Strengthening our resilience: Bell Let's Talk Day virtual panel discussion

Video / January 28, 2021

Transcript

(NC) Hello, everyone. Hello and welcome to Bell Let’s Talk Day! Join us in creating positive change in mental health. Now, more than ever, every action counts. Welcome to Bell Let's Talk Day. Thank you for joining us in creating positive change. When it comes to mental health, now, more than ever, every action counts.

My name is Nadia Cetoute and I am pleased to be the Master of Ceremonies for this very important virtual event for National Defence. My name is Nadia Cetoute and I'm honoured and pleased to be the MC today for this very important event. Today marks the 11th anniversary of Bell Let's Talk Day. Bell Let's Talk is an important initiative in fighting stigma towards mental health issues, improving access to care and supporting research in the field of mental health. Our virtual event today is in support of the national Bell Let's Talk campaign and reflects the commitment of the Department of National Defence and the Canadian Armed Forces in supporting the mental health and well-being of all Defence members and their families. To demonstrate this commitment, our mental health co-champion, Deputy Minister, Ms. Jody Thomas, Vice Chief of Defence Staff, Lieutenant General Rouleau, and Mr. Jerry Ryan, National President of the Federal Government Dockyard Trade and Labour Council are here with us today and are pleased, and I repeat, very pleased to take an active role in this event. Also joining us are Chief Warrant Officer Colbert, Dr Carla Sowinski, she's a Defence scientist with DGMPRA and LCol Tuka, Chief of Psychiatry with the Canadian Forces health services. Our Deputy Minister, the Vice Chief of the Defence Staff, and Jerry Ryan will be participating in a mental health round table shortly. The panellists today will discuss strengthening resilience together during the pandemic. They will share their perspective and real life experiences on overcoming adversity and becoming more resilient as a result. They will also talk about some of the mental health resources available to the Defence Team members and their families and answer a couple of questions that were submitted by the Defence Team members. I would like now to invite our mental health Co-Champion, Deputy Minister, followed by our Vice Chief of Defence Staff and Mr Ryan to offer opening remarks. So, Deputy Minister, I give you the floor.

(JT) Thank you Nadia. Today is Bell Let’s Talk Day. I'm really glad we could be here together for this discussion, this great group, and I'm enthralled to once again have you here moderating, Nadia. So thank you all, particularly my co-champion General Rouleau and Jerry Ryan. This year's Bell Let's Talk Day really does feel timely and needed. You know, I was part of a virtual discussion a couple of weeks ago with parents on the Defence team. And we were talking about the strain and the struggle to manage what's going on in the community and in our work, and one of the things that came out frequently was how frustrated and isolated some people are feeling, especially working from home. They are desperate to find ways to connect. I think we are all looking for ways to connect. One of the things that came out frequently was how frustrated they are and that they're physically isolated from their wider family, their friends, their colleagues. There are people who've joined this department and never been in the building, because COVID has prevented them from coming in and connecting with their colleagues. That's kind of remarkable when you think about it. And people are distant from their support network. They're distant from the people who gave them strength and opportunities to talk out problems. And they are distant from that personal connection we all need. You know, when we talk about being away from family, it's very chronic and critical in this department where, of course, there are Canadian Armed Forces members who are posted and their families could be anywhere in the country, but they can't get home to see them. And it adds an extra level of stress in this particular department. I'm from a military family. I lost my mother in November. My dad and my sister in Victoria, I can't go see them. It's hard. It's hard for all of us. And it doesn't matter where you work in the organization. We're all feeling it. It's odd because we have so many different platforms and tools to communicate yet it still feels distant. It doesn't feel like we are connecting despite the best efforts of people. And too often we're exchanging information but not actually talking to each other on the level we need to truly feel human connection. So when you're stressed and you feel isolated, you can feel like you're so alone. And that's when your mental health can really start to suffer. There are lots of great things about the Bell Let's Talk initiative, and Bell has done a wonderful job of raising money for mental health programs in Canada. It's played a key role in helping to break down the stigma that exists when it comes to openly talking about mental health. But the other great thing about today is a simple invitation: Let's talk. And I would add to that: Let's listen. We need to hear people. We need to absorb what they're saying so that we can reach out and help. It's an invitation to really find out and ask one another how we're holding up. There's no substitute for that kind of engagement, especially this year. We really need to talk and we really need to listen. I'm looking forward to this panel. I'm looking forward to hearing what all my colleagues have to say, and particularly my co-champions, but also the experts in the field. We're a unique department, and we’re a massive department. We are a 130 000 strong and we need to connect with every single one of that 130 000 people and person force. So thank you for being here today. Thank you for introducing this discussion and I look forward to hearing my colleagues. Over to you, General Rouleau.

(MR) Thank you, Deputy Minister. My name is Mike Rouleau. I am the Vice Chief of the Defence Staff, and on behalf of our Chief of the Defence Staff, Admiral McDonald, I am pleased to be here to act as spokesperson for the Canadian Armed Forces in conjunction with the others. Our reality today, as the Deputy Minister said, is one of great uncertainty in our lives. I myself and my 76-year-old mother here in Ottawa are trying to take care of her so that she does not get sick. There is a lot of stress in our daily lives. Like the deputy minister, you know, I want to speak from a bit of personal experience too. I lost my brother to cancer in the midst of the pandemic. You know, hands on windows, not being able to say goodbye, and then no funerals like the deputy minister went through, and it's just such a bizarre time. And so, like everyone else, I sort of felt my own unique stress and superimposed on that, I lost my home to a flood that happened and was living in hotels for five months. So all of that took me to a place where, at a certain point last year, I had to reach out. I was like: "Woah! Something is not right." And in reaching out and probing these sorts of things, I came to discover that I was actually hanging on to some combat experiences which dated back to 1991, if you can imagine. 30 years ago. And so, you know, one PTSD diagnosis later, I came to realize the importance of mental health professionals, of not sort of pushing the problem back and just saying: "There's nothing wrong. I'm okay." I actually had to confront all that and when I tell people as I wish all this would happen to me like 15 or 20 years ago, because it made me a better person, certainly a better leader, and I think leaders have a unique sort of stress in this time, because we're supposed to also look after people. But those are different than the unique stress that workers feel, because they are somewhat isolated from top-level information, and so their awareness of what's happening is less. So we all have different levels or own unique stresses. I think what the deputy minister said in terms of compassion is that connection is the key, like real conversations, real questions about how you're doing. And not just asking so you can get past that, but actually asking so that you can help. Empathy and compassion are not contradictory to a really strong workforce. And I really come to see the value and that is a force multiplier. And so I look forward to the question, I look forward to the discussion, and I'm super happy to be the mental health co-champion for the Armed Forces, because until the last day that I'll work, it's a space that I want to try to do some good and reduce the stigma. I wrote a letter to my forces at Christmas and opened up to them a little bit more about the fact that I, myself, was dealing with some of these, and I think, as a leader, it's important that we try to shed whatever vestige of stigma left, because that has no place in this discussion. Thank you.

(NC) Thank you. So right now I would invite Mr. Jerry Ryan to give his remarks.

(JR) Hi, everyone. It is my privilege again to be here for Bell Let's Talk conversation. Having been involved in this field for quite a long time, I can go back and relate to the 11 years. I also look back to 2013, when the standard for psychological health in the workplace was passed, when Canada did that as the first country in the world. Now, as it moves forward, we see now that we're into a place where the vision is that the health and safety committees will start to look and people will share through that community. And being part of that community as the co-chair for health and safety for the department, we see that that's our future. That this issue, where physical health was 50 years ago, mental health in the workplace, it's coming there. And those conversations, each and every movement that's made as the new bill C-65 put the new legislation in place, it starts to create an environment where we can expand the number of champions that we have. I mean, it's great that we're the champions, but I have a vision where 500 safety and health committees in DND, we have 500 mental health champions. It is as important spending the time to look after your physical health as looking after your mental health. I have my personal stories and most of it is about care giving in the last year. When COVID struck, me and my fiancé, we were on the way back from Mexico and when we arrived, she left by ambulance and went right to the hospital. I thought she had COVID but it was actually a heart condition. And we've been there three times a week at a time in the last year. So looking at it and look what we could do differently. We adopted a park and Jody probably knows this park. It's the Kiwanis Park in Morris Lake. And went down there, did some landscaping to be outside and try and rebuild their strength and energy back up. Now, we cut a little pond for kids to play hockey on. So being able to give back in the community and spending the time with kids, that's healing time. That's what a lot of people need to do, realize you are a caregiver first, a parent. Whether you're caring for parents, your kids, your pets. Whatever it is. You need to look after yourself. It's the airplane experience. Put the mask on yourself first. So if you're feeling that, all the resources are there. They're available everywhere. You just need to reach out. Back to the point of starting that conversation, that's exactly what needs to happen. Once you share, other people share. The world comes down. We're all humans. There's eight billion of us. We'll get through this together. Thank you.

(NC) Thank you very much, Deputy Minister, Lieutenant-General Rouleau, and Mr. Ryan, for your comments. A huge thank you to our Deputy Minister, M. Rouleau and M. Ryan for sharing the insight. Now having said that, I'm now going to invite our mental health co-champions, Deputy Minister followed by our panellists to join us for our discussion on mental health and answer some very important questions. I'm really looking forward to this discussion this afternoon. So I'm going to start by asking the first question to you, Ms. Thomas. And the question goes as follows: the national theme for Bell Let's Talk this year is "When it comes to mental health, now, more than ever, every action counts." What do you want the Defence Team members to know about how our leadership feels about one supporting Defence Team mental health during this very trying time?

(JT) Well, thank you very much for that question. It's an important question. There's a few things to unpack here. Number one, we need to recognize that the pressure to deliver hasn't diminished. The Canadian Armed Forces and therefore the Department of Defense coordinating the Canadian Armed Forces are at the core of this country fight against COVID. The Canadian Armed Forces has to deliver for Canada and that means that the department has to support the Canadian Armed Forces in doing that. So, in parallel with the expectations of taking care of your health and having to homeschool your children, we still have to deliver a massive program. And as a result of that, I'm hearing a lot of the world "should". I should be able to work full-time and homeschool my kids. I should be grateful because, look, I have a job and I have it so good and others have it worse. I should be able to just suck it up. That word "should" is a dangerous word. People are beating themselves up because they're not feeling okay and they're feeling overwhelmed, or they're feeling overwhelmed and they're feeling overwhelmed. And we don't want people pushing themselves beyond what they can handle, because they're afraid of being penalized professionally. I hear about people putting the kids to bed at 8 and working until 1 in the morning, because that's their quiet time. That worries me as a leader. And so, first of all, I want you to know we all deeply appreciate everything you're doing and we understand, we know that it's not let up. And we know that there's an enormous amount of pressure on individuals in this department. And we know this is hard on you and your family and everybody is trying their best. So, first, it's okay not to be okay. You're allowed to say: "This is too much." You're allowed to say: "This stress of this, this strain of this, I don't know where my priorities are. It's all becoming overwhelming." This is a hard period and we're all tired of it. And it is new. Every single day is new. You don't know what's coming at you, whether it's the numbers you hear on the news, it's what you read on the papers, it's the new math problem you got to work your kids through on the end of a computer as doing homeschooling. So it's okay not to be okay. And third, it's that you're not alone. We're a massive team and we can do support you. And we do need to support each other. And so we have a team here who can help. That doesn't just mean that there are people who care how you're doing and who you can talk to. I mean, we can offer you flexibility to help and to reduce the pressure on you. We can help you take some time. So, as we're talking about talking, talk to your manager, and please keep talking. Because the reality is that we're not wandering around the floor looking in somebody's cubicle and seeing: Joe isn't smiling today. Joe always smiles. What's going on? Kathy, who's normally always at her desk, and we know there's something wrong when she's not there and she's not bringing in cookies for everybody in the office. We know something's wrong then. None of that connection is happening now. And it happens in the workplace. Every little workplace has an ecosystem and you can't feel that ecosystem when you're working from home. So take the time to talk and keep talking. And that goes both ways. I need management to reach out. Managing a team as working from home is a lot of work because it's not about the output, it's about who they are as people and we can't forget who people are in this sort of strain of what's going on. I think that what is really important is two-way dialog, and if you hear something, not that we want to gossip, but if you hear something about somebody working too hard, they're finding it difficult, reach out. I think that more connections rather than less connections is what's critical right now. Virtual is hard. You don't get that same sense of people and we really need to make that extra effort. Thank you.

(NC) Thank you so much for the great advice and reminding managers that they have an important role in supporting their employees and allowing their employees to, somebody said it earlier, talk, but also listen. Well, thank you so much for sharing that insight.  So I would invite the Vice Chief of the Defense Staff to answer the following question. The global pandemic has created a collective sense of grief among members of the Defence Team, including loss of contact with others, loss of a routine, and even the loss of a loved one. How do you get someone to get help when you know they won't ask for it, even if it's pretty obvious that they need it? So, I invite you to answer this question.

(MR) Thank you Nadia. So, just to reinforce the point I made at the very beginning, in the introduction, we need to reduce the stigma around this issue. So I talked a bit about a letter I had written to tell people: Listen, it’s not because I’m the Vice Chief of the Defence Staff that someone like me can’t be affected by the pressures we feel today. So first and foremost, I think that’s important. The second thing, as leaders, it’s our responsibility to ensure a healthy environment and culture within our organization. So it is a responsibility, and by establishing a culture and then an environment like the one I mentioned that is healthy, part of that is to say: Listen, we are going to put a special emphasis on it during these times, with COVID, where we are going to look after our staff more. Perhaps more than we would have done two years ago. So, knowing a little bit about our people. I have a policy. Sometimes I’m going to pick up the phone and call. I know a few people who are going through a bit of a difficult time. Perhaps they recently separated from their wives or husbands. Maybe it’s somebody who has the transition group, because they’re having difficulty, well I call them or I email them. Just checking in. How are you doing? So it's carving out a little bit of deliberate time to do those check-ins. Sometimes, I'll call subordinates and I'll say: "Yeah, it's me." And they'll start talking about a file, and I'm like: "No. This call is not for any business. I just want to see how you're doing." And it always throws them off. Now, they're used to a little bit as you do it a couple of times. But just a call to ask how you're making out. In a military context, our senior enlisted leaders, and M. Colbert is on the line for me. He represents a whole different ability to bore into the chain of command than I do as a lieutenant-general. So deliberately checking in for me, as a lieutenant-general, means also walking around. And when I just take a couple of hours to walk around the offices at Carling or what not, I talk to young people and I get a sense of what's happening. So I'm also encouraging them, to say: "Hey, you know, there's resources out there. How are you making out? You know I've had this issue." It's on a more human level. It's not a three-stars talking to a caporal. It's two people talking. Fundamentally, we have to break down the wall of this place sometimes. It's reinforcing that there is a balance between the mission and people's health, and that, yeah, we'll accomplish the mission, but there's multiple ways we can do that. We don't need to leave burnt-out, injured people behind us in accomplishing the mission. And I guess the final thing I would say, Nadia, in all of this, it's about... You know, I have an aunt in Montreal. She's 80 years old. She lives alone. She never had children and I'm kind of like her kid. And I call her once a week and she said to me: "Mike, every day, I try to remind myself of one thing than I'm thankful for." And you know, when Jacky told me that, I was like: That's a good idea. And so I try to tell people: "I'm thankful for this today." Like there's so many things I have to be thankful for, but sometimes, in my job, I can feel a bit overwhelmed. And just share those human connections. At the end of the day, this is a human business, and while we all have different positions and different ranks and stuff, at the end of the day, we're all as fallible as the next person and we all need the same connection, and so I'm trying to break down some of those walls. Thank you.

(NC) Thank you very much, Vice Chief of the Defence Staff. Thank you for reminding us that as leaders, we have a responsibility to talk about our own struggles, the things that bother us. Thank you for reminding us that you too, as someone in such a senior leadership position, have personal experiences. Thank you for reminding us that as leaders, we need to create a healthy environment, but thank you again for reminding us to stay in touch with our teams. And then the fact that you walk around the Carling Campus to see how people are doing, you’re talking to people who are younger, it allows them to see that they’re supported and that they’re not alone. So thank you very much for your words of advice this afternoon, and even more importantly, for sharing your own experiences. Thanks again. So, at this time, I'm going to be asking the next question to Dr. Sowinski. So, Dr. Sowinski, here's the question: in these trying times, the focus is now on resilience. What do you suggest Defence Team members do if they are experiencing suicidal or negative thoughts as a result of mental health struggle?

(CS) Okay, well, thank you. There's actually been a lot of great discussions so far so I might echo some of the things that have already been discussed. One of the first things I would say is to try to be open about your own negative emotions. We have a tendency to be afraid of talking about them, but actually, research shows that if you're vulnerable and open, that's when we form these really great social connections and we can draw on that social support that may be available to us. For sure, if you're really feeling distress, you should probably seek professional help. I know that the public service has extended its health benefits to be a little bit more inclusive. You don't need a doctor's note right now and you can have people like psychologists to counsel you. But there are also some things that you might just do in your own life to help look after yourself and that could be before you're already experiencing negative emotions. So, you can think of them as more as a healthcare regime, but for your mental health. Think about trying to become more mindful and aware of your own thoughts and feelings and how you might be responding in a situation. The more that you pay attention to that, the more that you can kind of pick up on when you're not doing as well as maybe you used to be and try to do things to ameliorate that before it gets worse. Right? Meditation is also part of that practice. So, there’s actually a lot of evidence showing that that is quite helpful. But also just reaching out those social connections. This pandemic is really tough because, it has already been mentioned, we're missing those social connections and we're missing, you know, we have a basic need for autonomy and control, we don't have a lot of control over a whole bunch of things in our lives right now and that's really tough. So, being able to gain some control where we can will probably help people in some ways. So, even simple things like exercise. Exercise is a great way to treat depression. Try to get outside. The fresh air is really good for us. If you have a nice view, it can foster the sense of awe which helps to ground us and makes us feel happier, in fact. And even things like, you know, sometimes, we're at home in our pyjama pants working from home, maybe take a shower or schedule a date night or game night with, you know, a loved one or friends over Zoom, it could be anything, but try to put some fun activities on your schedule. That might be something for you to look forward to and also be a way to connect with other people. Thank you.

(NC) Thank you so much for your insight. What I've retained from what you said is to keep that social connection. It's definitely not easy during this pandemic, but A) that social connection B) meditation C) exercise, not only at home, but going out there to get some fresh air and you know, going out there. Great, great insight and thank you so much again, Dr. Sowinski, for your advice and guidance. I'm now going to move on to our next panellist. I would like to ask the following question to LCol Andrea Tuka. So, here's the question: the Bell Let's Talk campaign advocates talking about eliminating the stigma around mental illness. What are some ways that we can make it safe for others to open up about their struggle?

(AT) Thank you very much, Nadia. Good afternoon everyone. And thank you very much for this very important question. I would say that the stigma around mental illness is a complex phenomenon involving stereotypes, prejudice and discrimination leading to negative consequences such as anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, hopelessness, increase of suicidal thoughts and not seeking help when needed. Recent research shows that stigma impacts every domain of our life. But the area, which is most important, is work. So, what can be done for people to feel safe to open up about their struggles? The stigma itself is a multifaceted issue, we need a multifaceted approach to combat it. We need to talk its stigma at the community level, organization level, interpersonal level and individual level as well. At the community level, the perfect example is Bell Let's Talk. Talking about mental health and mental illness through sharing stories, experiences, struggles and successes increase awareness, help to normalize. So, it helps to change the attitude towards mental illness in the community. At the organization level, one of the most important strategies: education. The Canadian Armed Forces has a robust mental health literacy program, the R2MR, which is embedded throughout the member's career, including the deployment cycle. The R2MR educates how to recognize the signs of mental illness and encourages seeking help in a timely fashion. Our head services focus on providing patient centre care, which means that the individual patient's preferences, needs and values guide the clinical decisions along with the opportunity to involve families in the treatment process. An additional strategy to decrease stigma is the integrated care. For example, in Victoria where I work, they collocated the primary care and mental health services so the primary care clinicians and the mental health clinicians such as social workers, psychiatrists, psychologists work side-by-side. So, members all to the same place regardless if they have a knee pain or anxiety. And they can feel that they are treated in the same way. Also, members feel that the care providers know them much better as a result of this strong collaboration. I would like to bring out the implementation and enhancement of virtual care related to the pandemic. I think it is also a great strategy to increase the sense of safety as now members can have treatment sessions in the comfort of their home where they can be suited by their dogs or cats and the spouses can easily participate in the process too. Mutual care likely stabilizes even after the pandemic status with the combination of the traditional in person care. A good example addressing stigma at the interpersonal level is using the right language when we talk to each other. We've heard it from the other panellists as well that talking about mental illness, talking to people who are struggling, we need to ensure that we listen to them. People need to feel being heard, included and supported. And we need to also try to instill hope. Because as with proper and timely care, improvement and recovery are possible very much for mental illness. And finally, at the individual level, I would like to still call back to the patient centre care when patients and members express their preferences, needs and values. So, they can actively participate in the management of the mental illness and not only passive recipients of the treatment. And I think this can be very, very empowering. Thank you very much.

(NC) Thank you so much, LCol Tuka, for your insight and for linking, a line must be linked between stigma in the community level, individual level, organization level, but very importantly, like you said, interpersonal level. So, thank you so much for your guidance and advice this afternoon on this so important subject. So, to our next panellist, Mr. Jerry Ryan, here's the question that I have for you: what are some tips you have to limit yourself from thinking negatively in this climate?

(JR) Hi. Sure, Nadia. I guess, first of all, it is what the other panellists have mentioned about the control, the lack of control that people feel when we're all going through this. So, we have the problem of so much information, over-information and recognizing where we are in the continuum. That one day, we're good with all this information, all these cases and all this negativity and other days, we're not. So, we need to be able to get away from that. You need to be able to separate. You need to be able to figure out plans and spend time with your kids. I'm lucky enough to have a 5-years-old grandson. I'm expecting a granddaughter any day now. So, for me, those are things that give me hope for the future. That is the future. But sleeping everyday, making sure that you get regular routines going. That you share when you're stressed. That when you're burned out because you're trying to care for your kids and you're trying to care for issues, you have a conversation with another adult, a friend or someone to say where you're coming from. And when you do that, they come back and they give you their view in what we've learned... I've learned, a book that I read about a psychologist who spent time in concentration camps in Nazi Germany era, is that the people that spent time caring for other people felt that about everyone else in that situation. So, caregivers, they're critical. You take that role where it's appropriate and you do what you can to help others. And when you do that, it strengthens you inside and allows you to be able to move on. Be grateful. It was mentioned earlier by LGen Rouleau that the whole issue of being grateful for something. You have your health, for instance. You have something so many people don't have. So, you have that. You have that. You can work on that. You have something to look forward to. Book a trip for the future. Look into past troubles. If you were running a race, you're way past halfway mark. And all this that have done that, that's the part that carries you to the finish. But we all have to understand our attitude is critical. You can have a positive attitude and a negative attitude. I've lived through the experience of my wife passing. She was terminal for 15 months. What she used to say to everyone she talked to was: "I know you feel bad for me. I know you feel that way, but don't get down in front of me because I might not be able to get back up." So, it's one of those things that we all have to deal with, we all have to get up every day, get dressed, go out there and do the best we can. But the more we're smiling, when we're saying happy things to people, when we're pushing that positivity even when we're faking it, it has an effect. I'll stop. Thank you.

(NC) Thank you so much, Mr. Ryan. And thank you so much for bringing back the piece about being grateful and being grateful for health and because you have health, then, you can look forward to when this pandemic is over, be able to take a trip with your loved ones. And, you know, reminding us that our attitude is key. Think positive and not negative. So, thank you so much for these nuggets that you shared with us this morning. Sorry, this afternoon. Much appreciated.

So now I’d like to ask the next question to Chief Warrant Officer Colbert. So what can the Defence Team do to make others feel comfortable talking about their challenges?

(MC) Thank you. Good afternoon, Deputy Minister, General and fellow panelists. Thank you for this great question. It was mentioned earlier that leadership is important. It is important at all levels. OK? At all levels, we must be able, first of all, to create an environment of respect, whether at work or with our friends. Then we need to talk. The secret is to talk about it. So, as leaders, we have to be the first to talk about it. I think we all have a story somewhere in our lives about an experience we had. For myself, when I was 20, I lost my mother in a car accident. I was the one driving. My mother died next to me a month after I got my driver’s licence. I managed to get through it by talking to my friends, talking to my colleagues, talking to my family about how I felt. So it’s by creating that environment of respect and openness. The more we talk about it, the more people will be able to open up. This has an effect that must never be underestimated and it is important. I think people need to know that we are involved throughout the year on mental health. Bell Let’s Talk is a great initiative and I love it. It reminds us of the importance of talking about it. So I’m going to challenge my fellow chief warrant officers and non-commissioned officers to keep talking about this throughout the year. This is important. Because we are concerned. We have so many wonderful resources at National Defence, the Canadian Forces and our health services. We have chaplaincy services that are there for us, the family centres. Everything is there to help our members. But sometimes, when a member is in a situation of stress, when a member has a mental health situation, sometimes it’s not clear. That’s why it’s important for us to stand together. It is important that we be alert as leaders. When I was in Wainwright as Sergeant-Major of the Canadian Manoeuvre Training Centre with Colonel Martin Frank, we had a young soldier, a young administrative assistant, she had health problems and was new to the military system and didn’t really understand how it worked. She did not really understand how doctors were looking at her case. Then, at some point, she was found crying. Our Chief Clerk found her in the women’s washroom crying. She came and told us. So the Commanding Officer and I decided to go to the hospital, we had a meeting with the base surgeon, we had a meeting with care givers to understand a little bit, and we explained to them that this little woman there, she has to understand how you, you... Because sometimes, as doctors, they are too used to... We assured this little lady, our little soldier, that she was getting the proper follow-up. We monitored her closely, the Commander and I, and that made all the difference. It took the stress off her. She felt supported by her chain of command, and now, well, she’s a soldier who got married, who’s doing well. Just that level of support. So sometimes, it just takes a little gesture. Earlier, my boss Jean Rouleau said: “Take the time to pick up the phone and call.” When I called the chain of command of the young person who had lost his child, even the chain of command was so happy to know that if there was a support problem, well, he would be supported throughout the chain of command. So it is extremely important. We must not remain silent. We will hear you. We want to help you. No one should feel alone today. Especially when you think of all the means of communication we have today. So since the beginning of the pandemic, like all leaders, much emphasis has been placed on: "Call your people. Stay in touch with your people, especially when we’re asking everyone to stay home." Each case. As the Deputy Minister said earlier, each case is unique. I have a daughter who is a civilian, but she has to teach from home. We have Canadian Forces members who are single parents and they have to teach at home. Well, you have to make them feel supported, and you have to make them feel that they’re contributing to the Canadian Forces effort by looking after their families, by staying healthy. This is important. So we must not feel isolated, we must create this environment of respect. That is important to us. Then, the more we talk about it, the less taboo it becomes, and I think Bell Let’s Talk reminds us that we have to do this all year long. Thank you.

(JT) Could I just jump in and add something? So, I've just been fascinated by everything my colleagues on the panel had to say. And as always, every time we do this, I've learned something listening to them. I think that it's important for everybody out there to remember whether you're a colleague or you're a manager or you're a senior leader or you're a person in any of the strata that we have in this department who's suffering, feeling the strain of what's going on right now, of this panel of six people, we have two mental health experts and the rest of us are on this panel because we have a personal interest, a leadership interest... an interest in human beings and we want to help. We want to make sure we do the right thing. So, the question always is: what do I do? Because I'm not an expert. If I'm at the end of the phone or a video chat with somebody and I feel that he is suffering, what do I do? So, I think that's something we need to talk about because if you're in the office, it's an easier situation, you can go to your manager and say: "I think, you know, Joe down the hall isn't doing very well." So, what do you do now? I think you do all the same things. So we need to remind people that if somebody feels like he's in crisis, you can go see them. You know, the Premier, the Prime Minister have said: "Don't let people be alone." So, human connection can still happen, especially if you think somebody is suffering. You can still call. You have people like Mr. Colbert who are clearly experts at leadership and understanding human beings. You can go to the chain of command, like General Rouleau said. You can go to your bargaining agent, people like Jerry Ryan. You can go to experts within your domain. You can go to the person who works beside you and call him and say: "I think there's a problem." I worry that people put up their hand these days and say: "I'm not doing well", but because of physical distancing, people don't know what to do. I think that the message that's really clear is you do all the same things and that somebody's safety is what matters most and we can reach out and we can physically connect with people if the need is there. And so, I want people not to be hesitant. But the chain of command and the management in Labour relations and Human resources and CMP, the chaplains, everybody who's in this great, big department was there before COVID to help is still there to help. And so, I think that's just a really important message to get across because we're not mental health experts, but we care about every individual person. And there are two mental health experts here and they can correct me if I'm wrong and I just want to make sure that we understand that need to connect with human beings, if you think somebody is in trouble, still exists. Don't be afraid.

(NC) Thank you so much. This was a really good nugget and a really great reminder. I really would like to take this opportunity to thank our distinguished panellists for taking the time and sharing their insight with us today as well as thanking our mental health co-host for taking the time to talk about this important issue.

Today’s virtual event, Together, Building Resilience During the Pandemic, is all about coming together as a Defence Team to fight stigma and join the conversation around mental health. We encourage you to continue this conversation throughout the year. As Chief Warrant Officer Colbert said, this Bell Let’s Talk initiative is not just once a year. We have to talk about it year-round and reinforce that message so that we can get it into our heads, so that we can know that we are well supported.

Take some time to talk to each other about mental health: managers, speak with your team, either formally or informally. Join the conversation to create positive change.

Thank you for your participation here today.

Thank you and have a great day. And please remember, there are mental health resources in place for Defence Team members and their families. If you or someone you know needs help, please, I beg you, please reach out to the Employee assistance program or the Canadian Forces Members Assistance Program at 1-800-268-7708. Thank you so much for joining us today.

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