The Vocational Rehabilitation Program (VRP) is a component of the CAF LTD benefit. Although the VRP is administered and managed by Manulife, the Senior Vice President (SVP) SISIP Financial, Canadian Forces Morale and Welfare Services (CFMWS), is responsible and accountable to the co-policyholders for the delivery of the program to eligible CAF personnel. As a result, the SVP SISIP Financial, CFMWS, is responsible for providing Manulife with the objective and the procedures to administer and manage the VRP. Accordingly, this document outlines the objective and procedures to guide the management and the delivery of the VRP.
Objective
The objective of the CAF LTD VRP is to provide, where the need exists, training and education that focuses on enhancing the former member's existing education, skills, training and experience to obtain gainful employment in the civilian workforce. The objective is not to provide training or education in a new career field, if at the time of release, a former member already has transferable skills to the civilian workforce while in keeping with the former member's medical limitations. Any training provided will focus on the acquisition of a license, certification or diploma from a recognized educational institution.
General
Once former CAF members are approved in the program, the VRP will assist in facilitating their return to gainful civilian employment through the enhancement of the former members' existing education, skills, training and experience. Since 1 December 1999, eligible personnel who are released from the CAF for medical reasons are offered an initial period of a maximum of 30 months VRP; up to 6 consecutive months before their effective date of release and 24 consecutive months post-release. The effective date of release is the last day of paid service in the CAF and occurs after the completion of all retirement leave. The 30-month VRP period can be extended if the former member qualifies as totally disabled at the end of the post release 24-month period.
If the release is for reasons other than medical, and it is determined that the former CAF member is "totally disabled", as per the definition of the term in the Policy, the member may then qualify for VRP support. The terms "totally disabled" and "total disability" mean that the member has been released from the CAF and there is clear and objective medical evidence, satisfactory to the Insurer, confirming the individual is incapacitated by an active, medically determinable physical or mental impairment which prevents the member from performing any and every duty of any substantially gainful occupation or employment for which the latter is reasonably qualified by education, training or experience.
Administration
Once a member is eligible for CAF LTD benefits, a VRP introduction package will be forwarded to the member. The package will:
- Introduce the assigned VRP counsellor;
- Describe the support available; and
- Provide the information to facilitate an initial contact with the VRP counsellor.
To provide the best possible support, in person meetings* are offered at local Transition Centres or in an alternate location in the claimant’s community where possible. Meetings may also be held via telephone or Microsoft Teams. Claimants will be informed of these options in the introduction package as well as by the counsellor during the initial contact. As soon as possible after the initial contact, the counsellor will meet with the claimant to evaluate the claimant's education, skills, training and experience to establish the feasibility of a VRP, as well as to inform the claimant of the support available.
* Please note that meetings are currently being conducted via telephone or Microsoft Teams. Once CAF LTD VRP Counsellors return to standard practice, face-to-face meetings will once again be conducted at Transition Centres or in an alternate location in the claimant’s community where possible.
VRP counsellors will:
- Determine the claimant's existing transferable skills;
- Assist the claimant in determining a suitable vocational plan;
- Define training gaps to establish a mutually agreed plan; and
- Assist the claimant with a mutually agreed education plan.
The vocational plan must meet the following criteria:
- Must be realistic in execution and needs, and within the cost limit;
- Must be within the medical abilities/limitations of the claimant;
- Must be attainable within the time limits previously defined in this document;
- Must have employment opportunities; and
- Must be approved by the VRP counsellor.
VRP will provide:
- Vocational counselling and vocational rehabilitation financial support;
- Career counselling; and
- Employment search assistance, including support for Public Service applications.
