New announcement: Researcher alleges VA covered up adverse consequences to toxic exposures

Researcher alleges VA covered up adverse consequences to toxic exposures

Posted by Steve Vogel on March 13, 2013 at 3:04 pm

A senior epidemiologist for the Department of Veterans Affairs who resigned in December told a congressional committee Wednesday that the agency has covered up data showing adverse consequences for veterans who were exposed to toxic materials from burn pits and other environmental hazards in Iraq, Afghanistan and the first Gulf War.

Steven S. Coughlin testified that he resigned from the VA's Office of Public Health in December "because of serious ethical concerns" about the agency's conduct, which he said included not releasing study results that point to a connection between environmental exposures and illnesses.

"On the rare occasions when embarrassing study results are released, data are manipulated to make them unintelligible," Coughlin said in his testimony to the House Committee on Veterans Affairs' oversight and Investigations subcommittee.

Coughlin said during his work studying the relationship between exposure to burn pits and asthma and bronchitis among Iraq and Afghanistan veterans, his supervisor told him not to look at data regarding hospitalizations and doctors' visits.

"When I advised him I did not want to continue as a co-investigator under these circumstances, he threatened me," Coughlin said.

Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric Shinseki has directed the Office of Research Oversight to review the allegations, according to the VA.

"Research on the health of Gulf War Veterans has been and continues to be a priority for VA," the agency said in a statement. "The Department depends on this research to inform our decisions and guide our efforts in caring for Gulf War Veterans. All allegations of malfeasance are taken seriously and are investigated fully."

During the hearing, several speakers said the VA has been slow to clearly acknowledge research that has validated Gulf War illnesses as a serious medical condition.

"There are many examples large and small of the VA minimizing Gulf War illness," said Lea Steele, a professor of biomedical studies and director of the Veterans Health Research Program at Baylor University.

Victoria Davey, chief officer for the VA's Office of Public Health and Environmental Hazards, told the subcommittee that the department takes the ailment seriously.

"We do not believe it is psychological," she said.

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Regards,
The Canadian Veterans Advocacy Team.

New announcement: Statement by Chris Hadfield, first Canadian commander of the International Space Station

Statement by Chris Hadfield, first Canadian commander of the International Space Station

“The ISS is an orbiting research vessel of unprecedented capability and Canada is in the thick of it.”
Source: Statement by Chris Hadfield, first Canadian commander of the International Space Station

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The Canadian Veterans Advocacy Team.

New announcement: Kelowna war veteran decides to stay in psychiatric unit

Kelowna war veteran decides to stay in psychiatric unit

David Toneff was stopped with a car full of loaded weapons in January
with files from Bob Keating CBC News
Posted: Mar 15, 2013 1:12 PM PT
Last Updated: Mar 15, 2013 1:59 PM PT



A Kelowna veteran who served Canada in Afghanistan will remain in a psychiatric Institution in Port Coquitlam after being stopped with a car full of loaded weapons.

David Toneff, 33, was stopped in January by an RCMP officer in the Okanagan city who noticed a headlight was out on the vehicle.

Toneff fled and when the officer caught up to him, he discovered the car was full of guns.

"Nine firearms were located within the vehicle, four of which were loaded and one of those being a nine millimeter hand gun on the front passenger seat of the vehicle," said Const. Kris Clark..

Police also executed a search warrant on Toneff's home and found more weapons, ammunition and an American white supremacist manifesto.

"It's certainly disturbing," said Clark, "What was his intention? Where was he going? It seemed like he was going to execute something."

Toneff was charged with 25 offences and appeared in court Thursday by video.

He decided not to seek bail and will remain in the psychiatric institution in Port Coquitlam until he appears in court again in early April.

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NEW INFO VIP - Ground Maintenance and Housekeeping Grants

Veterans Independence Program - Ground Maintenance and Housekeeping Grants

As of January 1, 2013, semi-annual up-front grant payments are being provided for grounds maintenance and housekeeping services offered under the Veterans
Independence Program (VIP). These benefits were previously being paid directly to providers, being reimbursed to program recipients, or being given via advance pay. Any new clients (Veterans I Primary Caregivers I Surviving spouses) applying for GK and HK under VIP will automatically be placed in the Grant program. The 105,000 existing VIP recipients will be converted to grants upon their anniversary dates (the date they started receiving VIP).

NEW APPLICANTS:
There have been no changes to the eligibility for the program - the same service eligibility and identified health need requirements are in place. Once eligibility is
determined then the Grant Determination Tool is applied and this tool calculates the grant that the client will receive.

EXISTING RECIPIENTS:
Everyone should have received a letter in fall 2012 advising of changes and a letter to give to their provider. If they did not receive a letter, they can get one by calling the NCCN 1-866-522-2122.

Upon the Anniversary date, the recipient's Benefit arrangement changes from reimbursement I direct bill I advance pay to the semi-annual grants.
Grants calculations for existing recipients are based on:
• If there has been no reassessment in the last year then the grant will be the equivalent on what was spent in the previous year (11 months, 3 weeks).
• If the HK and/or GK was reassessed with the GDT after Jan 3, 2013 then the grant is the what was calculated by the GDT.
• If the HK and/or GK were reassessed in the last 2 months prior to conversion - the grant will be equal to the reassessed amount.
• If the HK and/or GK were reassessed in the past year more than 2 months prior to anniversary date - there is a calculation that is based on percentage of
spending, projected spending, and amount of reassessment. (About 4000 VIP recipients are going to fall in this category)

Six months after the first grant payment, a second grant payment will be sent to the recipient. At that time the receipts that were submitted after the first grant for the previous year will have been factored in and an adjustment will be made to the grant.

STILL SERVING:
As of 1 January 2013, primary responsibility for providing eligible still-serving CF personnel with treatment, home care, home assistance and personal care benefits and seNices shifted from VAC to the CF. Men and women in uniform can access these seNices through their supporting CF Health Services Centre. This means that on a recipient's VIP anniversary date, the VIP benefits from VAC will be terminated.

However, if the member had released, or was in the release process prior to January 1, 2013, that person will not be impacted by these changes. Still SeNing members were advised that documented confirmation of a 2013 release date needed to be forwarded to the VAC Transitional Support Unit. This unit is ensuring that anyone who selfidentified prior to Jan 1, 2013 are not losing nor having a gap in their services. Anyone who releases without having provided the documentation prior to Jan 1,2013 will need to go through the VAC application process again.

NOTES ON GRANTS I COMMON POINTS OF CLARIFICATION:
- There is no overpayment for grants as there is for pensions or the previous advance pay system. If the recipient was eligible to receive grant on the day it was processed then it is the recipients to keep. For example if an eligible recipient passes away after receiving a grant, there is no requirement for the estate to repay any part the grant. The spouse of the Veteran recipient in cases such as this, is considered a new applicant and will be processed as per the GDT.

-The Spouses I Primary Care Givers of Veterans who live in Nursing Homes I Long - Term Care Facilities are eligible for the grant, however they cannot receive it by direct deposit at this time. This is a system generated barrier that the IT department is trying to have changed.
- Window Washing is no longer a separate element, it is being included in Housekeeping. When existing recipients were converted the spent amount in Window
Washing was added to overall House Keeping amount. Window Washing has always been a part of House Keeping, but it was added as a separate element for billing
purposes. VAC is going back to being in line with policy and including this under House Keeping.
- If a recipient requests a reassessment of the GK or HK because the recipient is reporting an increased health need, and the GDT computes an amount that is less than what the recipient is currently receiving, the recipient is to be 'grand fathered ' at the converted amount and NOT reduced. Please note they are to be grand fathered at the converted amount, not the previously approved amount. If the reassessment was due to a change such as moving into a smaller home (for example from a 3 bedroom house to a 1 bedroom apartment) the recipient's benefits will not be grand fathered.
- For those that may require support in managing the grants, they are eligible to access the support of VAC staff such as a Case Manager to help them identify potential resources.

The Grant Determination Tool
The Annual Grant Determination Tool (GDT) was developed as part of the Budget 2012 initiative to assist with the implementation of the Veterans Independence Program (VIP) Grant for Housekeeping and Grounds Maintenance. The GDT is not an assessment tool. It is a calculation worksheet to determine the amount that can be approved for the Housekeeping and Grounds Maintenance grant.

The Annual Grant Determination Tool works differently for VIP Housekeeping (HK) and Grounds Maintenance (GM). For Housekeeping services, the tool determines the individual's level of need for those services by assigning a level of need score based on answers to a series of questions. The Level of Need Score (LN) is then translated into hours of services.

For Grounds Maintenance, the tool determines how much funds are required (up to annual maximum rates) based on the size of the individual's property and other factors such as geography.

The Level of Need Score derived from the completed Grant Determination Tool will result in a fair and consistent approach that will standardize the way VIP Housekeeping and Grounds Maintenance services and costs are approved for clients nationally. There is no discretion beyond the scoring results provided by the Grant Determination Tool. The amount of the grant will reflect the needs of the recipient, as determined by the GDT.

---------

November 2012 Protected Personal Information

File:
Name
Address 1
Address 2
City, Province Postal Code

Dear [Name],

Starting on January 1, 2013, a semi-annual up-front grant payment will be provided for grounds maintenance and housekeeping services offered under the
Veterans Independence Program (VIP). These up-front payments will replace the current reimbursement process for these services. You will automatically receive your first grant payment when your benefit year expires on [DATE], provided you have submitted your VIP annual renewal form. Please continue to submit receipts for the services that are rendered up until that date.

What this change means:
- Your grant payments are for housekeeping and grounds maintenance services only. You will no longer have to obtain or submit receipts and wait to be reimbursed for housekeeping and grounds maintenance services.
- You will receive your grant payments up front and in two annual installments. Your first grant payment will be received when your new benefit year begins in 2013. You will receive your second payment six months later.

-2-

- Your grant payment calculation will be based on your needs, local rates for housekeeping and grounds maintenance services and your previous expense history for these services.
- You will be advised in writing of your annual grant amount.
- You may continue to use the service provider of your choice. You will be responsible for paying your provider directly.
- Service providers registered with Medavie Blue Cross will be informed of this change. We have enclosed a letter that you may share with your housekeeping and/or grounds maintenance provider(s) identifying the date you will begin receiving the up-front grant payments.
- Should you have any receipts outstanding from last year, please submit them as soon as possible.
- If you are receiving other VIP services, please ensure that you or your provider continues to submit receipts for reimbursement. If you are receiving advanced payments, these payments will continue for your other VIP services.

We will continue to follow up with you annually to ensure your VIP services are meeting your needs. You will be required to complete the annual follow-up form
to ensure there is no interruption in your VIP benefits. In the meantime, if your needs change, please contact VAC directly. You are responsible for managing the up-front grant payments issued to you. The funds are intended to contribute to the cost of housekeeping and/or grounds maintenance services. Your annual grant amount will not be increased unless your needs change.

For more information about the Veterans Independence Program and how Veterans Affairs Canada can help you, please visit www.veterans.gc.ca or call
toll free 1-866-522-2122.

Veterans Affairs Anciens Combattants

November 2012

Dear Provider:

Protected Personal Information

File:

Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) advises you that effective [Date] [Client Name] at [Address] will begin receiving a semi-annual up-front grant payment for grounds maintenance and/or housekeeping services offered under the Veterans Independence Program (VIP). After this date, your client will be responsible for paying you directly and will no longer have to submit receipts or wait to be reimbursed. This also means that you will not be able to submit for reimbursement on a client's behalf for services delivered after the beginning of their new benefit year. Clients will receive two payments each year: The first at the beginning of
their 2013 benefit year, the second six months later.

Other benefits provided under VIP will continue to be administered as usual. If you have any questions, please contact the toll-free VIP Inquiry Line at
1-888-827-9222.

BLUE CROSS CROIX BLEUE Canada

VIP Grant - 01

VIP Grant Conversion (First installment, converted based on expenses)

Date

PROTECTED - PERSONAL INFORMATION

FILE: K1234567

Recipient's First Name Last Name
Address Line 1
City, Prov Postal Code

Dear (Name)
As you know, Veterans Affairs Canada is converting housekeeping and grounds maintenance benefits under the Veterans Independence Program (VIP) to up-front grant payments. Effective (date), your housekeeping and/or grounds maintenance benefits have been converted to a grant and you will no longer have to send in receipts and wait to be reimbursed for services provided after this date.

If you receive VIP benefits other than housekeeping and/or grounds maintenance and submit requests for reimbursement either by sending receipts, signing VIP claim forms, or a combination of both, you will need to continue to do so for those services.

Your grant amount was calculated based on your usage from the previous year. If you have not submitted receipts for expenses in the past year for either housekeeping or grounds maintenance, you will not be receiving a grant payment for that benefit at this time. Based on this, the following will be provided to contribute toward the cost of services:

(Enter applicable amounts:

Housekeeping for $/per year (Enter HK amount)
Grounds Maintenance for $/per year (Enter GM amount).
= Total Annual Grant for $ (Enter grant amount).

Your grant will be issued in two semi-annual installments. The first installment of $ (Enter amount of first installment) has been issued. However, please note that the actual payment you receive may be different if any adjustments were necessary. Please refer to the Explanation of Benefits (EOB) statement accompanying the payment which will list any adjustment or any other payments that may have been made at the same time. Your second payment will be provided in (Enter month and year of next payment issue), as long as you continue to be eligible to receive these benefits. Please be assured that your second payment will be adjusted to incorporate any eligible receipts from last year.

While you continue to have 18 months from the date services are provided to submit any outstanding receipts for reimbursement, only those invoices and receipts that we receive by (Enter May 31,2013 for those converted in Jan and advance one month for each conversion month on a go forward basis) can be considered in
calculating your grant amount. Any required adjustments will be added to your second grant payment.

You are responsible for managing the grant payments issued to you and paying your service provider(s) for their services. The payments are intended to contribute to your costs of housekeeping and/or grounds maintenance services.

Your annual grant amount may be increased if your needs change. If you have questions or concerns related to your grant payment, please call us at 1-855-342-3760. This toll free line has been set up specifically to respond to inquiries on grant payments only.

If you feel that your annual grant amount has not been calculated correctly, you may request a review by writing within 60 days of receiving this letter to:

Veterans Affairs Canada
National 1 st Level Appeals
40 Alderney Drive, Stn #202
Dartmouth, NS B2Y 2N5

In your letter, please include the reason you are requesting a review and any additional information to support your request.

Sincerely,

Tania Stote
Contract Manager
VIP Conversion Unit

Regards,
The Canadian Veterans Advocacy Team.

http://canadianveteransadvocacy.com/Board2/index.php

New announcement: Vets’ PTSD Affects Mental and Physical Health of Partners

Vets' PTSD Affects Mental and Physical Health of Partners

Study first to suggest health risks for female partners of vets with PTSD

March 7, 2013 – A study from the University of Utah sheds new light on the health risks faced not only by military veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), but by their partners as well. Results of the study will be presented later this month at the annual meeting of the American Psychosomatic Society.

The study compared emotional and physiological responses of two groups of military veterans and their partners during and after engaging in a "disagreement task" set in a clinically-monitored environment. The veterans in one group had been diagnosed with PTSD, and those in the control group had not.

According to the researchers, the most remarkable finding was that the partners of veterans with PTSD showed even greater increases in blood pressure during conflict than the veterans with PTSD themselves, suggesting that these partners may be at similar, if not greater, risk for health consequences from relationship conflict and PTSD as the veterans.

Although prior research has documented greater cardiovascular reactivity to general stressors and higher levels of anger in veterans with PTSD, this is the first study to report such physiological and anger responses to intimate relationship conflict for veterans, as well as their partners. An important finding was that female partners of male veterans who had been diagnosed with PTSD suffered not only from general psychological distress, but also exhibited more negative emotional and physical effects from relationship conflict, including significant increases in measurements of blood pressure and anger.

"Overall, we found that couples where the veteran has PTSD showed greater emotional and relationship distress than military couples without PTSD," says Catherine Caska, a graduate student in clinical psychology at the University of Utah and whose doctoral dissertation is the basis of this research. "The couples affected by PTSD also showed greater increases in blood pressure, heart rate, and other indicators of cardiovascular health risk in response to the relationship conflict. Veterans with PTSD showed larger increases in blood pressure in response to the relationship conflict discussion than did veterans without PTSD. These responses and the greater emotional reactions and overall relationship distress reported by veterans with PTSD could contribute to the increased risk of cardiovascular disease previously found to be associated with PTSD."

Why is PTSD in veterans important?

PTSD is a type of anxiety disorder caused by a traumatic event that involves the threat of injury or death. Up to 25 percent of the more than 2 million veterans returning from the wars in Iraq or Afghanistan have signs of PTSD. The health and economic consequences of the disorder are significant.

PTSD is strongly associated with both increased risk of cardiovascular disease—including stroke, hypertension, and heart disease—and emotional distress between couples, especially for those in the military. Researchers note that the annual healthcare costs for military veterans are estimated at $4 billion to $6 billion, much of which is related to physical health problems other than trauma-related physical injury. This is the first study to explore the emotional and cardiovascular effects of relationship discord in military personnel, as well as the potential physical health risks for partners of veterans with PTSD.

"We learned that couples with PTSD experience more signs of physical and emotional stress than other military couples when under a challenge to their relationship," says Tim Smith, professor of psychology at the University of Utah, and a co-author on the study. "Understanding possible links between increased relationship stress and the risk of heart problems gives practitioners new insights in the treatment of PTSD, as well as the management of couple difficulties."

How the study was conducted

Sixty-five male veterans and their female partners participated in the study. The veterans had deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan an average of 1.5 times since 2001. There were 32 couples in which the veteran had PTSD and 33 couples in the control group without PTSD being a factor. Although efforts were made to include couples with female veterans and male partners, none were found for this study.

All participants were interviewed by a clinician and completed standard questionnaires to measure PTSD, depression, anger and anxiety, marital satisfaction and areas of disagreement.

The topic area of highest disagreement provided the basis for a laboratory conflict task for each couple. Before beginning the conflict task, each participant's blood pressure and heart rate were monitored while looking at neutral landscape photographs to measure their cardiovascular functioning while in a "resting" state. Participants also completed questionnaires to assess their levels of anxiety and anger before the conflict task.

To measure couples' emotional and cardiovascular functioning during conflict, each discussed together a current issue for them in a structured and timed fashion. The conversations on their selected topic were divided into three segments: an unstructured conversation, a structured segment where the partners took turns speaking and listening and a final unstructured discussion. Physiological measurements were taken throughout the segments, and following the task, each participant completed additional questionnaires and was interviewed separately.

Does PTSD affect emotional functioning?

Perhaps not surprisingly, veterans in the PTSD group showed significantly greater symptoms of PTSD than in the control group. Those veterans—and their partners—also had greater psychological distress, that is, depression and anxiety, than their counterparts in the control group.

When examining how well the participants function emotionally as couples, the results again showed that the couples with PTSD were under greater stress, than those couples without PTSD. The effect is shown through higher levels of conflict or disharmony, as well as higher levels of disaffection, which also means emotional distance or lack of warmth and closeness. Though these were all higher compared to control couples, PTSD couples reported even greater problems with frequent and intense conflict than they did with disaffection.

Does PTSD affect how couples manage under pressure?

Emotional functioning of the couples was put to the test in the conflict task. Overall, after the challenge couples reported larger increases in negative affect—meaning anxiety and anger—compared to the baseline. PTSD couples reported more negative affect than control couples, with a significantly larger increase in anger than anxiety. This was shown in both veterans and their partners, with the latter displaying even greater anger responses than the veterans with PTSD.

Measurements of the health impact of such conflict were also consistent. This was demonstrated by blood pressure and heart rate each being elevated in the couples with PTSD compared to controls. Strikingly, partners in the PTSD group not only had greater increases in blood pressure than control group partners, but also compared to the veterans with PTSD.

"The results of our study emphasize the potential role of relationship difficulties in the increased risk for cardiovascular disease among Iraq and Afghanistan War veterans with PTSD," concludes Caska. "These data also suggest the possibility of similar heath risks for their partners. These findings could have important implications for the focus of treatments and services for this population, and further drives home the need to continue to focus research and resources on understanding and better serving military families."

http://unews.utah.edu/news_releases/vets-ptsd-affects-mental-and-physical-health-of-partners/

This study was supported in part by a National Institute of Mental Health Grant.
Media Contacts For This Story
Catherine Caska
clinical psychology doctoral student at the University of Utah
Office Phone: 518-929-0401
Email address: cmcaska@gmail.com

Tim Smith
professor of psychology
Office Phone: (801) 581-5087
Email address: tim.smith@psych.utah.edu

Valoree Dowell
University of Utah Communications
Office Phone: 801-585-6861
Cell Phone: 801-403-3128
Email address: v.dowell@utah.edu

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Regards,
The Canadian Veterans Advocacy Team.

New announcement: Ex-veterans' ombudsman treated for post-traumatic stress

Ex-veterans' ombudsman treated for post-traumatic stress

Pat Stogran blames shock he felt over Ottawa's treatment of disabled soldiers
By Donna Carreiro, CBC News
Posted: Mar 5, 2013 6:35 AM CST
Last Updated: Mar 5, 2013 2:48 PM CST

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/story/2013/03/04/mb-ptsd-pat-stogran-battle-scars.html

Canada's former veterans affairs ombudsman is now being treated for post-traumatic stress disorder — a direct result, he says, of the shock he felt over Ottawa's treatment of disabled soldiers.

"The most traumatic experience that I had was the aftermath of my experience as veterans ombudsman," retired colonel Pat Stogran told CBC News.

"I find it very, very difficult to take the situation sitting down."

Stogran was shocked but not surprised to hear the stories that veterans have told CBC Radio as part of its special series, Battle Scars.

Some of those stories have been about veterans being denied treatment for PTSD and, in some cases, being denied disability pensions once they were released.

"Yeah, different time, different place, but same old story," Stogran said from his Ottawa home. "The system is an empty shell of treatment and services."

Back in 2007, the federal government hand-picked Stogran to act as a special adviser to the minister of veterans affairs.

Stogran, who had served in the military for more than 30 years, took that chance to advocate for better treatment of disabled soldiers, regardless of whether those injuries were physical or psychological.
Pension plan changes challenged

He specifically challenged the government on its revised disability pension plan. Prior to 2006, wounded veterans were compensated in lifelong monthly installments.

Now, they're paid one lump-sum installment — something that critics charge is penny-pinching and insufficient.

Stogran also advocated for better support and treatment for veterans suffering the injuries you can't see, like PTSD.

Again, he said, those pleas fell on deaf ears. By 2010, he was ousted from his job, he said.

Today, Stogran still advocates for disabled veterans. He says it's a matter of life and death.

Without federal support, more soldiers will commit suicide, he said, especially as Canada's troops return from Afghanistan in the next year.

"It shouldn't be a numbers game," he said.

"Does the government have a quota that they're going to fill before they react? We should be doing everything we can to stop that kind of a trend …. Let's not wait until the requisite number of suicides occur before they flick the switch."
Department responds

In an email sent late Monday, Veterans Affairs Canada told CBC News it is helping more than 16,200 veterans with mental health conditions and their families.

A spokesman said the department conducts transition interviews with released Canadian Forces members, reservists and their families to "identify any potential challenges/barriers they may face in making a successful transition from military to civilian life" as well as highlight programs that could help.

Veterans Affairs Canada case managers and clinical care managers work with veterans with complex needs, including mental-health needs.

The department also has a suicide prevention framework and addiction strategy in place, the spokesman added.

"The range of benefits and services available to eligible veterans and their families from Veterans Affairs Canada are intended to reduce the burden of disabilities related to military service, thereby reducing the pressures that can lead to suicide," the department's email states in part.

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The Canadian Veterans Advocacy Team.

New announcement: Jigsaw Casting Ltd. is Seeking Canadian War Veterans

Jigsaw Casting Ltd. is Seeking Canadian War Veterans for an Upcoming Quick Serve Restaurant!

Description

We are seeking Current and WWII Canadian Vet's who love Coffee!

About the Role

WWII VET- Male, You have helped serve our country in WWII

VET/SERVICE PERSON- Men or Women, 20+ years of age. You have helped serve our country post WWII

***ALL VETERAN'S WILL BE BOOKED OFF OF THEIR HEADSHEET/PICTURE SO WILL NOT BE REQUIRED TO AUDITION IN PERSON.

IF BOOKED EACH PERSON WILL BE PAID APPROX $1000.00

Details & Submission Information
If interested, you must submit in order to be invited in to audition.
Please e-mail the following to: info@jigsawcasting.com
1. Your names, ethnicity, ages and brief bio
2. Photos: headshots and body shot. Snap shots are fine
3. Your primary and secondary contact information
4. Please write 'PROJECT COFFEE VET in subject line of e-mail, along with your role name and age. (E.G. "Project Coffee Vet - John Smith –WWII VETERAN- age 65")

Submissions are due by: Wednesday March 5th @ 5pm
You must be available for these key dates:
SHOOT: March 11th and 12th

Questions or Concerns
*If you have already submitted for this project, you do not need to resubmit your information
*Please note that you will not be compensated for the audition
*You must be a Canadian Citizen to participate.
*If you are a signed actor, please allow your agent to submit for you.
*If you have received this notice after the deadline please call Caitlin at ext. 230 at Jigsaw, 416-360-0336.
PLEASE JOIN OUR FACEBOOK GROUP FOR FUTURE CASTING CALLS: www.facebook.com/jigsawcasting
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT BECOMING A PERFORMER AND PROTECTING YOURSELF GO TO: http://www.actratoronto.com/perform/protectyourself.html

60 SUMACH ST / 2ND FLOOR / TORONTO, ON M5A 3J7 / T: (416) 360 0336 / F: (416) 360 0465 www.jigsawcasting.com

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Regards,
The Canadian Veterans Advocacy Team.