadian Armed Forces will become a first-rate career choice that will attract talented Canadians for years to come, thereby ensuring that the Forces is optimized to meet current and future security needs at home and abroad.

Key Facts

Ongoing Recruitment Initiatives:

  • Targeted engagement with communities across Canada to increase representation of under-represented groups.
  • Programs to increase Indigenous representation.
  • Prioritizing women applicants within all CAF enrolment programs, including at military colleges.
  • December 5, 2022 – The Minister announced that permanent residents are welcome to apply to enrol in the Canadian Armed Forces.
  • Citizenship applications from CAF members will be processed on a priority basis by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada.
  • In 2022-2023 (as of December 31, 2022) 5,242 individuals joined the Regular Force and Primary Reserve, 17.0% of whom were women.
    • 2021-2022 intake: 8,069 individuals.
    • 2020-2021 intake: 4,262 individuals.
  • Indigenous Representation: 2.9% (as of November 30, 2022); goal is 3.5% by 2026.
  • Canadian Armed Forces Employment Equity Plan 2021-2026 recognizes the LGBTQ2+ community as a designated group.
  • New Promotion and Selection Process: National General Officer and Flag Officer Selection Boards now feature procedural improvements including mandating that one voting member be from an Employment Equity group.

Background

House Standing Committee on National Defence: Recruitment and Retention Study

  • On April 4, 2022, the House Standing Committee on National Defence launched its study on recruitment and retention in the Canadian Armed Forces. The Committee tabled its report on June 22, 2022
  • In the report, the Committee lists 16 recommendations for National Defence, highlighting five broad themes in the areas of: 1) Culture change, 2) Diversity and inclusion, 3) Improving the recruitment process, 4) Supports to military families and easing the burden of service, and 5) DND/CAF Ombudsman independence.
  • On October 20, 2022, National Defence tabled the Government Response to the Committee’s Modernizing Recruitment and Retention in the Canadian Armed Forces report.

Current Programs and Initiatives

  • National Defence implements a broad range of proactive and targeted recruitment programs aimed at increasing the representation of women, visible minorities, and Indigenous Peoples in the Canadian Armed Forces. These programs and initiatives include:
    • Operation GENERATION, an ongoing mission to meet employment equity goals, reduce enrolment times, and modernize recruiting activities;
    • The Canadian Armed Forces Indigenous Entry Program, a three-week hands-on experience program for Indigenous Peoples who are considering a career in the CAF;
    • The Aboriginal Leadership Opportunity Year provides Indigenous participants with exposure to the CAF military and academic disciplines. Enrolled and paid as Officer Cadets, participants experience university-level educational and leadership opportunities at the Royal Military College in Kingston, Ontario;
      • It is the only Indigenous program focused on developing potential officers. Participants are enrolled into the Regular Force as Officer Cadets;
    • Multiple six-week paid Primary Reserve Indigenous Summer Programs, which integrate cultural teachings with military training.
      • Participants who successfully complete a program are granted the CAF Army Reserve Basic Military Qualification.
  • To improve retention, work is also underway to improve the CAF’s employment model and provide flexible career options, such as:
    • reducing the burden of relocation through the Seamless Canada Initiative;
    • component transfers (Regular Force to Primary Reserve and Primary Reserve to Regular Force);
    • flexible or interim work policies; and
    • modernizing the nature of full-time and part-time employment within the CAF.
  • Permanent Residents: The Canadian Forces Recruiting Group accepts trained applicants from foreign militaries. These applicants include pilots, logistics officers, infantry officers and other skilled professionals, who may become enrolled in the CAF if they have permanent resident status in Canada.
  • The intent is to broaden the pool to enable other permanent residents, who meet the same criteria as Canadian citizens to enroll in the CAF as new recruits or officer cadets.
  • The Chief of the Defence Staff signed a document on October 18, 2022, that reinforces existing policy and designates authority to the Commander Military Personnel Command and the Commander Canadian Forces Recruiting Group for the enrolment of a citizen of another country who has permanent resident status under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act.

Other Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives

  • Other diversity and inclusion initiatives include, but are not limited to:
    • Dress Instructions Update – this has eliminated binary uniform and appearance choices, allowing CAF personnel the freedom to choose the uniform that makes them most comfortable.
    • Inclusive Ranks in French – French versions of all designations of ranks now have official Gender Inclusive equivalents.
    • Women’s Health Framework – this aims to enhance women’s health care and increase knowledge of women’s health issues and topics within the military.
    • Post-natal Care – the CAF has released its first Nursing and Pumping Policy, which requires all Commanding Officers to establish a lactation plan to support their members.
    • Compassionate Leave Policy – this allows members to request new types of leave to account for pregnancy loss, family violence, and parents of young victims of crime, for example.
    • Training Needs Assessment – the most recent Training Needs Assessment addressing professional conduct was conducted in 2020. Results are being reviewed to develop an implementation plan.
    • Women in Force Program – this program helps raise awareness about life in the CAF and gives women the opportunity to speak with current CAF members while experiencing different facets of a military lifestyle. Plans to run the program were put on hold due to the pandemic. The intent is to reinvigorate the program prior to the end of the 2022/23 fiscal year.

Canadian Armed Forces Retention Strategy

  • On October 6, 2022, National Defence released the Canadian Armed Forces Retention Strategy, which is composed of three elements:
    • Better understanding the drivers that impact/hinder retention rates;
    • Outlining key considerations from leadership responsibilities, to flexible policies to effective communication; and
    • Identifying concrete levels of effort to guide a deliberate approach to this problem-set, including strengthening governance.

Mental Health and Suicide

  • We recognize that military service places unique demands on our members and their families, and we are grateful for their service.
  • That is why we have a wide range of programs and services to meet the needs of members and their families.
  • This includes dedicated specialist mental health professionals located at 31 of 37 Canadian Forces Health Services Centres, a 24/7 phone referral service for access to counselling, and peer support for those coping with operational stress.
  • The Canadian Armed Forces Chaplain Service also provides personal support and can refer members to social workers, psychologists, or other medical services.
  • Additionally, the Road to Mental Readiness Program has expanded programming for specific high-risk occupations such as search and rescue technicians, Military Police and health services personnel.
  • National Defence public service employees and their family members have 24/7 access to the Employee Assistance Program.
  • This includes short-term counselling services, as well as access to a peer support network trained in suicide intervention and other life-saving skills.
  • We will continue to ensure that our members have access to the mental health care and services they deserve.

If pressed on suicide prevention:

  • We recognize the lasting and tragic effect that the loss of a military member to suicide has on their families, friends, colleagues, and the entire Defence Team.
  • The Canadian Armed Forces Suicide Prevention Action Plan is centred on training and support programs and services.
  • These programs and services are aimed at promoting resilience through spirituality, physical fitness, financial support, counselling, awareness, and specific services for deployed personnel.
  • National Defence recently released the Total Health and Wellness Strategy, which supports health and resilience in the workforce and promotes a culture of healthy behaviour.

Key Facts

In-House Mental Health Care

  • 31 out of our 37 Canadian Armed Forces healthcare clinics offer specialized in-house mental health care.
    • All 37 clinics have continued providing primary care and other clinical services during the pandemic, either in-person or through virtual care, both locally and remotely.
  • 7 operational trauma and stress support centres provide assistance to serving members and their families dealing with stress or injury arising from military operations.

Total Health and Wellness Strategy

  • In March 2022, National Defence released the Total Health and Wellness Strategy, which supports health and resilience in the workforce and promotes a culture of healthy behaviour.
  • As part of the strategy, Military Family Resource Centres are being expanded. CAF members and their families can expect to see reduced wait times for mental health services, and increased access to counselling services.

Suicide

  • 2020: Per the 2021 Report on Suicide Mortality in the CAF report, there were 14 deaths by suicide in the Regular Force.
    • The collection and analysis of the 2021 numbers is ongoing and will be available in the 2022 Suicide Mortality report in early 2023.

 

Background

Components of the CAF Mental Health Program

  • Psychosocial Services. Social workers, mental health nurses and addiction counsellors normally staff the psychosocial programs. Types of services vary from short-term counselling (which may involve the family) relating to workplace issues, family or marriage problems. Other examples include addiction consultations and pre-and-post deployment screenings.
  • General Mental Health. Specialized mental health services provided by psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, mental health nurses, addiction counsellors and chaplains. This category of care encompasses individual and group treatment for those suffering from a broad range of mental health concerns.
  • Operational Trauma and Stress Support Centres (OTSSC). OTSSC programs are specialized programs within CAF mental health services that ensure very comprehensive and consistent assessment and treatment of patients with all types of trauma and stress injuries or illnesses.
  • CAF members may be referred to civilian health care specialists when an appropriate in-house provider is not available in a timely manner.

Road to Mental Readiness (R2MR) Program

  • Launched in 2008 and augmented in 2017 with the introduction of a mobile application, R2MR is a mental health education and training program for CAF members and their families. It aims to improve well-being, resilience, short- term performance, and self-awareness of one’s own mental health. It also encourages members to seek help when needed.

Suicide Mortality in the CAF

  • The CAF closely monitors the rates and trends of suicide in its population in order to gain a better understanding of underlying issues and to mitigate risks.
    • Only male Regular Force members are used to determine suicide rates and to compare to a similar age-gender group in the Canadian general population.
  • Per the 2021 Report on Suicide Mortality in the CAF report, there were 14 deaths by suicide in the Regular Force in 2020. The collection and analysis of the 2021 numbers is ongoing and will be available in the 2022 Suicide Mortality report in early 2023.
  • In 2022, statistical analysis is planned to compare the rate of suicide in female Regular Force members with the Canadian General Population through aggregation of several years’ data.

Suicide Prevention

  • The Canadian Armed Forces Suicide Prevention Action Plan is centred on training and support programs and services, aimed at promoting resilience through spirituality, physical fitness, financial support, counselling, awareness, and specific services for deployed personnel.
  • Canadian Forces Health Services considers suicide prevention a top priority. They work in partnership with other government departments and non- governmental agencies to create policy, educational programs, and clinical practice. The Directorate of Mental Health also has internal expert resources and processes to study suicide and implement practical changes to help reduce the risk of suicide.
  • The number for the 24/7 CAF Member Assistance Program and the Employee Assistance Program is 1-800-268-7708.

Operational Stress Injury Social Support (OSISS)

  • OSISS is a joint program between National Defence and Veterans Affairs Canada, created by CAF personnel and their family members who experienced the first-hand effects of an operational stress injury.
  • It is a confidential, non-clinical, peer-based, social support program that helps individuals return to a healthier quality of life.

Peer Support

The CAF Sexual Misconduct Response Centre has recently launched an online peer support program for CAF members who have suffered from sexual misconduct. The program, called “Together All” is part of the Wellness Together Canada support program created by the GoC in response to the rise in mental health distress during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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