The Canadian Forces is increasing funding for treatment programs for mentally ill military personnel and veterans, a move the Opposition calls long overdue.
Defence Minister Peter MacKay announced Wednesday his department will spend $11.4 million to hire additional psychiatrists, psychologists, mental-health nurses, social workers and addictions counsellors.
He said at least 51 professional staff will be added to clinics at bases across the country.
MacKay said Canada's decade-long involvement in the war in Afghanistan and other conflicts have resulted in thousands of military personnel returning to Canada with posttraumatic stress disorder and other mental illnesses.
"The positive change we sought for Afghanistan has brought difficult changes to the lives of many Canadian soldiers," he told a news conference at Canadian Forces Base Halifax. "Serving members who served our nation who are now ill or injured as a result of their experience [is] a priority for me."
About $1 million of the funds will be spent increasing the number of primarycare doctors at clinics where wait-times are excessive. Another $2.7 million will be used to retain nine contracted physicians in positions that were facing elimination, a federal news release said.
The minister said the funds are in addition to the $38.6 million spent annually on the mental-health needs of personnel.
The announcement comes after a steady flow of opposition criticism over the state of mental-health services for serving members of the Canadian Forces and veterans.
In May, Defence Department unions said federal budget cuts were reducing the number of researchers and experts on mentalhealth issues in the military.
The unions said cuts were made to the Deployment Mental Health Research Section, which includes suicide-prevention specialists who also monitor traumatic stress rates and traumatic brain injury cases.
