The Support to Engineers in Need Program provides timely support to Engineers in need. That means any Canadian Military Engineer, serving or retired, or an immediate family member of a Canadian Military Engineer who is in distress due to a physical, psychological, or financial situation who requires an immediate or extraordinary response, can be helped. Approval is given on a case-by-case basis upon consideration of the merits of the case. The application is normally made through the CMEA Chapter supporting the need.

Aim

1. The primary purpose of the "Support to Engineers in Need" program is to provide timely support to Engineers in need.

Definition

2. For the purposes of this CMEA Directive, an Engineer in need is defined to be a Canadian Military Engineer, serving or retired, or an immediate family member of a Canadian Military Engineer who is in distress due to a physical, psychological, or financial situation that requires immediate and/or extraordinary response.

Principles

3. The program is primarily, but not exclusively, focused on providing timely yet modest support to Engineers in need. This support is available to all CME Family members, regardless of their membership status with the CMEA. Approvals will be given on a case-by-case basis upon consideration of the merits of the case.

4. This support is provided beyond any support that can normally be expected of similar programs of the Canadian Armed Forces, Veterans Affairs Canada, The Royal Canadian Legion, or other of the common third-party sources. Consideration of the merits of a request for support should start with a confirmation that support from these agencies has been investigated. Details of such other programs are provided below.

5. While financial support will be the most frequent mechanism of support, other types of support may also be considered. On occasions where it has been determined that support from others can be requested to provide the support needed, but this cannot happen in a timely manner, the CMEA may consider providing financial support on a recoverable loan basis.

6. Where possible, the local CMEA Chapter should provide the focus for the first level of support. Investigation of the need at a local level is highly desirable to both set up a local connection as well as to distribute the research workload. If warranted, a request for National CMEA support should be made by the local Chapter on behalf of the individual. All requests should ultimately be directed to the CME Branch CWO, a member of the CMEA National Executive Committee (NEC).

7. Any financial support provided by a local Chapter must be reported to the NEC through the CME Branch CWO.

8. The CMEA will budget a total of $3000.00 per fiscal year to the "Support to Engineers in Need" program. The total amount of financial support that any one Engineer can receive from this CMEA program is $1000.00. The $1000.00 will include any monies contributed from local Chapters.

9. The "Support to Engineers in Need" program will be reviewed annually by the CME Branch CWO, CMEA National President, and CMEA National Treasurer. They are authorized to make any adjustments and to assess if the program is meeting the needs of the wider Engineer Family.

Process

10. Requests should be staffed electronically by the local CMEA Chapter to the CME Branch CWO. If the Engineer in need is not a member of a Chapter then the Engineer or his/her representative may approach the CME Branch CWO directly. The Chain of command should always be aware of the request regardless of how it is processed.

11. The CME Branch CWO is responsible for assessing the merits of the request and making recommendations to the NEC.

12. Approvals will normally be sought electronically due to the urgency that is normally associated with these requests.

13. Overall control of the financial extent of this assistance is to be guided by an allocation as part of the national CMEA annual budget.

14. Approvals will be given on a case-by-case basis considering the merits of the case, and without undue concern about 'establishing a precedent.'

15. The CME Branch CWO will regularly present the NEC with a summary of recent approvals.

Other available resources

16. The Guide to Benefits, Programs, and Services for Serving and Former Canadian Armed Forces Members and their Families ( http://www.forces.gc.ca/en/caf-community-benefits-ill-injured-deceased/guide-toc.page ) provides a comprehensive overview of all programs provided by the CAF, federal and provincial governments, Veterans Affairs, and other organizations including the Legion, UN and SISIP (including links to their websites) . A key point of contact is the Integrated Personal Support Center (IPSC) which can provide guidance on all programs. The IPSCs are located regionally and/or in most provinces.