OTTAWA—New documents show the Canadian military found recruiting new psychiatrists, psychologists, and social workers an uphill battle because the government’s top pay scale wasn’t high enough in some parts of the country.
A briefing note, prepared for former defence minister Rob Nicholson at the height of last year’s suicide crisis, shows National Defence scrambled to fill dozens of vacant mental health positions.
In 2014, there were 19 suicides among military personnel, according to data released earlier this year by the Forces.
In 2002, just after the country entered the Afghan war, the military set a goal of having 454 uniformed, civilian, and contract staff to treat soldiers with addictions, depression, post traumatic stress, and other problems.
It has never met that quota, even today.
There were 434 professionals on the books as of February 2015 and defence officials say the shortfall reflects the normal number of vacancies expected in any organization.
