DFWA is tracking Government’s implementation of the recommendations made in the Interim National Commissioner for Defence and Veteran Suicide Prevention – Interim Report
Note the recommendations listed in the table below are summarised. See the published recommendation list or report for full description.
The tracker was last updated on 15 October 2021.
| No. | Recommendation | Govt Advised Status | Government Comment |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.1 | Monitoring and reporting on implementation of recommendations from previous and future inquiries. | Pending | |
| 3.2 | Independent body to oversee monitoring, reporting, and evaluation of recommendation 3.1. | Pending | |
| 3.3 | Prioritise the implementaiton of outstanding recommendations from past reviews and inquiries. | Pending | |
| 4.1 | Reconsider the purpose of DVA rehabilitation and compensation legislative framework. | Pending | |
| 4.2 | Simplify the DVA claims process wherever possible. | Pending | |
| 4.3 | Ensure DVA staff are skilled in trauma-informed practice. | Pending | |
| 4.4 | Expand DVA programs and initiatives that support people with complex cases and high needs to access wrap-around support. | Pending | |
| 4.5 | Amend the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) to treat Defence and DVA as a single entity, in order to enable seemless information sharing. | Pending | |
| 5.1 | Review and evaluate current ADF policies, practices, and processes aimed at preventing and reporting unacceptable behaviour. | Pending | |
| 5.2 | Implement a mechanism to enable reports of unacceptable behaviour within the ADF to be made outside the chain of command. | Pending | |
| 5.3 | Review and analyse the findings of the UK Defence Sub-Committee report Protecting Those Who Protect Us: Women in the Armed Forces from Recruitment to Civilian Life, and investigate whether there are parallels in the experiences of Australian ADF members and veterans. | Pending | |
| 6.1 | Commission an external review and evaluation of the culture within the Australian Defence Force (ADF) associated with mental ill health and help-seeking behaviour | Pending | |
| 6.2 | Undertake a scoping study to develop options for ADF members who may otherwise be medically discharged. | Pending | |
| 6.3 | Ensure that all uniformed psychologists are clinical psychologists. Organisational psychology services to be provided by civilians. | Pending | |
| 6.4 | Ensure that uniformed clinical psychologists are employed in all ADF base or formation headquarters, and, where appropriate, at unit level. | Pending | |
| 6.5 | Develop and implement processes to ensure continuity of care between ADF-provided health care and civilian health care providers for transitioning personnel. | Pending | |
| 6.6 | Australian Defence Force Academy offer psychology, social work and chaplaincy degrees to assist with improving the availability of practitioners who have Defence and veteran expertise in these fields. | Pending | |
| 6.7 | Implement programs and incentives for mainstream healthcare professionals to improve their understanding of issues relevant to effectively treating veterans (i.e. veteran cultural competency). | Pending | |
| 6.8 | Consider including veterans as a priority group for Primary Health Networks (PHNs), and providing funding and program stability for PHN initiatives to support veterans. | Pending | |
| 6.9 | Consult the RANZCP on amending the Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA) fee schedule for psychiatrists. | Pending | |
| 6.10 | Fund, and work with state and territory governments to facilitate, a scoping study to determine the effectiveness of veteran specific wards or centres in key hospitals. | Pending | |
| 6.11 | Independently evaluate DVA's fee schedules for services to ensure that veterans are not at a disadvantage in competing for already scarce healthcare services and resourcing. | Pending | |
| 7.1 | Reform and reimagine transition out of the Australian Defence Force (ADF). | Pending | |
| 7.2 | Assign peer supporters to all new recruits and appointees. | Pending | |
| 7.3 | Explore additional opportunities to integrate lived experience and peer support into its transition programs. | Pending | |
| 7.4 | Ensure that Defence designs and delivers military training courses and qualifications so that ADF members can attain equivalent civilian qualifications simultaneously. | Pending | |
| 7.5 | Explore initiatives that better support service members to gain civilian skills and qualifications in their intended post-service career path prior to their transition. | Pending | |
| 7.6 | Commonwealth, state and territory governments continue work with businesses and peak industry bodies to promote the benefits of employing veterans. | Pending | |
| 7.7 | Ensure all ADF members transitioning out of Defence have undertaken a comprehensive, compulsory transition program prior to their discharge. | Pending | |
| 8.1 | Develop a process to formally partner ex-service organisations with Australian Defence Force (ADF) members from their commencement of service in the ADF. | Pending | |
| 8.2 | Explore and build on initiatives that coordinate and streamline veteran services across the Australian Government, state and territory governments, and community and health sectors. | Pending | |
| 8.3 | Create an independent entity to identify ex-service organisation and veteran support organisation groups, capacity build, deconflict services, focus funding, integrate services across the community and all levels of government and provide dynamic communication channels. | Pending | |
| 8.4 | Compile and maintain a consolidated, up-to-date, database of community veteran support organisations, and make key information from this database accessible to the public. | Pending | |
| 9.1 | Include questions on planned post-discharge housing arrangements for Australian Defence Force (ADF) members as part of its transition planning. | Pending | |
| 9.2 | Introduce procedures to enquire into and record the housing circumstances of all DVA and Open Arms clients. | Pending | |
| 9.3 | Introduce a system whereby veterans can have a portion of their DVA payments automatically directed to pay rent. | Pending | |
| 9.4 | Funding from the Australian Government and state and territory governments be made available to support appropriate community projects that provide crisis, short-term and long-term housing for veterans and families so as to avoid veteran homelessness. | Pending | |
| 9.5 | Update the National Housing and Homelessness Agreement (NHHA) to include veterans as a priority cohort. | Pending | |
| 10.1 | Ensure the continuation of the work of the Interim Commissioner that had begun on compiling a register of suspected or confirmed deaths by suicide of Australian Defence Force (ADF) members and veterans. | Pending | |
| 10.2 | Commonwealth and state and territory governments ensure that processes are in place so that deaths by suicide of ADF members and veterans are identified as early as possible and recorded consistently by Coroners. | Pending | |
| 10.3 | Ensure that Defence and DVA are capturing all data relevant to suicide risk and protective factors where these issues relate to service and issues arising during service. | Pending |