Canada announces independent review of Veterans' rehabilitation program

Minister of Veterans Affairs Jill McKnight has announced a $253,000 contract awarded to Ference & Company Consulting Ltd. to conduct an independent review of the Rehabilitation Services and Vocational Assistance Program (RSVP). The review aims to evaluate the service delivery model and the contract arrangement with Partners in Canadian Veterans Rehabilitation Services (PCVRS), the national contractor managing key RSVP components. This move follows feedback from Veterans and stakeholders regarding service experiences.

The RSVP program provides medical, psychosocial, and vocational rehabilitation to assist Veterans with service-related health conditions. The findings from this evidence-based review are intended to inform future improvements and support data-driven decision-making within Veterans Affairs Canada.

Separately, Canadian ministers issued a statement to mark National Peacekeepers' Day, honoring the service of over 125,000 Canadian Armed Forces members and 4,500 police officers in global peace support missions. The day commemorates the anniversary of the 1974 shoot-down of a United Nations supply aircraft over Syria, which resulted in the deaths of nine Canadian peacekeepers.