Stand up of the Canadian Armed Forces Transition Group: a commitment to look after members, veterans, and their families

Backgrounder

The Honourable Harjit S. Sajjan, Minister of National Defence, and the Honourable Seamus O’Regan, Minister of Veterans Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defence, today announced the stand up of the Canadian Armed Forces Transition Group. The Transition Group assumes a new role within the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) to standardize and professionalize transition services to better meet the needs of all CAF members .

The goal is to ensure that all Canadian Armed Forces members, veterans, and their families receive the full range of support, compensation, and benefits available to them. Whether members are embarking on the road to recovery, going through rehabilitation, returning to duty in the CAF, or transitioning to life after service, we are committed to assisting them in their journey.

The new Transition Group brings together the current people, services, and resources of the renewed Joint Personnel Support Unit and the Directorate of Casualty Support Management, as well as a number of additional investments, into one integrated formation. One of the benefits of this group will be that members will have a centralized and reliable source of information and services to support them during and after military service. Increased leadership guidance and mandatory training will also help them feel equipped, confident and secure to plan and prepare for transition. Services for the ill and injured and families of the fallen will continue to be a core part of the support this formation will offer.

This new formation is a critical part of a broader group of government initiatives designed to improve outcomes for CAF members, veterans and their families.

To make the transition process as seamless as possible, the Government of Canada has invested in new online tools, including:

A Military Career Transition portal on Canada.ca which assembles online information from the CAF, VAC, and other partners, and puts this information, including Second Career Assistance Network (SCAN) training, at your fingertips;
My Transition Guide, a ready-to-use reference for members and families to access information on support and services available throughout the transition process;
The My Transition app, now available for download on the Apple app store and Google play; and
Enhanced Transition Training available for all members planning to transition to life after military service.

In support of the stand up of the Canadian Armed Forces Transition Group, the Chief of the Defence Staff and the Deputy Minister of National Defence issued Operation TRANSITION, a directive that underscores the importance of transition to the Forces and informs its members of the immediate changes and the steps being taken over the next few years to improve the transition process.

Services to be implemented over a three to five year time frame

The first step towards the Transition Group providing codified and professional services for all members is to launch the Transition Trial at CFB Borden under the auspices of the Directorate of Transition Services and Policy (DTSP), a new directorate devoted to improving transition. The goal is to design a process, based on the domains of wellbeing, which ensures that every transitioning member has an opportunity to maximize their potential.

The trial will assist the Transition Group in developing the professional, standardized, and personalized approach to transition that will eventually be put in place across the CAF. We expect a 3 to 5 year time frame for implementation of these services.

The second step is to start now, and launch new tools, such as My Transition Guide, empowering members and their families to take ownership of their future and addressing the needed culture change regarding transition within the CAF.

This is fundamental to ensuring that all members successfully transition. Evidence suggests that when members and their families consider their transition options earlier in their career, they are better prepared to meet its challenges.

A third step is to better enable CAF leaders to support their people at transition time. The chain of command will continue to play a key role in supporting members and their families through the transition process.

It’s important to remember that transition does not always mean leaving the Forces. A key success factor for the new Transition Group will be its contribution to the retention of its skilled, experienced, and well trained members.

The care and support of ill and injured members and their families, and the families of fallen members, is a continuing priority. The Transition Group will continue to work with Veterans Affairs Canada and its other partners in serving the ill and injured, as well as all Canadian Armed Forces members, veterans, and their families. In addition to VAC, these partners include:

Base and Wing Partners including Personnel Selection Officers, Chaplains, Release Sections, and more.
Military Family Services
SISIP Financial
Personnel Support Programs
Canadian Armed Forces Health Services
Other federal government departments
Numerous non-governmental employers and agencies