TOTAL HEALTH AND CARE FOR OUR PEOPLE The Defence team must ensure that the needs of its people – whether military members and their families, or defence civilians – are appropriately met. They are the heart and soul of everything we do. For the Canadian Armed Forces, this means military members and their families are well-supported from the moment they join, throughout their careers, and as they transition out of the military. This includes keeping the door open to Veterans who want to return to service, or who later need support and assistance. Not only is this important to build a strong and agile defence organization, but the Canadian Armed Forces also has a fundamental moral obligation to care for those who have accepted unlimited liability in the service of their fellow citizens. We are committed to providing more flexible, tailored service and support, personalized to the unique circumstances and needs of each member. The needs of members and their families will evolve throughout their careers and so too must the services and support on which they rely. To achieve success, the Government of Canada must be less risk averse in providing care and much more transparent and open in its communication. We will shed one-size fits all solutions in favour of more people-centred, compassionate, dependable and comprehensive services. This new approach will also favour a more all-inclusive, comprehensive approach to care – known as Total Health and Wellness. This approach considers psychological wellbeing in the workplace, the physical work environment, and personal health, including physical, mental, spiritual and familial aspects of members’ lives. The well-being of our Canadian Armed Forces’ current and former members and their families relies on health in all of these areas. To provide appropriate support, care and services to ensure the total health and well-being of Canadian Armed Forces personnel, we will invest $198.2 million over the course of this policy to implement the Total Health and Wellness Strategy. This strategy will expand wellness beyond the traditional health care model to include promotion, prevention, treatment and support, and provide a greater range of health and wellness services and programs. Of note, the strategy includes key initiatives to: • support health and resilience; • promote a culture of healthy behaviour; and • support military families. The Canadian Armed Forces will also continue to provide a full spectrum of safe, high-quality physical health services through a well-governed health care system that meets or exceeds Canadian standards, both in garrison and during operations. The mental health and workplace well-being of defence civilians is also critical to the success of the Canadian Armed Forces, given the important roles they play as part of an integrated civilian-military Defence team. Civilians face challenges associated with being defence professionals not present in the rest of the public service and we are committed to providing them with a healthy, supportive workplace and the mental health and other support they require. 25