Soldiers’ support organization mistreated its own employees

Soldiers’ support organization mistreated its own employees, says ombudsman
By David Pugliese
Ottawa Citizen
September 21, 2012

The federal government organization whose job it is to help soldiers suffering from post-traumatic stress disorders unfairly treated some of its own employees who were dealing with the same ailments, according to two reports by the Canadian Forces Ombudsman.

The two veterans, hired to help fellow soldiers dealing with mental health issues, complained to the ombudsman that they were forced from their jobs after a series of run-ins with management at the Operational Stress Injury Social Support (OSISS) program. That organization is managed jointly by the Defence Department and Veterans Affairs but the retired soldiers filed their complaints against the Canadian Forces and the DND managers they reported to.

In the case of one soldier, retired Master Cpl. Kevin Clark, the stress created by the events at OSISS led to a significant deterioration of his health, according to the report prepared by the office of Canadian Forces Ombudsman Pierre Daigle. His health and financial situation further worsened after the combat veteran’s final paycheque from OSISS was clawed back. The organization had claimed that Clark, who suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder, had taken too many sick days and was required to reimburse the government.
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