HANSARD

NOVA SCOTIA HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY

STANDING COMMITTEE

ON

VETERANS AFFAIRS

Tuesday, April 21, 2026

Committee Room

The Desmond Fatality Inquiry Final Report and Recommendations

Printed and Published by Nova Scotia Hansard Reporting Services

VETERANS AFFAIRS COMMITTEE

Melissa Sheehy-Richard (Chair)

Ryan Robicheau (Vice-Chair)

Chris Palmer

Nick Hilton

Damian Stoilov

Suzy Hansen

Paul Wozney

Hon. Iain Rankin

Hon. Derek Mombourquette

In Attendance:

Erin Fowler

Legislative Counsel

Tamer Nusseibeh

Legislative Committee Clerk

WITNESSES

Department of Justice

Cynthia Carroll, Associate Deputy Minister

Charcy Marchand, Director, Public Safety and Policing

Nova Scotia Health Authority

Bethany McCormick, Vice President of Operations - Northern Zone

Office of Addictions and Mental Health

Kimberly Stewart, Associate Deputy Minister

Heather Ternoway, Project Executive

Office of African Nova Scotian Affairs

Tracey Thomas, Deputy Minister

Veterans Affairs Canada

Jane Hicks, Acting Senior Assistant Deputy Minister of Service Delivery

HALIFAX, TUESDAY, APRIL 21, 2026

STANDING COMMITTEE ON VETERANS AFFAIRS

1:00 P.M.

CHAIR

Melissa Sheehy-Richard

VICE-CHAIR

Ryan Robicheau

THE CHAIR: Order. I call this meeting to order. This is the Standing Committee on Veterans Affairs. I want to welcome everyone as witnesses today. Thank you for being here. I’m Melissa Sheehy-Richard, the MLA for Hants West and also Chair of this committee. Today we will hear from presenters regarding the Desmond Fatality Inquiry Final Report and Recommendations.

 I just wanted to begin by acknowledging that today’s topic is a very sensitive topic that the committee will be discussing. If you feel you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health crisis, please call 988 or our Provincial Mental Health and Addictions Crisis Line, which is 1-888-429-8167.

 I also want to remind everyone to make sure that your devices are on silent. In case of emergency, we ask that you use the Granville Street exit and walk up to the Parade Square.

 I will now ask the committee members to introduce themselves by stating for the record their name and constituency, beginning with MLA Robicheau.

 [The committee members introduced themselves.]

Today’s topic is the Desmond Fatality Inquiry Final Report and Recommendations. Again, I want to welcome all of the witnesses here today for such an important and sensitive topic. First, I will ask each of you to introduce yourself for the record, and then I’ll return to you for your opening remarks, beginning with Deputy Minister Thomas.

[The witnesses introduced themselves.]

THE CHAIR: At this point, I would ask that Deputy Minister Thomas begin with her opening remarks.

TRACEY THOMAS: Thank you for the opportunity to be here today in my role as deputy minister responsible for African Nova Scotian Affairs. I would like to begin by honouring and remembering Aaliyah Desmond, Shanna Desmond, Brenda Desmond, and Corporal Lionel Desmond and acknowledging the profound loss of life on January 3, 2017. That tragedy continues to be felt by family members, African Nova Scotian communities, and Nova Scotians as a whole. We remain committed to working towards lasting change in memory of the lives lost.

At African Nova Scotian Affairs, our office works to maintain close and ongoing contact with African Nova Scotian communities and people of African descent to ensure those perspectives are reflected in how government responds and moves this work forward. I would like to acknowledge the deep and lasting impact of the issues examined through the Desmond Fatality Inquiry. These are not abstract discussions. They reflect real loss, real trauma, and ongoing impacts felt by families and communities across Nova Scotia.

The findings and the recommendations, together with the lived experiences shared by families and communities, make it clear that this is not about one-time responses. It requires sustained, culturally responsive, and coordinated work across government - work that addresses root causes and leads to meaningful and long-term change.

This work must also be grounded in respect for experiences, needs, and wishes of the families involved. It requires careful and responsible communication to ensure that information is shared appropriately and to continue to shape the path forward. In conversations with a few of the Desmond family, questions have been raised about how we refer to this work, including the use of the name “the Desmond Fatality Inquiry.” We have heard clearly that language matters, that it reflects how people understand what happens and how they see themselves and their loved ones represented. For that reason, and in recognition of the wishes expressed by the family, government continues to use the name “Desmond Fatality Inquiry” in its publications and in its appearances, such as this committee here today.

We remain mindful of the perspective shared with us as we approach this work with respect to the families and for the broader community, recognizing the importance of how this work is understood and discussed. That also means supporting coordination across departments and partners involved in helping to bring forward what we are hearing from families and communities for informed actions across systems.

I am grateful to be here along with some of my colleagues from across government. This work does not sit with one department or in one system. It requires a coordinated, sustained effort across our provincial and federal government, health partners, community organizations, and communities.

For example, in partnership with our funding partner, the Office of Addictions and Mental Health, African Nova Scotian Affairs has invested $60,000 to support the toll-free Black Community Support Line and the Black Health and Wellness initiative led by the Association of Black Social Workers and the Health Association of African Canadians. This includes supports for culturally relevant mental health resources and materials for African Nova Scotians across the province.

Today you will hear from my colleagues about progress being made across different areas. These are important milestones. They reflect concrete steps taken in response to the recommendations and to the inquiry - work that is directed by strengthening systems to improve access and to better support communities.

It is important to be clear: These are milestones, not endpoints. For our ongoing conversations with families and communities, we know and firmly believe that the work is not done until those most affected tell us it is done - until people feel safer and better supported and see meaningful change in their everyday lives.

The Desmond Fatality Inquiry has brought critical issues to light. Our responsibility is now to continue that work with focus and accountability and in partnership. We remain committed to working with our colleagues in the health system and, most importantly, with families and communities to ensure that progress continues and that it leads to real and lasting change.

There is an African proverb that states and guides this work: “If you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together.”

In that spirit, I look forward to the discussion today.

THE CHAIR: ADM Stewart.

KIMBERLY STEWART: Good afternoon. My name is Kim Stewart. I’m the Associate Deputy Minister for the Office of Addictions and Mental Health.

I also lead the Associate Deputy Ministers Table for Inquiry Response. It’s a cross-governmental group of senior leaders. We make sure that we keep moving forward on the Province’s work related to the Desmond Fatality Inquiry and the Mass Casualty Commission recommendations. Our job is to keep that work coordinated, prioritized, and progressing forward. I also just want to acknowledge that Deputy Minister Thomas and ADM Carroll are also part of that group.

Here with me today is Heather Ternoway. She’s a project executive with the office who is working across government on intersecting priorities, including inquiry response.

I would like to take a moment to acknowledge the sensitivity of the topic today. As you know, this past weekend was the sixth year since the mass casualty in Colchester, Cumberland, and Hants Counties - an act that has forever changed the lives of many Nova Scotians. As we’re here to discuss today, January 3, 2017, is a day we remember, knowing the lasting impacts it has on family members, African Nova Scotian communities, and all Nova Scotians.

The subject matter being discussed today can be difficult. If anyone listening needs support, please know you can always call the provincial crisis line at 1-888-429-8167 or the provincial intake line for mental health and addictions at 1-855-922-1122 to get the help that you need.

While challenging, this work is vitally important. Heather and I are both pleased to be joining our colleagues from the Department of Justice and the Department of African Nova Scotian Affairs, as well as the Nova Scotia Health Authority and Veterans Affairs Canada, to share with the committee some of the work that’s been done and that is under way.

When the final report from the Desmond Fatality Inquiry was shared with government in early 2024, it sent a clear message that there was work to be done. Following the inquiry’s recommendations, the Province has been working to strengthen safety and resilience across Nova Scotia in three interconnected areas: community safety, well-being, and health. That includes mental health, gender-based violence and intimate partner violence, and public safety and policing reform, which includes access to firearms. This work crosses many portfolios and departments, and one of the most significant changes we’ve made is how, as a government, we are working together to respond to these areas of focus.

At the Office of Addictions and Mental Health, a key part of our effort is building universal access to mental health and addictions care, with the recommendations calling for strengthened mental health supports and services. Through our commitment, we are working to make sure everyone has publicly funded access to supports and services they need. To achieve this, we are making fundamental changes to how we support Nova Scotians from one end of the province to the other. We’re building a stronger mental health system of care, one with more options and fewer barriers, to ensure all Nova Scotians have better access to support and services they need.

This includes increased funding for community-based organizations to support victims of intimate and gender-based violence and working with partners in the health system to promote and ensure culturally responsive health care. Already, we have made more supports available through community organizations, providing immediate access to services closer to home. We’ve introduced brand-new access points, from the walk-in Anchor Youth Spaces to recovery support centres and mental health acute day hospitals across all health zones, and introduced a dedicated program through IWK Health that offers culturally responsive mental health and addiction services for African Nova Scotian children, youth, and their families. By working with the Nova Scotia Health Authority, we’re providing faster access to psychiatry services for patients through primary health care providers.

Our office has also been involved in several initiatives related to gender-based violence. Not only do we sit on the minister’s table on gender-based violence that is co-led by the Status of Women and the Department of Justice - I know Associate Deputy Minister Carroll will speak more to that shortly - but we also provide funding for Nova Scotia Health Authority to support those impacted by intimate partner and sexualized violence through services including medical care and trauma therapy that is available across the province.

Investing in services only works if we recruit and retain professionals to deliver the care that Nova Scotians need. That’s why we’re investing in tomorrow’s health care professionals. For example, we’re working with the Healthcare Professionals Recruitment team on a recruitment strategy for mental health and addictions care professionals. Diversity and inclusion is a key focus of this work. We’re also creating meaningful training through the Dalhousie Centre for Psychological Health, which supports Nova Scotians who face additional barriers to care while providing psychologists with experience supporting under-served populations.

We also know the importance of preparing service providers who support people experiencing mental health issues. That’s why we continue to invest in professional development opportunities and training, including expanding crisis intervention training across the province. This program brings law enforcement, mental health and addiction professionals, people with lived experience, and other first responders together to strengthen how communities respond to mental health crises.

It’s important to note that in all that we do, our office works closely with the Nova Scotia Health Authority and the IWK. They provide valuable insight and help us understand and implement programs and supports in the health system.

As we look ahead to what’s next, we will continue to keep the heart of this inquiry’s recommendations at the forefront of all we do to improve care. The Desmond Fatality Inquiry will inform our work, programs, and policies for years to come as we move forward to lasting change.

[1:15 p.m.]

Finally, I want to thank the teams across the province and in the health system who are dedicated to this work. They work tirelessly and care deeply about the work. Certainly, their efforts will have positive impacts well beyond their time in the public sector. Thank you again to the committee for inviting us here today. We appreciate the opportunity to share an update on the progress we’ve made.

THE CHAIR: Ms. McCormick.

BETHANY MCCORMICK: Good afternoon. I’m Bethany McCormick and I am a vice-president with the Nova Scotia Health Authority. I work in the Northern Zone, as well as with the Mental Health and Addictions Program across the province.

Thank you to the Veterans Affairs Committee for inviting us here today to speak about this important topic. We know the tragic event at the heart of the inquiry and the recommendations we’ll speak about today have left a lasting mark on our community. We know the journey ahead is difficult for everyone affected and our thoughts are with those who have been impacted the most.

The Nova Scotia Health Authority is committed to turning these lessons into action. In collaboration with government and community partners, we have focused on several initiatives, some of which the ADM has spoken about already. These initiatives have included expanding access to psychiatry and virtual care for Nova Scotians, particularly in rural areas. We’re also strengthening training and ensuring culturally responsive care is at the heart of every interaction we have with our patients.

Last year, we expanded a program that was first piloted in the Central Zone, which supports timely access to short-term psychiatry services in all regions of the province. Now known as the rapid access pathway, this service aligns with our broader system goals to improve equitable access of psychiatric care, regardless of the geography. We know that remote mental health service delivery plays an important role in supporting access when in-person services may be less readily available and, in particular, for rural and under-served communities. Recognizing this, Nova Scotia Mental Health and Addictions Program provides a range of virtual, digital, and telephone-based mental health and addictions services to support access across the province.

Over the years, we have worked hard to improve online and virtual mental health services when it’s the right choice for the person’s need. In addition, at the Nova Scotia Health Authority we have removed barriers to accessing digital platforms, like Virtual Hallway, which can be used in primary health care, virtual urgent care, VirtualCareNS and the YourHealthNS app, which can connect Nova Scotians with care, providing them with information about our health services, resources and any other information about the health system that could be helpful in connecting and navigating them.

These are also helping connect patients and providers in more seamless ways. In a rapidly changing province, the Nova Scotia Health Authority strives to develop and deliver culturally safe, accessible, and responsive services that honour the diverse backgrounds, identities, and needs of all people across the province. One of the ways we are doing this is by strengthening culturally informed and responsive mental health care practices.

The Mental Health and Addictions Program offers ongoing training through a provincial centre for training, education, and learning, to support culturally responsive and equity-informed care. Another example of this is the introduction of our culturally focused mental health service model in which psychiatrists and clinical therapists work directly with the Nova Scotia Brotherhood and Sisterhood programs.

While we’ve made important progress on all of these initiatives, we are clear there is more work to do. Our commitment is to keep working carefully, thoughtfully, and with determination to improve the health system, to ensure that strong, safe, accessible and culturally responsive care is available.

Thank you and I look forward to updating the committee today on the work that the Nova Scotia Health Authority has been doing on this important topic.

THE SPEAKER: ADM Carroll.

CYNTHIA CARROLL: I want to thank Deputy Minister Thomas for respectfully acknowledging the lives lost on January 3, 2017. It’s important that we remember the names of those in the Desmond fatality and how that continues to support and impact family members, African Nova Scotian communities, and Nova Scotia as a whole.

The inquiry will forever stand as a firm reminder of why the work we are doing across government to address gender-based violence, mental health, and public safety is so critical. This is important work and it is work that we must do together.

I am joined here today by Charcy Marchand, Director and Chief Firearms Officer at the Department of Justice’s Public Safety and Policing Services Division. Charcy leads a team of firearm officers who carry out a complex and highly specialized mandate under the federal firearms legislation. These professionals work closely with law enforcement, courts, and the public to administer licensing authorizations and compliance activities related to firearms. Their responsibilities include reviewing firearms applications, supporting investigations, and making decisions that balance the administration of firearms legislation with public safety.

Their work requires sound judgment, strong collaboration with policing partners, and a deep commitment to ensuring firearms are handled, stored, and used safely within our communities. Actioning recommendations from the inquiry report that relate to firearms is urgent and ongoing for this office. We take deliberate steps toward safer communities for all Nova Scotians. This includes strengthening relationships with local police and provincial, federal, and territorial colleagues, using their authority under the federal Firearms Act to review licenses, and implementing a new single police record management system across the province.

Preventing and responding, as well, to gender-based violence is one of the most complex and urgent challenges facing our communities. At the Department of Justice, we have a dedicated Gender-based Violence Division. The division shares a common belief that preventing violence requires systems that work together and solutions built in partnership with the people and communities most affected.

Their work spans policy development, system coordination, and collaboration with community partners across Nova Scotia. Some days their work involves advancing major system reforms, strengthening legislation, improving programs, and helping government departments coordinate their efforts so that responses to gender-based violence are not fragmented but connected and effected. On other days, it’s focused on the partnership, and the team works closely with community organizations, survivors, advocates, and service providers, whose experience and expertise help shape the policies and initiatives we develop.

That collaboration is reflected in the work of the Ministers’ Table on Gender-based Violence, where government and community leaders come together to identify solutions and drive meaningful change. Selecting the Ministers’ Table was a careful process led by a review team that was committed to ensuring a fair and thorough evaluation of each application, guided by clear criteria and shared standards. The level of interest exceeded our expectations for this Ministers’ Table, which tells me how much Nova Scotians truly care about how important this work is. The Ministers’ Table is co-led by Scott Armstrong, the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, and Leah Martin, Minister Responsible for the Advisory Council on the Status of Women Act.

We collaborate closely on this work across all of government, and while we do not have anyone from the Status of Women here with us today as a witness, I do want to acknowledge the work that they have done in this space that we feel is critically relevant to the Desmond Fatality Inquiry.

In December, the Status of Women launched an awareness campaign for Nova Scotia youth to help them recognize the warning signs or the red flags of gender-based violence in relationships. The campaign named Harmful Behaviours made it clear that they are warning signs of harm, not love. Education is a critical part of prevention, and this is one piece of the prevention efforts that is being implemented by government. It’s important to understand that gender-based violence impacts all ages.

I encourage the committee to reach out to the Office of the Status of Women if they would like more information on any valuable initiatives under way and how they relate to the Desmond Fatality Inquiry. The reality of it is that domestic violence can affect anyone, but we know it disproportionately affects - harms - racialized and historically under-represented communities, especially when people face systemic barriers and challenges accessing support.

We are working to change this in Nova Scotia by coordinating across departments, bringing partners together, and building foundations for stronger prevention and response systems. Advancing recommendations from major initiatives, inquiries, and reviews is helping to guide this critical work, and the goal is quite clear: to move Nova Scotia from fragmented responses to violence toward a coordinated approach that prioritizes prevention, collaboration, and survivor safety.

The dedicated staff with the Gender-based Violence Division are helping to guide that work every day, collaborating across government and alongside community to create safer homes, safer relationships, and safer communities. Lasting change takes time, dedication, and the courage to challenge long-standing systems and processes that no longer respond to the needs and realities of today.

I want to thank our many dedicated partners, employees, and hard-working community organizations who do the essential work that contributes to a safer Nova Scotia. Their contributions are deeply valued.

I look forward to your questions, to hearing your perspectives, and to continuing this important work together.

THE CHAIR: ADM Hicks.

JANE HICKS: Thank you for the opportunity to appear before you today to contribute to your important work in examining the findings and ongoing implications of the Desmond Fatality Inquiry. I respectfully acknowledge that we are gathered in Mi’kma’ki, the ancestral and unceded territory of the Mi’kmaq people.

Today I would like to begin by acknowledging the profound tragedy at the heart of this inquiry. The loss of the Desmond family was devastating, and it continues to resonate deeply across Nova Scotia and throughout the veteran community. It highlights the importance of timely, coordinated, and accessible support for those who have served our country and their families.

Today I wanted to update you on the actions that Veterans Affairs has taken to strengthen the supports for veterans, particularly in the areas of mental health, case management, and transition services. A key recommendation from the inquiry was the need for earlier and more consistent support as members transition from military to civilian life. In response, Veterans Affairs Canada, in partnership with the Department of National Defence and the Canadian Armed Forces, has strengthened transition services.

In recent years, significant changes have been implemented to ensure that releasing members are engaged earlier and have a more coordinated transition process. Releasing members now receive individualized transition plans with enhanced support for those who are ill or injured. This approach helps to identify needs sooner, reduce gaps in support, and ensure continuity of care as members move from the Canadian Armed Forces to civilian life. The work is supported by a tiered service model that ensures veterans receive the right level of support based on need.

Some veterans can successfully self-manage with information and digital tools, while those with more complex challenges are connected to guided support or case management. We have also strengthened case management through a more team-based approach, supported by new digital tools that reduce administrative burden and allow staff to focus more on direct support. We strengthened internal coordination when veterans relocate between provinces or territories by implementing a structured transition process for case-managed veterans that ensures continuity of services and minimizes disruption.

As soon as VAC is notified of a relocation, a case manager is assigned in the receiving region to review the existing case plan, assess the veteran’s needs, coordinate any required assessments, and determine next steps. Throughout the transition, case managers work collaboratively across regions to maintain established relationships and monitor the veteran’s progress, including coordinating referrals to community services providers to ensure timely access to services and benefits.

Another critical issue identified by the inquiry was timely access to mental health care. To address this, Veterans Affairs Canada has introduced automatic mental health coverage for veterans applying for a disability benefit for certain mental health conditions. This means that veterans can now access treatment immediately for up to two years while their application is being processed. This ensures that care begins when it is needed, not after a decision.

In addition, access to services has been expanded through a national network of operational stress injury clinics, increased availability of virtual care, and partnerships with community providers, including telemedicine services to ensure that veterans can access care wherever they live.

The inquiry also highlighted the importance of information sharing and access to health records. While recognizing that this area involves complex privacy, legal, and jurisdictional considerations, Veterans Affairs Canada has taken steps to improve how information is collected and shared. We have introduced digital tools such as the VAC Healthshare application, which allows health professionals to securely and directly submit medical documentation to the department.

[1:30 p.m.]

The inquiry underscored the importance of staff awareness and training related to intimate partner violence and trauma. Veterans Affairs Canada has integrated intimate partner violence training into field operations and provides mandatory trauma-informed training to all staff. These measures strengthen the ability of employees to recognize risk factors, respond appropriately, and support veterans and families more safely and effectively.

The Inquiry identified gaps in service at the time, including delays in case management, access to clinical care, and information sharing including intervention through transition services, expanded case management capacity, better digital tools, and more flexible service delivery. The changes reflect a broader communication commitment to learn from the past, to continuously improve, and to ensure that veterans and their families receive the care and support they need when they need it.

While meaningful progress has been made, we recognize that this work must and will continue. There’s more to be done. Thank you. I look forward to your questions.

THE CHAIR: Thank you. We did have another member join us. I would ask that he introduce himself. MLA Mombourquette.

HON. DEREK MOMBOURQUETTE: Sorry for my few minutes of being late. Derek Mombourquette, MLA for Sydney-Membertou. Thank you for all being here, I appreciate it.

THE CHAIR: We will get into the first round of questioning of the witnesses. I wanted to remind everybody that I will acknowledge you first - wait for your light to turn red before you begin speaking for the purposes of Legislative Television. Also, I understand that a couple of you want to speak, perhaps, on certain questions. If that becomes the situation where you would like to also give some comments, just give me a little signal and I’ll make sure that your response is heard.

We will begin with the NDP caucus with 20 minutes. MLA Hansen.

SUZY HANSEN: I want to start by remembering the lives of Shanna, Aaliyah, Brenda, and Lionel, and thinking about their loved ones who are missing them each and every day. They are really the centre of the work we’re here doing today, and their memories are what push us to ensure that the recommendations are being followed through on. We also acknowledge the sixth anniversary this past weekend of the mass casualty that began in Portapique. We honour all those lost by ensuring their memories shape the future we fight for.

With that in mind, I have a few questions for the Department of Justice. Recommendation 14 of the Desmond Inquiry called on the Province to “review the High-Risk Case Coordination Protocol.” What work has been done so far, and when do you expect a new protocol to be put in place?

CYNTHIA CARROLL: The High-Risk Case Coordination Protocol was put in place in 2004, and it was created to ensure that there were clear warning signs of serious harm and that systems do not work in isolation. We know the inquiry did call for a review of the protocol, and that is actually happening as we speak.

I wanted to talk a little bit about how the protocol brings people together because it’s quite significant. There are a few things that have evolved in the environment since the protocol was referred to in the final report. We know the protocol brings together police, justice, victim services, corrections, child and family well-being - again, a whole-of-government approach - as well as community partners. The purpose of the protocol is really about sharing critical risk information, coordinating safety planning, intervening quickly to prevent further violence.

The protocol itself - and this is quite significant - is actually in 13 regions across the province, so it’s regionally based. Think of it like 13 committees. This is to be responsive within local communities in which there could be cases of intimate partner violence that could be deemed high risk. Part of the review is that our understanding, as well, of a high-risk case has evolved when it comes to intimate partner violence. Our understanding of, for example, coercive control, strangulation, firearms access, and experiences that survivors are now having in 2026 - if you think the protocol was in 2004 - has significantly evolved.

There were a few things that actually created barriers to the protocol, and one of them was the sharing of information. Recent changes to the FOIPOP legislation, as well as the PHIA - the Personal Health Information Act - that recently was just passed through legislation, actually are significant components in the review of that protocol. It’s all very timely and strategic in how we were reviewing the protocol and how we are enhancing that protocol to better support survivors in the system.

Since the protocol was put in place, the government also introduced the Highest Risk Domestic Violence Table in 2021. That is actually risk of imminent harm, so that protocol is for cases at extremely high risk.

So we’ve got the protocol, and we’ve got the Highest Risk Table. What we’re doing right now - and there is an active review happening - is we’re looking at how the system works collaboratively and seamlessly together. The Highest Risk Table is provincial in scope, and as you will recall, the protocol is based regionally - 13 regions of information sharing - and there are lots of similarities in membership between the Highest Risk Table and the protocol. However, it’s important when we’re doing the review on the protocol that we look at both the current protocol that was developed in 2004, as well as how the Highest Risk Table that was implemented to also support imminent risk - how they all work together and what those levels of support are across regions as well as provincially.

That work is under way, and right now, I can say that we have a team in Yarmouth that is actively doing community consultations with current protocol partners, talking about how they can move forward together, and looking at things like developing more comprehensive communities of practice, as well as how they can better support survivors and victims of intimate partner violence.

We’re hoping that work is going to wrap up. The community consultations will take place over the summer, and then we’ll look into the fall and hopefully have changes by early 2027, but that work is active. Now, can I give you an exact, definitive timeline? It depends on the consultations. This is important work, and we’re also listening to survivors through this process who are also feeding into the review as it currently stands.

THE CHAIR: MLA Hansen.

SUZY HANSEN: We have an access to information request, which shows that from 2022 to 2024, around 1,500 files were designated as high risk each year. Can you share the number for 2025 and so far in 2026?

THE CHAIR: ADM Carroll.

CYNTHIA CARROLL: Can you repeat the stats that you . . .

SUZY HANSEN: Around 1,500 files were designated as high risk each year in 2024 and in 2022. We want to know what those numbers are for 2025 and 2026, as you have them.

CYNTHIA CARROLL: I don’t know if I have the number of cases through the protocol. I’m assuming that’s what you’re referring to. I can find that out and get back to you.

What I can say is that the number of cases through the Highest Risk Domestic Violence Table since inception in 2021 - has had 103 cases that have been referred to the Highest Risk Table since 2021 - over that period of time.

I will get back to you on the number of cases within the protocol.

SUZY HANSEN: From my understanding, one weakness of the current high-risk protocol is that it’s difficult to account for early warning signs. Folks could be reaching out to various service providers in a way that suggests serious harm could occur, but it’s not being picked up and flagged as high risk.

Do you have a sense of how many individuals are falling through the cracks because of this?

CYNTHIA CARROLL: It would be difficult to know the number of cases that are falling through the cracks. One of the things we have to recognize with intimate partner violence and gender-based violence is that every situation is slightly unique. We do have risk assessment tools that we’re using. One is the ODARA, which is used by policing services. It’s the Ontario Domestic Assault Risk Assessment tool. It was developed in Ontario, but it’s also used by our police services across the province. What happens in using that risk assessment tool is that it is a risk assessment tool for reoffending, and it’s very much geared towards the perpetrator. 

When we’re looking at supporting victims and survivors, what we’re using is the Jacquelyn Campbell assessment. That is geared toward supporting the victim, and it looks at the lethality of the situation. When you’re looking at how you determine risk, it’s complex because every situation is so different, but the two of those being used together is what helps to define what the risk of a certain situation is.

For example, if the police forward an ODARA with a score of seven or higher, that automatically triggers a high-risk case in Nova Scotia. When we go back to the protocol, that would be flagged by the protocol partners, and that would trigger support for that particular victim: safety planning, things like that, and maybe a case management process.

The Jacquelyn Campbell also takes into account the current practice of recognizing that strangulation is a very high-risk factor. That’s something that is - the evidence and the research are helping us to understand better that, when that is present in an intimate partner relationship, that gets flagged as a high-risk flag for intimate partner violence that may require some support.

When you look at who is falling between the cracks, it’s about how we create a system that is responsive, how we ensure that those who are in need of support can access support, and that our risk-management tools are working as they’re intended to catch those who are in need of higher levels of support to prevent violence before it starts but also to prevent, of course, loss of life, which is ultimately our goal.

SUZY HANSEN: Overall, 56 percent of the recommendations made in the Desmond Fatality Inquiry are missing progress updates on the government’s recently launched web page, which was designed to show Nova Scotians what work is being done. The High Risk Case Coordination Protocol is an example of where work is ongoing, but there isn’t an update on that website.

I’m wondering if you could tell us when Nova Scotians will start to see more items put into action.

THE CHAIR: ADM Stewart.

KIMBERLY STEWART: The websites are updated on a regular basis. We do continue to be committed to working across all the departments to make progress. We are approaching it in a thematic approach, focusing on community safety, wellness, well-being, public safety, and policing in gender-based violence. Progress is being made. The website is being updated on a quarterly basis.

ADM Carroll, is there anything you’d like to add?

THE CHAIR: ADM Carroll.

CYNTHIA CARROLL: No, I think that’s great. As I mentioned earlier, the review of the protocol is happening now, where the consultations are happening in community. That will continue to be reflected as those consultations wrap up.

I also am wondering - I do have the number for you - the number of high-risk cases designated. In 2024-25, it was actually 1,518, and in 2025-26, it was 1,600.

SUZY HANSEN: The department has a Gender-Based Violence Division on strategic transformation to do this important work. Can you tell us how many are working in this division and if those jobs will be impacted by the mandatory 20 percent staffing reduction over the next few years?

CYNTHIA CARROLL: We currently have five employees in the Gender-Based Violence Division. The Gender-Based Violence Division, I want to acknowledge, was formed in February 2025. It’s barely over one year old, and the work of that division has been quite instrumental in working across government to tackle the intimate partner violence epidemic from a whole-of-government approach.

There was no impact to FTEs in that division with the recent reductions.

SUZY HANSEN: Do you foresee any impact in employees being not counted - the FTEs being reduced in upcoming years?

CYNTHIA CARROLL: Within the Gender-Based Violence Division? I don’t have any concerns about that at this time.

SUZY HANSEN: I’m going to move on to the Office of Addictions and Mental Health. In 2021, this government promised universal mental health care. This aligns with many of the recommendations we’re here to discuss today, yet we know that wait times remain long. Nova Scotians with non-urgent mental health care needs are supposed to receive care within 28 days. What percent of the time is that standard being met?

[1:45 p.m.]

THE CHAIR: ADM Stewart.

KIMBERLY STEWART: I can say that for urgent cases, the majority of those are being met within the seven-day benchmark. I would also like to add that as part of the work to implement universal mental health care, for those who need the care, receive the care they need, regardless of their ability to pay or where they live.

As part of doing that, we have fundamentally shifted how we deliver support. We’re trying to access people in their communities to provide the care they need before things escalate. We’re supporting youth, we’re also supporting communities through culturally sensitive care.

I also want to note that there are many people who receive the care they need without going on a wait-list, whether it’s the Anchor youth sites, whether it’s through virtual care or through supports offered with our community-based organizations.

We have expanded the insured services program that was launched last fall. Since September, more than 2,500 appointments have been filled as part of that program. That’s in addition to all of the appointments that are in the public system with the Nova Scotia Health Authority and the IWK Health Centre.

This is something that will take time. Wait times is something we have to continue to work with our partners and Nova Scotia Health Authority and the IWK to actively reduce - we need to use data. We are using data to determine the ways we can best adapt to address the wait times. We are continuing to add support to different methods to access support.

THE CHAIR: MLA Hansen.

SUZY HANSEN: Thank you for that. Recommendation No. 7 called on this government to “take steps to recruit Black and diverse mental health providers to provide culturally informed and responsive care.”

ADM Stewart, can you tell us how your department is implementing this recommendation and what progress has been made to date?

THE CHAIR: ADM Stewart.

KIMBERLY STEWART: In July 2023, the Health Equity Framework, which was led by the Department of Health and Wellness, was implemented. That’s a framework that sets out actions of how we will help reduce and eliminate racism and discrimination in our health care systems.

We’ve also implemented culturally relevant mental health first aid. That has been implemented since 2021. The IWK is delivering a program for children and young African Nova Scotians. That’s available in person and also virtually. Also, the Brotherhood and Sisterhood Trans Cultural Multi Health Services is something that the province is working with the Nova Scotia Health Authority to deliver. These services help reduce barriers for mental health and primary care for African Nova Scotians, Black, newcomer, and racialized communities, improving access. Those are some examples.

THE CHAIR: Deputy Minister Thomas.

TRACEY THOMAS: I’d just like to add one more. African Nova Scotia Affairs partners with the Office of Addictions and Mental Health and provided funding to the Association of Black Social Workers and the Health Association of African Canadians, which I alluded to in my earlier statement. That’s specifically a Black health line, so people can call in a toll-free number if they are in crisis and need some assistance, as well as some Black health and wellness programming that they are doing for the African Nova Scotian communities specifically.

THE CHAIR: Ms. McCormick.

BETHANY MCCORMICK: I’d like to also add that in our Provincial Center of Training, Education & Learning, we have specific training programs focused on culturally responsive and equity-informed care. This includes training and supporting staff to be safe and welcoming when working with people of racialized communities.

We have a position called an Advanced Practice Leader that helps support and guide staff working in the areas of equity, anti-racism and culturally responsive care. As well, we’re involved with research at Dalhousie University to understand the mental health needs of youth of African descent, and our partnering in the Voices that Count study with the Dalhousie University School of Social Work, focusing on youth of African descent, ages 18 to 24.

THE CHAIR: ADM Stewart.

KIMBERLY SEWART: Just to speak a little more broadly, we have to develop a health care workforce to support all Nova Scotians. At the core of that we are working with our colleagues who are responsible for health care recruitment. At the core of that we need a representative health care. We need people working in those positions who represent Nova Scotians, and we’re able to provide that service. I guess I would close with that. We are committed to that.

SUZY HANSEN: How many net new Black psychiatrists and psychologists since this work began? How many have been brought in to be the representation so that folks can see the care being done by someone who looks like them?

KIMBERLY STEWART: I don’t have that specific number. I will look to my colleague, Bethany. If she does not, we will get it for you.

THE CHAIR: Ms. McCormick.

BETHANY MCCORMICK: I’ll add a couple comments. We have a program in the Nova Scotia Health Authority called the Nurse Practitioner Education Incentive Program. This is a program that pays the full salary for a student while they’re training to become a Master of Nursing - a nurse practitioner. I wanted to let the committee know that two of these seats - two of the six - are designated for equity-deserving populations, including African Nova Scotian individuals. Also, nursing programs at Dalhousie have 40 seats reserved for Indigenous and Black students, and StFX has 15 percent of their admissions allocated, as well.

SUZY HANSEN: I appreciate that. I’m all about the data, and I want to make sure that we can close those gaps because we know that there is a lot of work that needs to be done. I will continue on with the next round, but I wanted to say thank you for the relevant information. I appreciate it.

THE CHAIR: MLA Rankin.

HON. IAIN RANKIN: I appreciate all of the work that you’re doing on a very challenging, complex, and important file for the Province, and of course, the family is on all of our minds today.

We wanted to put this topic forward to hold the government to account to fulfill the recommendations. My colleague mentioned the website. I think that is the only real tool that Nova Scotians can monitor to ensure that’s happening, other than, of course, this committee.

I want to talk about progress and accountability. It looks like, on the website, that 11 of the 25 recommendations are being addressed.

Are there any comments from the departments on how many of the recommendations are considered fully complete, how many are somewhat complete, and how many are outstanding?

THE CHAIR: ADM Stewart.

KIMBERLY STEWART: I can’t speak to those specific numbers, but what I can say is that we do remain committed to responding to the recommendations, both with the Desmond Fatality Inquiry as well as the Mass Casualty.

We also remain very committed to being transparent in reporting publicly. That is why the website has been created for the Desmond Fatality Inquiry. We are sharing progress there. The goal is to strengthen communities, improve access, and address violence. The website is searchable by theme and by recommendation.

Within the ADM table that I lead, one of the primary areas that we focus on is that we’ve developed a work plan. That work plan does drive the action. We monitor, and then that translates into the reporting that’s being done on the website.

I don’t have the specific numbers. I’ll turn it over to my colleague, Heather Ternoway.

THE CHAIR: Ms. Ternoway.

HEATHER TERNOWAY: I also don’t have the specific numbers, but you will notice on the public website that there are a number of actions that are being reported on that don’t specifically match to a numbered recommendation from the Desmond Fatality Inquiry Report. This is really important because there is work beyond the specific letter and wording of those recommendations that the government is undertaking in really complicated areas, such as the prevention of and response to intimate partner violence and gender-based violence, public safety, community safety, well-being, and mental health.

You will see a much broader capture on our website of actions that we’re undertaking that are cross-cutting across those themes. There is action under way on all of the recommendations. There may not be a specific update linked to each numbered recommendation, but I can assure you that there is work under way on the underlying root issues and the complicated cross-cutting work across government and with our partners in the health system.

IAIN RANKIN: It’s impossible for me to go through all the recommendations, but the final recommendation is an important one. Deputy minister, you mentioned that there’s an ADM table.

Does that fulfill Recommendation No. 25, in your view, when it asks for a committee that has a five-year mandate to liaise with appropriate federal departments? We’d be in Year 2 of that five-year mandate. Is that fulfilling Recommendation No. 25?

THE CHAIR: ADM Stewart.

KIMBERLY STEWART: Yes, we do feel that that does fulfill that mandate. It will continue to be in place - the ADM table. It is tasked with driving this work, reporting on the work, and ensuring progress is made.

One of the things that’s really critical to this work - I guess there are two pieces - and where this table plays an important role - we talk about a whole of government approach, and that is important to this work so that we don’t work in silos. A lot of these recommendations, if you look at them, very little in that work is one single department. It all cuts across many departments. We use this table that is recommended in that recommendation to really ensure the coordination of the work and to identify barriers we are facing in achieving it, and to identify ways we need to engage the community. So that table is a critical function in advancing the work, and the table will remain in place for the five years, I guess, or longer, potentially.

IAIN RANKIN: Something that was pointed out with the Mass Casualty Commission, as well as the Desmond Fatality Inquiry, after that success of independent reports, some of your department has been involved with the Deloitte 2025 Report, pointing out system failures - system-wide policing failures, specific to communications. It touches on what my colleague talked about in terms of identifying high risk situations and early intervention. I bring this up because it seems to be not going away - this problem that our policing delivery system throughout the province continues to have.

I mean, we had a violent incident just a couple of weeks ago in Timberlea, and a family member of that victim, who is still in the hospital, was asking, “Who do I talk to?” It just reminded me of the book that Lynn Gallant Blackburn wrote, and not knowing if it’s HRP or RCMP. I know that when crimes get to a certain violent level of seriousness, the Criminal Investigations Division takes over, but when you don’t have the information - and this person who committed the crime wasn’t even arrested yet. I just think we are talking about a protocol since 2004 that hasn’t been updated, and we have successive reports that point to this breakdown.

I’ve had conversations with policing. I won’t get into the details specific around that. But who, at the end of the day, is in charge when you have multiple policing units? Who is accountable in these complex crisis situations - both before to prevent the crime, but also to deal with victims and their families?

THE CHAIR: Ms. Marchand.

CHARCY MARCHAND: One thing I will start by saying is that in June, as you referenced with the Deloitte Report, we did announce that there were foundational changes to the framework of policing in Nova Scotia. There were six foundational changes at that time, which may help to address some of the challenges, particularly in communication, that you’ve noted. First was our unified records management system announcement. As you know, today there are three independent records management systems that exist within Nova Scotia - the first being the RCMP database that plays a current response system. We have Halifax, which uses Versadex, and we have Cape Breton Regional Police, which uses Niche. As we mentioned, through the implementation of the police modernization portfolio with the Department of Justice, those systems do not communicate to one another, really causing some of those communications gaps that you’ve noted. The intention of the unified records management system is to alleviate those gaps in communications in critical times for police in Nova Scotia.

[2:00 p.m.]

In addition to that, we also announced the Enhanced Police Resourcing. We would look at the detachment level for the RCMP as our provincial police to ensure they were adequately resourced here in Nova Scotia. In doing that, we also committed to updating the RCMP billing model that would allow municipalities to have more affordable, consistent and stable financial reporting when it came to policing, to allow them to get to a resourcing level they could maintain throughout their municipalities.

In addition to that, we committed to updating the provincial policing standards that were launched in September 2024. At that time, we launched 39 standards, but we knew at that time it was just the beginning. We knew that there are new ones that needed to be added, and we knew at that time, post the police review, that there would have to be ones that would be amended.

The Department of Justice is actively looking at those standards now and identifying the areas, in consultation with community, which need to be addressed through the provincial policing standards. Communication has come up as one for discussion.

In addition to that, the last two items on that foundational changes list have been the implementation of community safety personnel. That’s really intended to provide that ground-level support in community that’s different than a full police officer, but intended to provide that community-based support based on what municipalities need for their individual and unique municipality perspectives. That will all be supported by our community safety boards or our governance bodies.

Today, there are police advisory boards, and there are boards of police commissioners. They have a little different rules and responsibilities, per the Police Act, but the intention is to create one space where all community safety practitioners, personnel, and law enforcement can come together to talk about some of these issues.

The last thing I will say is in the space of communication. Not only will our records management system assist us in doing that, but the addition of these standards will support us in understanding who is in charge and who individuals should be communicating with. Most policing agencies in Nova Scotia do have a victim services component to them, as well, in addition to our provincial victim services. I can let ADM Carroll speak to that. It’s really critical that we understand the victim services that are supported by the police operation side, in addition to our provincial victim services.

THE CHAIR: ADM Carroll.

CYNTHIA CARROLL: I want to add on to that because the policing victim services are the first on the scene and would provide that kind of immediate support right after the incident that took place, where the provincial victim services transition to. That can create some confusion, where provincial victim services are often - people think that it’s provincial victim services when, in fact, the first on the scene is the policing victim services team. The family liaison officers should be working with the family right after any kind of incident that happens. Then our services would be part of that continuum of support as they’re moving through the process of what comes next.

THE CHAIR: Order. The time has elapsed for the Liberal caucus. I’ll turn it over to the PC caucus, with 30 minutes.

MLA Palmer.

CHRIS PALMER: Thank you, everyone, for being here this afternoon. It’s very important that we’re finally getting together to have this important discussion to bring Nova Scotians up to date on what’s been happening.

ADM Stewart, I think in your opening statement you talked about the importance of dates: the date of January 3^rd that we’re here remembering, and April 18^th, which we just recognized. These are dates that are seared into our collective memories as Nova Scotians. Those dates remind us of tragedy, but they’re also reminders that Nova Scotians do come together in those times.

It’s in that spirit of coming together that I do recognize the collaboration and, like you mentioned, the cross-government approach to implementing these recommendations. I think it’s important for people who might be watching here today to recognize that this is a cross-government approach. No one wants to see another family ever have to go through this. Thank you for all the work you’re doing. I wanted to acknowledge that off the top.

My first question is for the Department of Justice. How would individuals access counselling through Victim Services? What would be available to them? Talk about resources and anything available. I don’t know who that would be. I’ll let you - ADM Carroll.

THE CHAIR: ADM Carroll.

CYNTHIA CARROLL: First, we want to recognize the lasting emotional and psychological impacts that intimate partner violence has on victims and survivors.

One of the ways we support that is through the Criminal Injuries Counselling Program. As we talked about with MLA Rankin, once a crime has been reported to police, it transitions over to the nearest provincial Victim Services offices. The staff can walk through options for support, including the Criminal Injuries Counselling Program.

This is a free service for anyone, and there have been some real enhancements in the program since its inception. The work of both inquiries has advanced - and listening to survivors has advanced - the programs and services, including counselling. We know that government doubled the grant amount for counselling for survivors of human trafficking and are allowing longer time frames to use this. This is really important. We also extended support of criminal injuries counselling to survivors of intimate images and voyeurism.

One of the things about the Criminal Injuries Counselling Program is that it used to take 30 to 60 days to access, but now, with streamlined administrative processes and digitization, approvals can happen within seven days.

Before - we heard this from survivors - even the binder of eligible counsellors was a paper binder that was quite large, cumbersome, and overwhelming. Now, as of today, there is an online portal that’s searchable and available to survivors of intimate partner violence who are accessing the program. I encourage everyone to take a look at that. It’s cic-directory.novascotia.ca.

On that, as well, is a full array of services that provincial Victim Services can offer victims and survivors on how to navigate through that system. That’s pretty significant, as far as that particular program. Victim Services also offer safety planning, court planning, and can walk people through the process, but the Criminal Injuries Counselling Program, with the enhancements, as well as now the new online portal, continues to evolve and meet the needs of survivors better.

CHRIS PALMER: Could you please repeat that website one more time?

CYNTHIA CARROLL: cic-directory.novascotia.ca.

CHRIS PALMER: If the Chief Firearms Officer becomes aware of a domestic violence incident where there are known firearms in the home - could you talk to us about what steps are triggered to prevent a tragic outcome?

THE CHAIR: Ms. Marchand.

CHARCY MARCHAND: First, I want to say that any situation involving domestic violence is, of course, serious. The complexities of adding a firearm on top of a complex situation heightens the concerns for everyone involved, so I sincerely appreciate your question. Preventing further violence in this space is a shared responsibility across all Justice partners, including police and our Chief Firearms Office.

First and foremost, if police are arriving at a domestic violence incident where there is a firearm present in the home, they will conduct an immediate risk assessment, of course. This could include determining whether the firearm is present. Is it accessible? Is it legally obtained? They’ll also look at any other indicators, such as mental health indicators and whether there have been threats, assaults, or coercive control. They will also look for indicators that there are vulnerable persons in the home. You’ll note in our provincial policing standards that the vulnerable persons definition is also defined as a person experiencing domestic violence in this case.

If that risk is identified, police may seize those firearms under their authority under the Criminal Code. They may lay charges, of course, and they will document their information in their records management system. As I mentioned, the records management system component is incredibly complex here in Nova Scotia. We announced the unified records management system, which hopes to alleviate some of these concerns, but for context in the background of how the Chief Firearms Officer becomes aware of those incidents, officers use coding under the Uniform Crime Reporting standard to code incidents in alignment with the defined crime categories with the Criminal Code. That could be, for example, assault or uttering threats.

Once that police information is inputted into their database, it communicates with Statistics Canada for stats reporting, but it also gets uploaded - that exact same information - to the Canadian Police Information Centre, or CPIC. CPIC is a national database that communicates with all police in Canada. That information is uploaded to that database, as well.

CPIC can see the violent Criminal Code offences. It can see the domestic partner context. It can also identify the accused person. Once that CPIC data is uploaded, it automatically provides a flag or a FIP - Firearms Interest Police - to the Canadian Firearms Information System. That is the system utilized by our office here in Nova Scotia and across the country for maintaining firearms records.

FIP, or Firearms Interest Police, is not a criminal record; it is an elevated risk flag that is provided to Chief Firearms Officers to review a case. When a FIP is uploaded - or Firearms Interest Police is uploaded - to the Chief Firearms Officer, that allows us to review that case and place it under review.

When there is that FIP, they get uploaded every single night, so the information is very timely. It is very real time. When we receive that flag, we do a public safety review, or structured review, under the Continuous Eligibility Framework that exists currently in the Firearms Act itself, which really does speak to some of the recommendations that were made through this inquiry for continuous eligibility. Once doing that, we can do licence verifications. We can look at firearms registered to this owner. We can look to see if there are other mental health indicators that were present. We can look at previous history. The Firearms Office does have access to the RCMP’s reporting in a current system, Prose, which does address one of the Desmond recommendations.

They also have access to Versadex, used by the Halifax Regional Police, which partially addresses one of the recommendations as well. The intention is they can go in and look at, in real time, the occurrence data that occurred with that individual to trigger that flag for the Firearms Office.

Based on the assessed level of risk that we can see through that review, we may take preventive action by placing those licenses under review. We can also place them in a category called revocation suggestion. In both cases, individuals cannot legally obtain firearms, so that does prohibit them from going into a business and obtaining a firearm, which is a preventive action for us.

In prescribed domestic and intimate partner violence circumstances, licence revocation and application refusal is mandatory, per federal Bill C-21, that does amend the Firearms Act to include section 70.1, which allows us to revoke, on reasonable grounds, if there is a domestic incident in the home.

These are not treated as one-time events. I want to make sure that is critically understood. It is looked at as a history or indicators after an event. Again, under the Continuous Eligibility Framework, we’re allowed to make these assessments on a continuous basis when this new information occurs.

As I mentioned, this prevention of gun violence is not just the responsibility of the police or the Chief Firearms Officer, it’s a responsibility of all Justice partners across the spectrum itself. We continue to work with our local policing agencies to ensure entries are coded properly, so they trigger those FIPs. We work with our federal, provincial, and territorial colleagues to ensure that we’re learning from them as well, as we continue our relationships with our local police.

THE CHAIR: MLA Palmer.

CHRIS PALMER: Thank you for that feedback. That’s excellent to hear. Ms. Hicks, if I could ask a question for Veterans Affairs. Could you talk about how your case managers involved with individuals are trained to be more tuned into intimate partner violence and gender-based violence, knowing that veterans have a higher rate of PTSD than the average population?

THE CHAIR: Ms. Hicks.

JANE HICKS: In terms of training for our case managers, they all have training on trauma informed training, all frontline staff, whether it’s our case managers, veterans service agents or national contact centre staff. They also have training on intimate partner violence. There’s other training provided that’s part of the core training they receive for working with frontline services.

[2:15 p.m.]

In addition, for case managers, there’s some new training that will be released this spring on intimate partner violence with a training module and some workshops. We also have tools and additional support material from the Atlas Institute. They have done some consultation engagement and developed training materials. That’s information that is available to our frontline staff.

THE CHAIR: MLA Palmer.

CHRIS PALMER: I’m passing it over to my colleague now.

THE CHAIR: MLA Stoilov.

DAMIAN STOILOV: Thank you so much. A bit of my question was covered earlier by ADM Carroll, but I think it was just covered generally. I wanted to get a little bit more detail, if I may. Could you talk to us about domestic violence risk assessments - what sort of assessments you use? What would trigger someone to be high risk? That’s really important.

THE CHAIR: ADM Carroll.

CYNTHIA CARROLL: As I had mentioned before, we talked a bit about the police review last year, and I know my colleague talked about kind of policing standards and risk assessments. We do know that there are new standards that are in development under the policing work. Currently, we do know that even the police do have a standard for vulnerable persons within currently existing - it does include intimate partner violence. One of the reviews will include looking at an intimate partner violence standard, considering the level of the risk that we know is happening across the province.

As I had mentioned, ODARA is one of the common tools that are used by the police for intimate partner violence. I mentioned earlier that the tool was developed in Ontario - the Mental Health Centre Penetanguishene in Ontario. It’s used not just in Nova Scotia, but it’s also used across Canada. It’s used by the police but also others as well. The ODARA specifically predicts the re-assault or the reoccurrence of intimate partner violence, as well as the frequency and severity of violence.

The ODARA includes 13 items, including the criminal history, the number of children that might be involved in the situation, substance abuse, and the barriers that the victims face in terms of accessing support. It is used specifically for, like I’ve said, the perpetrator who might be involved at the time.

The risk assessment that’s used by the province is the Jacquelyn Campbell assessment. The Jacquelyn Campbell assessment is used by Victim Services. It predicts lethality and is specific to the victim. It does allow for the use of professional judgment, as I mentioned before, specifically around the use of something like choking that could be involved in the case, which may not be picked up by the ODARA. Those are the things that designate a case as high risk. With the ODARA, a score of seven or above by police will automatically trigger the case to be high risk in Nova Scotia. But just because a case is below seven - if an ODARA comes in, and it’s below a score of seven, it does not mean that the case may not be flagged as high risk because, again, the Jacquelyn Campbell assessment does pick up much different pieces that are linked specifically to the victim, and it can be deemed high risk at that time.

Using those two together is important because one is very much linked to the perpetrator and the risk of reoffending - as well as looking at the Jacquelyn Campbell assessment, which is very much focused on the victim. When you look at the whole picture together, that determines not only the chance of reoffending but also the lethality of the particular case that is being assessed at the time.

THE CHAIR: MLA Stoilov.

DAMIAN STOILOV: Thank you very much. It covers it in detail, and I’d like to pass it on to my colleague.

THE CHAIR: MLA Robicheau.

RYAN ROBICHEAU: I thank everyone for the information on this important subject.

We talked earlier about the Highest Risk Domestic Violence Table. To the Department of Justice: Can you explain to us how the Highest Risk Domestic Violence Table works, and how its work in the Ministers’ Table on Gender Based Violence intersects?

THE CHAIR: ADM Carroll.

CYNTHIA CARROLL: The Highest Risk Domestic Violence Table is a table that brings partners together to look at the highest level of risks. This would be those who are at imminent risk. As I mentioned, that table was developed as a prototype by government in December 2021. Since that time, 103 cases have been referred to the Highest Risk Domestic Violence Table here in Nova Scotia.

That’s a combination of partners working together. We have policing partners there. We’ve got health at the table and cross-government departments, as well as a crime analyst. That starts to look at putting patterns of behaviour together and can leverage - it’s provincial in scope. When a case is being review by the Highest Risk Domestic Violence Table, and there’s been deemed to be imminent risk at play, it can pull partners and resources from across the province.

Remember, I had said the protocol is regionally based and can do case management, but doesn’t always focus on individualized cases at the protocol level. The Highest Risk Domestic Violence Table looks at those individualized cases, so it allows it to hone-in, and hone-in quite quickly.

The highest CRIS table also has a connection to the Firearms Office if firearms are deemed to be involved or it is known a firearm is involved. It’s about how the partners work collaboratively together, not just whole of government, but really, this is almost a whole-of-society approach because you have partners at the table who are also outside of government and service providers.

When you look at that table and you’re looking at the highest risk of intimate partner violence in our province, and you look at the minister’s table, there are multiple things that are mechanisms in the system that are really tackling gender-based violence in our province. The minister’s table - the highest risk table - really focuses on individual cases and supporting that individual around safety and ensuring they are safe in a very delicate, high-risk situation.

When you look at the minister’s table and the tackling of gender-based violence and whole-of-society approach, that’s a mechanism that’s looking at system barriers, so what is happening across the province. How are we tackling gender-based violence from a legislative perspective? A policy perspective? A community perspective? That really is about how we bring community members together with the whole of government.

We have multiple government departments represented at that table - over 10 now and it’s growing each meeting. When you’re looking at how we tackle gender-based violence in Nova Scotia, you need all of the components and mechanisms in the system that work seamlessly together - some that are very much individualized and responsive in the moment, to risk for survivors and victims at the time - and then how we’re working in a whole-of-government approach to tackle the larger systemic barriers and the changes we need. The table really looks at that.

The other thing about the table, the selection of the table - and I mentioned this earlier - that was very intentionally done around looking at intersectionality. We know that underrepresented and under-supported communities are more greatly impacted by gender-based violence in our province. The rubric that was even developed combined intersectionalities of all those components we know. The table is incredibly diverse and, in fact, probably is a one of a kind in government around looking at the complexity of the intersectionalities, as it pertains to gender-based violence. That includes anything from cultural intersectionality, sexual intersectionalities, victims and survivors. We have 25 members. Of those 25 members, 21 identify as a survivor themselves.

The table itself is also looking at rural and urban balance. You’re looking at the difference in rural communities where resources may be not as large as urban centres. Thirteen members of the table are urban, but 12 are rural. You almost have a really good balance and perspective around geography, knowing that we need to really look at the geography of Nova Scotia when we’re tackling gender-based violence because it really is important to understand the unique experiences, depending on where you live in Nova Scotia.

When you look at the protocol and how the highest-risk table is very much focused on individuals, and you bring in the minister’s table that looks at the system as a whole and the barriers, and how you break down the system together, and then the cross-governmental work that we talked about with the inquiry work plus the minister’s table.

The minister’s table is also something that can continue past even the formal work of the progress monitoring committee for the Mass Casualty Commission. That’s why we talk about the inquiry around the ADM inquiry table. There are components when it comes to gender-based violence and the safety of our communities that can continue on through this table around the systemic changes that we’re all working collaboratively across government to achieve.

RYAN ROBICHEAU: Just changing gears here a bit. For the Office of Addictions and Mental Health, we’ve heard quite a bit about whole-of-government approach. You mentioned that you are taking a whole-of-government approach. What does that look like and how does it advance the recommendations through the scope of your department?

KIMBERLY STEWART: One of our primary focuses, as I’ve said before, is the universal mental health care. Bringing that care closer to communities and to people to be able to access the services is highly aligned with the recommendations and the aspects of the Desmond Fatality recommendations. We are working closely with our partners in the Nova Scotia Health Authority and the IWK. We have increased our investment in community-based organizations for the rural communities to be able to bring the services to those communities and to increase the access points. We fund 40 different organizations based in community. Sixty percent of those are outside of Central Zone. There have been 12 recovery support centres set up around the province. That’s with the Nova Scotia Health Authority.

I’ve mentioned the Anchor Youth Spaces. It’s all very important work, but the Anchor Youth Spaces really are very important. There are three that have opened in Sydney, Amherst, and Halifax. There are five more. These are places where youth can go to access the supports that they need, as an entry point. In some cases - we’re hearing in Amherst that some youth just need a place to do laundry, and they need a safe place where they can go and read a book, but also to then have the access point into the more formal care, whether it’s through the Nova Scotia Health Authority or with IWK. There have been 5,100 appointments since they opened last fall, and there have been 2,700 drop-ins in those three sites for the youth.

Also, we’ve launched the Insured Services Program. Again, I feel that is highly aligned with some of the recommendations in the Desmond Fatality Inquiry. To ease the pressure on the public system delivered through IWK and Nova Scotia Health Authority, we’ve launched the Insured Services Program, which is private clinicians being hired to help provide mood and anxiety supports and counselling to individuals. There have been 2,500 appointments since September. It just launched in September. Again, that’s in addition to all the appointments and services being offered through the health authority.

Day hospitals have also opened in each health zone, and they provide the intensive mental health care to individuals closer to their communities. That is not overnight care; it is day programming, but it keeps them close to home while also being able to offer the intensive services. There were 5,000 visits last year. What we’re hearing through social media and from our community partners is that these services really can be life-changing for individuals to be able to access them.

I also want to highlight a new pathway that has been opened: the Rapid Access pathway. That is so family physicians across the province, in the rural communities and the more urban centres, are able to access the psychiatry services to have better care more quickly for these individuals. I’m just highlighting a few examples of work that the office has done that is aligned with the Desmond Fatality Inquiry. A lot really has changed since 2017 and 2021 when the office was created and a minister was appointed with the responsibility.

Again, back to that whole shift in how we’re working, trying to get the care to people sooner before things escalate. If they do, we have the proper supports available.

RYAN ROBICHEAU: For my last question for your department: What actions and initiatives are the government taking to help better support men’s mental health?

THE CHAIR: Ms. Ternoway.

HEATHER TERNOWAY: As many of the witnesses on this panel have said today, it’s critical for government to be listening to first voice and lived experience, to really understand what the data is telling us, and tailoring our services and supports to where they need to go. The data is showing that men are struggling, particularly men in rural areas in this province. They have disproportionately higher rates of a lot of mental health and other health situations. We know from the data that men often wait longer to access care, whether it’s for mental health, physical health, or other reasons.

Our strategy and our approach in government and with our partners in the health authorities is really focused on reducing stigma and encouraging help-seeking earlier, before a crisis, and making sure those doorways are available and open for them. I have a few examples of what government is doing that I’d like to share with you. Then if time allows, I’d like to pass it over to Bethany to fill out a little bit on what NS Health is doing.

[2:30 p.m.]

Really, a lot of our work is based on this underlying principle and premise that life can be tough and it’s okay to reach out for help. We are engaging with Health Canada on a recently announced federal strategy on men and boys’ health. That will be an opportunity to have national conversations to advance Nova Scotia priorities. Within the Province, our colleagues at the Department of Health and Wellness and Public Health launched a Reach Out campaign that was specifically focused on men’s mental health. The whole intention around that is to reduce stigma and link men to community and health resources, and really make sure that help is available for them when they pick up the phone and reach out to call.

We, as a government, launched in 2021 the Men’s Help Line. This was funded through the Department of Opportunities and Social Development and the Office of Status of Women. It’s operated through 211 and the Family Service of Nova Scotia. It’s free, anonymous, brief, intervention counselling that anyone in the province can access just by making a quick phone call.

In alignment with the Desmond Fatality Inquiry Recommendation No. 10, the funding for this help line was made permanent in the 2022-23 fiscal year. It’s one of those examples where you build it and they will come. The men’s help line has seen so many callers since its inception. Over 35,000 Nova Scotians have called the men’s help line. They can get ongoing extended counselling sessions, in addition to the free, brief, intervention counselling. In the period between December 2024 and November 2025, over 230 extended counselling sessions were offered by the help line, which is more than double the previous years’ figures.

ADM Carroll, in her opening remarks spoke about the Guys Work Program that’s available in schools so I won’t get into a lot of detail on that. It’s a school-based program for male and male-identified youth in Grades 6 to 9. It’s about promoting healthy masculinities and help-seeking. The whole idea for the program came from understanding the data and listening to first voice and seeing that male students were not accessing youth health centres in schools at the same rate as their female and female-identifying counterparts. That program is starting to see some tremendous impacts across schools in the province.

I’ll see if my colleague has anything to add for the Nova Scotia Health Authority.

THE CHAIR: Order. Unfortunately, the time has elapsed for the PC caucus. With the permission of the committee, to allow for just a little bit more time in the second round of questioning and for a couple of brief closing remarks, is it okay to bump the couple pieces of correspondence on committee business to next month?

Seeing agreement, we will then move to the NDP caucus, which is going to be MLA Hansen or MLA Wozney with six and a half minutes each.

MLA Wozney.

PAUL WOZNEY: This question is for the Office of Addictions and Mental Health. The Office of Addictions and Mental Health made budget cuts to two mass casualty initiatives - Trauma-Informed Care and e-Mental Health Services. Each of these measures was designed to support health care workers in responding to gender-based violence, especially in rural Nova Scotia.

I’m wondering if you can tell me what analysis was done to determine that these cuts would not harm progress on the Desmond Fatality Inquiry recommendations. Was the inquiry response group or the Minister’s Table on Gender-based Violence consulted as part of the analysis that authorized these cuts?

THE CHAIR: ADM Stewart.

KIMBERLY STEWART: What I can say is that those reductions did not impact any frontline services. Analysis was done. The reductions that were made - you mentioned e-Mental Health and to Trauma-Informed Care. Both of those were actually under-spends. They were areas where there had been under-spends in the previous years, so reductions were made in those spaces.

For trauma-informed care, there has been such an effort over the last few years. The majority of individuals and the health authorities have already been trained. All of that funding hadn’t been used, so that was where the reduction came from, but no frontline services were impacted.

In terms of consultation, we did not consult with the Minister’s Table on Gender-based Violence, but as the ADM of the Office of Addictions and Mental Health, as well as the ADM responsible for inquiry response, I did bring that lens in looking at the work.

PAUL WOZNEY: It has been two years and three months since the recommendations of this inquiry were received. We knew at the time that this report was filed that less than 1 percent of psychologists in Canada are Black. We’ve seen the Province take exceptional proactive measures. For instance, an African Nova Scotian cohort for Bachelor of Education students to address chronic under-representation in the teaching profession. But to our knowledge, no funding whatsoever has been dedicated to fund African Nova Scotians, Black, and other racialized populations on a tuition-waiver basis or any other basis to ensure that Black candidates are being trained to deliver care in psychology and psychiatry.

I’m wondering if you can explain why this step hasn’t been taken and what actions are being taken, along with Nova Scotia’s universities, to close this gap, knowing that just because you fund a psychologist candidate doesn’t mean you get one in short order. It takes a minimum of three years, and psychiatrists even longer. So proactive investment is paramount if Black folks in Nova Scotia are going to access care that’s representative of their lived experience.

THE CHAIR: Ms. Ternoway.

HEATHER TERNOWAY: I may also ask my colleague, Bethany, to jump in on this one as well. We are committed, as the ADM has said, on building an equitable and representative workforce. We recognize some of the time lag between training individuals and having them working.

We are making investments in some of those education programs you mentioned. We are also working collaboratively with our colleagues in Healthcare Professionals Recruitment on a specific mental health and addictions health team and resources strategy and roadmap. We are focusing on particular professions, and psychology is one of those. We are looking at strategies to not only increase recruitment and retention in training of those professionals, but the diversity of those professionals working in our mental health and addictions care system in the province.

BETHANY MCCORMICK: I also wanted to share that for the first time in many years, all of our psychiatry positions in the entire province of Nova Scotia are filled, which is a great story to have compared to many years ago. We’ve been able to recruit more psychiatrists to the province of Nova Scotia than we have in years. This brings more care to Nova Scotians. In particular, we have a psychiatrist who works with the trans-cultural program providing care to individuals associated with the Brotherhood and Sisterhood programs, as well as just working with communities in a new and renewed way to build trust and offer care.

I did also highlight earlier, the investment in nursing seats, which also support mental health programming. The nursing program for in-patient mental health and Nursing in our Community programs. Those positions funded or supported at Dalhousie and StFX are really helping to support a diverse workforce.

PAUL WOZNEY: I don’t think there’s a Nova Scotian who would question the impact and value that nurses have in our health care system. In the same breath, I think it’s not reasonable to expect nursing candidates to deliver or cover the gaps in mental health care for African Nova Scotians and the racialized populations who continue to go without people like psychologists and psychiatrists who are able to deliver health care from a lived perspective and a lived experience shared in common with those they provide therapies to.

I urge the government to put funding in place to ensure that we have African Nova Scotian, Black, and otherwise racialized candidates in learning programs right now and set to graduate, so that when they do graduate, we are addressing this less than 1 percent. Over 99 percent of the people working in this space are not Black, and this is one of the major findings of the report - that we need more folks who look like the populations who were harmed as a result of this event, to make sure we have partners, but also lived-experience folks actively presenting and delivering the care that African Nova Scotians continue to go without in our province.

THE CHAIR: Order. I’ll move to the Liberal caucus with MLA Mombourquette.

HON. DEREK MOMOURQUETTE: Thank you, Chair, and thank you all again for being here. I’ll jump right into it with my six-and-a-half minutes. In 2025, a group of researchers at Dalhousie released a study on the level of awareness and practices that health professionals in Nova Scotia have found around violence against women. The study found that the health care system has substantial gaps in how it responds to violence against women, and almost half of the participants saw consistent cases of violence in the workplace but lacked the knowledge and practice on how to deal with it.

Recommendation 12 suggests to the government that all health and social professions must have relevant and timely information on how to respond to intimate partner violence and dynamics in these relationships, the impact of intimate partner violence on children, and the potential for lethality in these cases.

How have the departments collaborated in informing and educating their respective professions on oversight about situations of intimate partner violence?

THE CHAIR: Ms. McCormick.

BETHANY MCCORMICK: I’d be happy to share how we’re approaching that work in the Nova Scotia Health Authority. We have our Violence Prevention, Intervention, and Response Program, which is focused on building system-level workforce capacity using a multi-tiered capacity framework. This framework looks at building first foundational knowledge and awareness and shared understanding in a broad way at the frontline with our clinical teams and providers.

At the intermediate level, we are building enhanced skills to identify, assess, and respond to this concern. In the most advanced part of the framework, there’s specialized expertise for high-risk and complex cases, including assessment skills around lethality of risk.

There’s a learning component to this work, of course. Tools and supports are being identified, organized, and mapped so that we can actively support our staff and clinicians to work with these individuals. We are also actively participating in the violence against women research that is happening at Dalhousie University, and we continue to partner with many other individuals around building this knowledge base and awareness for our staff and physicians.

THE CHAIR: ADM Stewart.

KIMBERLY STEWART: To add one thing, in addition to the work we do with Nova Scotia Health Authority - ADM Carroll spoke about the Ministers’ Table on Gender Based Violence - we, OEMH, is a participant on that table, and that is really where we’re getting at the longer-term or systemic issues in trying to come together as a government to address those. So I just wanted to add that, in addition to the work that’s being done in the Nova Scotia Health Authority in the frontline.

DEREK MOMBOURQUETTE: I’ll continue on the same topic, and move to Veterans Affairs Canada. What role has Veterans Affairs Canada played with the Province’s initiatives to raise awareness around intimate partner violence?

THE CHAIR: Ms. Hicks.

JANE HICKS: In terms of intimate partner violence, as I’ve indicated, Veterans Affairs Canada has a vast training program that they provide to case managers. At this point in time, it hasn’t been completely integrated within the Province of Nova Scotia, but certainly, there are opportunities to do so. As part of work going forward, we’ll look at how we can better integrate with the work that is happening with the Province.

DEREK MOMBOURQUETTE: My next question is one that’s been talked about a bit throughout the committee time here this afternoon, but I think it’s important. Advocates and experts have said an epidemic-level response to intimate partner violence would be an investment of around $108 million for our population, and that a larger investment of close to $200 million would transform the landscape around this critical issue.

My first question is how much is the annual spend for intimate partner violence this fiscal year?

THE CHAIR: ADM Carroll.

CYNTHIA CARROLL: Our government is definitely committed to continue to work with survivors to implement solutions to address the root causes of intimate partner violence. This year, we are increasing overall supports to address gender-based violence and intimate partner violence of more than $115 million across the department. This includes $10.9 million more to help people facing gender-based violence with rent supplements, for a total of $13.8 million to support 100 rent supplements; $17.6 million, of course, is to the Status of Women in core annual funding for transition houses and women’s centres.

[2:45 p.m.]

In March 2025, we announced an additional $17.9 million over four years to further stabilize these operations; $5.1 million goes out to 28 community-based organizations with projects that address gender-based violence through the National Action Plan to End Gender-Based Violence; $31.5 million comes from the Office of Social Development to support shelter spaces for female co-ed youth, as well as supportive housing for women and youth, and of course, $6.7 million is committed by the Department of Justice, as well as Public Prosecution, to provide supports via the Domestic Violence Initiative and Gender-Based Violence Division, Victim Services, and the Domestic Violence Court.

Even the diversity of the funding across governments - when we’re talking about gender-based violence, we’re also talking about the wider definition outside of intimate partner violence, which includes human trafficking. When we’re looking at that, we need to consider all pieces. Again, the spend is about $115 million this year.

THE CHAIR: MLA Mombourquette, as I look, you have eight seconds. Sorry.

MLA Mombourquette.

DEREK MOMBOURQUETTE: Since the striking of the Minister’s Table on Gender-Based Violence, how many times has . . .

THE CHAIR: Order. Good try. (Laughter) I will turn to the PC caucus, with 12 and a half minutes.

MLA Hilton.

NICK HILTON: One of the things that comes to mind for me right off was that every member of this panel had the same questions for all of you, and that speaks to the information that you’ve been able to provide, and the information and transparency that is provided also by the website. I think that is also available for all Nova Scotians, and that is important work. Thank you again for continuing to move this forward.

Many of my questions - some are for the Nova Scotia Health Authority and some for Veterans Affairs Canada - are more about what we can do moving forward in how we’re educating staff, all of us, and fellow Nova Scotians on the work that’s being done.

My first question for the Nova Scotia Health Authority is: How’s the progress of training health care workers going in areas like gender-based violence and intimate partner violence? What feedback are you hearing from staff and patients?

THE CHAIR: Ms. McCormick.

BETHANY MCCORMICK: The Nova Scotia Health Authority is very committed to new training and ongoing training for our staff, as we recognize it’s important to support people on our teams to work closely with individuals who have experienced intimate partner or gender-based violence.

As I explained earlier, we have the framework with the tiered approach to training around a violence prevention, intervention, and response program. This is a partnership with the IWK. Through this framework, we build system-level workforce capacity that is consistent, safe, and effective in our response working with individuals who experience intimate partner, domestic, or sexual violence. It aligns with skills, knowledge, and responsibilities from our different frontline positions, and it helps to reduce the variability across our teams. This helps to improve safety for individuals and families at risk.

The work that we are doing is building capacity through collaboration with government partners and community as well, working alongside other agencies and community-based organizations.

We are also focused on building cultural competency in our staff, and this is important so that we can strengthen the trust and relationship that we have working with individuals from Black Nova Scotia communities and other diverse backgrounds to help them feel safe and that our care is responsive and in touch with the needs that they bring forward.

The training that we are doing is focused on expanding the skills and abilities of the workforce but also looks at the different service models that we have available. It’s informed by evidence. While we continue to work on our recruitment efforts, we are connecting with the teams that we do have to bring training to them through our professional centre for training, education, and learning that helps our teams to gain additional skills around culturally responsive and equity-informed care. We also have introduced a psychiatrist and clinical therapist working with the Nova Scotia Brotherhood and Sisterhood. Teams are appreciative of this training and are actively giving us feedback about additional opportunities that they would like to see.

We’ve also recently done training related to the change in the Personal Health Information Act to ensure that all of our physicians, therapists, and others in mental health and in the health system more broadly have a full understanding of the change that happened with the PHIA legislation in April around the removal of the word “imminent” from the statement of risk in that Act. We’ve had ongoing education sessions, and we also have supports available to work with clinicians around how they apply that within the clinical context to make sure they’re making the best decision for the patient and for safety.

We also have a commitment to trauma-informed care, which we spoke about before. Many of our teams have been trained in trauma-informed principles. In fact, it’s embedded in the way that we do our training for front-line staff, whether they’re working at a novice level or at a more experienced level with specific populations.

Those are some examples of the training supports that we have that are focused on intimate partner and gender-based violence, as well as trauma-informed care and the changes in legislation recently.

NICK HILTON: My next question builds on that, as well. There’s a lot of work happening under the Personal Health Information Act to improve information sharing when there is a reasonable belief that a person is in significant danger or a danger to themselves or others. What does this look like? What is the approach that’s being taken? How is confidentiality also being respected in that same realm?

BETHANY MCCORMICK: As I mentioned, effective April 1^st, there was the amendment to the Personal Health Information Act that changed the threshold for discretionary disclosure of information without consent in situations that involve significant danger. What changed was the removal of the word “imminent.” Now, health care professionals, while they’re engaged with a patient, will apply their clinical judgment and professional therapeutic relationship to understand what’s happening with that patient. They will be able to apply their clinical judgment to understand when a disclosure without consent would be needed or when there are other ways that they can create safety for that patient.

What we have done are some education sessions within the Nova Scotia Health Authority, as well as looking at policies and procedures that we have to help staff look at their professional regulations - whether that’s a social worker, psychologist, nurse, physician - to understand what their colleges or their regulatory bodies suggest, as well as the legislative requirement to consider, when they’re working with a patient, what they need to weigh out in terms of what could minimally be disclosed to increase the safety for the patient, how they can balance that with the therapeutic trust that they have to have with that patient, and also what other safety measures we have in place for the individual.

It comes back to professional judgment, of course, but the change in the legislation for PHIA has enabled an increased level of information sharing that can, in certain situations, improve the safety for the individual, especially when there is a significant risk and sharing that information will help to support the patient.

NICK HILTON: That’s valuable. I worked in mental health and addiction for 10 years. That trust line can go either way. Being able to respect that is important.

Can you also speak to a bit of the work being done to access care in rural areas, specifically virtual care psychiatry?

BETHANY MCCORMICK: Yes, I’d be happy to speak to that. One of the things that’s important about access to mental health care for all Nova Scotians is that often the first point of contact is in primary health care. Whether you’re in your nurse practitioner or family physician’s office, we’ve made new services available.

One of those services is Virtual Hallway, which is a service through which your health care provider who’s in primary care can access a specialty consultation right there from the primary health care office. It’s not while the patient is in the room with you, but the doctor or nurse practitioner can consult with a psychiatrist and get information about how they might change your care plan or medication adjustment. That can be important because sometimes the patient will have a different conversation with their trusted primary care provider, sharing information with them. That allows them to follow up with the psychiatrist. That’s available all over the province.

The other thing that we have enhanced in the province are our virtual access options. In primary health care, there’s access to VirtualCareNS. For anybody who’s not attached to a primary care provider, they have access to a full-service option for virtual care, which can include referrals to psychiatrists or other specialists, as well as diagnostic testing, et cetera. For all Nova Scotians, even if you have a primary care provider, there are virtual options available, as well.

We’ve also added a service called Virtual Urgent Care Nova Scotia, which is available in many rural community emergency departments. This is important because it creates an access option in that community to an emergency physician who can see the patient virtually with support from the staff in the emergency department. This allows us to have fewer gaps in service in rural areas, and those services, as well, can help to identify when patients need to be connected to care elsewhere.

The other pathway that we have created and expanded across the province is Rapid Access pathway. This is a pathway where primary care providers can make a referral for a psychiatrist to see a patient for some specific concerns. It could be a first-time diagnosis, a medication adjustment, or some kind of diagnostic test that needs to be completed. With a referral, the primary care provider can request that psychiatry-specific assessment. It’s a limited-time assessment, and they provide recommendations back to the primary care provider for follow-up.

We have also made connections with the primary care clinics in the province that serve patients who are unattached - are not yet with a health home for primary care. They can also access the service. It started in Central Zone, and it’s now scaled across the province. All of the health zones have access to this service now.

THE CHAIR: Order. That concludes the time for witness questioning. The committee ends at 3:00 p.m. I understand Associate Deputy Minister Carroll has brief remarks, as well as Ms. Hicks.

ADM Carroll.

CYNTHIA CARROLL: On behalf of government, I want to express our appreciation for the opportunity to be here today to highlight some of the important work that has been completed and that we continue to advance.

The Province is committed to working across government and with community to address the long-standing systemic barriers identified through the recommendations made by the Desmond Fatality Inquiry and the Mass Casualty Commission. This includes ensuring services are more responsive, inclusive, and representative of the communities that they serve.

As you heard today, our responses to this inquiry focus on addressing the causes of violence, breaking down silos, and improving the safety and resilience of communities to create lasting change. These are complex issues, and although progress is being made, we know that there’s more work to do.

Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, we are committed to keeping the family and the community informed of this work. As we move forward, we will move forward with care, compassion, and respect.

Thank you for your attention, your thoughtful questions, and your ongoing commitment to addressing the recommendations. I look forward to continued dialogue and our progress together.

THE CHAIR: Ms. Hicks.

JANE HICKS: Veterans Affairs Canada has taken the findings of the Desmond Fatality Inquiry final report and recommendations seriously. The actions that I’ve outlined today reflect a concerted effort to learn from the past and strengthen support across the full continuum of service.

Evidence shows that transition is a critical period. It’s not a single moment; it’s a process that can affect health, housing, finances, stability, and sense of purpose. In response, VAC, working closely with DND - the Department of National Defence - and the Canadian Armed Forces, has focused on early engagement, individualized transition planning, screening, and a tiered needs-based service model for veterans with complex needs.

We’ve made deliberate investments in case management, staff training, digital tools, and a team-based approach so case managers can spend more time with veterans directly. Suicide prevention and crisis response remain central priorities. In Nova Scotia, where the military and veteran communities are deeply rooted, these efforts are particularly important and supported by strong local collaboration.

While meaningful progress has been made, we recognize that more can be done, and Veterans Affairs is committed to doing so. With that, thank you so much.

THE CHAIR: Once again, I want to thank all of the witnesses for being here today to discuss such an important and sensitive topic.

We got in under the wire, so thank you for keeping your closing remarks brief.

With that, I want to remind the committee that our next meeting is May 19, 2026, and our topic is Veterans’ Pension Benefits.

I call the meeting adjourned.

[The committee adjourned at 3:00 p.m.]