HALIFAX — Former military and RCMP veterans in the Halifax area will see expanded mental health and support services by the fall, says Veterans Affairs Minister Erin O'Toole.
O'Toole announced Friday that the federal government remains committed to an agreement signed in May with the Nova Scotia Health Authority to establish an operational stress injury clinic in October.
The facility would provide assessment, diagnosis and treatment services.
The federal department says it is hiring 45 new employees in the Halifax area by the end of March 2016 including 13 case managers and 26 disability benefits staff.
"We are expanding the network of mental health services available to veterans and their families and will continue to review and evaluate services to ensure veterans needs are met," O'Toole said in a news release.
The announcement was one of a series made in Atlantic Canada.
On Thursday O'Toole announced 61 new hirings in Charlottetown by the end of next March.
He said a total of 146 new hires would be made in that time frame in Atlantic Canada including 34 case managers and 52 disability benefits staff.
The department says it plans to reduce its case manager ratio to no more than 30 people for every case manager.
Veterans Affairs says it will fill 309 positions across the country by 2020.
The Canadian Press
