Veterans' families need legislated access to mental health services, watchdog says

More than three years have passed since Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) agreed to ease up restrictions on access to mental health services for the families of troubled soldiers, sailors and aircrew — and the country's veterans ombudsperson says very little has changed in that time.

Nishika Jardine released a new retrospective report on Wednesday that presents a snapshot of her office's recommendations in several reports over the years, and evaluates whether they have been implemented or not.

Four years ago, CBC News profiled a handful of veterans' families whose mental health coverage had been denied or restricted, mostly because of policy changes at VAC.

In 2021, the veterans watchdog released a report which called on the federal government to «ensure that family members, including former spouses, survivors and dependent children, have access to federal government funded mental health treatment in their own right,» and to ensure their access does not depend on whether the veteran was in treatment.

VAC agreed with the recommendation. But Jardine's new report says the recommendation has not been implemented — mostly because ensuring wider access to those services would require changes to legislation.

«The department, with all credit to them, they do what they can for families within the boundaries of the [current] legislation,» Jardine told CBC News.

The issue of family members' access to mental health supports is a long-standing source of concern — one that Jardine said keeps resurfacing as she travels across the country.

«We hear heartbreaking stories of family members who have mental health needs that can be directly linked to their service as a military family, and if the veteran isn't in treatment, or doesn't want treatment,