Supporting your total health and wellness – A message from Acting Chief Military Personnel and Assistant Deputy Minister (Human Resources) 

May 9, 2023 - Defence Stories

Defence Team,

As the leaders responsible for the programs aimed at supporting the health and wellness of Defence Team members, we are pleased to release the Defence Team Total Health and Wellness Strategy (THWS) Annual Report.

The strategy, released in March 2022, is the first of its kind in Defence and represents the first step in our renewed commitment to supporting the health, wellness, and well-being of our military and civilian members and improving our workplace culture across DND/CAF.

The report offers a transparent look at the status of our health and wellness related programs, strategies, and initiatives, which cover everything from physical and mental health to financial services, chaplaincy, support for families, and much more. It highlights the significant work that is underway across the organization to create a workplace that supports diversity, inclusivity and respect, and shines a light on the improvements that have resulted from the strategy, to date, including (but not limited to):

• Improved transition digitization and training to support a more seamless transition from military to civilian life;
• Modernized Military Family Services through robust virtual offerings which enabled improved access to mental health counselling, family and intimate partner violence support, extended outreach to remote families, and non-clinical social supports;
• Enhancing Health Services to ill and injured service personnel by increasing support for occupational therapy and case management (accessible only on the National Defence network);
• Expanded the Office of Disability Management to ensure all affected Public Service employees have access to a professional disability management program (accessible only on the National Defence network). This is achieved through a robust training program, supporting a continuous learning culture, regular participation in communities of practice and frequent verifications and validations on all business processes of Disability Management Advisors (DMAs); and
• Implemented the integrated Defence Team approach to the prevention of harassment and violence in the workplace.

We encourage you to read the report in full for more details about the substantial work underway to promote and protect the health and wellness of our people and the achievements made towards having well-supported, diverse, and resilient Defence Team members and families. A successful implementation and delivery of the THWS, compounded with continuous improvement in integrating total health and wellness into everyday activities of the DND/CAF, will support the commitments outlined in Strong, Secure, Engaged, addressing identified issues and gaps in Defence Team services and programs.

While we have made progress, we are in the early stages of implementation and much work remains to be done. This work includes the establishment of a national network of Base and Wing Health and Wellness committees to encourage alignment and integration of efforts across the department. Furthermore, ongoing research will provide us with the insights that we need to improve the resources and services to support your total health and wellness.

We look forward to your continued support in helping to realize this goal.

Thank you,