Expanded online claiming
for veterans
|
|
Faster
claim
submissions
and
processing
times
for
veterans
and
their
families
are
being
delivered
through
a
number
of
recent
improvements
and
features
to
MyService
–
DVA’s
online
platform.
Veterans
and
their
families
can
now
submit
claims
for
incapacity
payments
online,
which
is
one
of
the
most
significant
enhancements
since
the
platform’s
inception
in
2017.
DVA’s
transformation
is
about
not
only
upgrading
out-dated
computer
systems
but
also
looking
at
improving
our
service
delivery
to
ensure
the
best
possible
outcome
for
veterans
and
their
families.
Adding
incapacity
payments
to
the
ever-growing
list
of
claims
you
can
now
submit
online
is a
significant
benefit
for
those
veterans
and
their
families
who
most
need
access
to
support
quickly
and
easily.
By
providing
enhanced
online
services,
veterans
and
their
families
are
able
to
access
DVA
services
when
and
where
they
need
them.
The
MyService
platform
has
already
seen
significant
reductions
to
the
time
and
effort
required
to
submit
and
process
claims.
Veterans
who
have
not
registered
are
encouraged
to
visit MyService
to
sign
up.
The
Minister’s
media
release
can
also
be
found
on
the Minister
for
Veterans’
Affairs
website.
See
also
the
article
below 'Connecting
veterans
with
employers'.
|
|
Veterans' Employment Awards finalists announced
|
|
Finalists
for
seven
categories
of
the
2019
Prime
Minister’s
Veterans’
Employment
Awards
were
announced
recently
by
the
Minister
for
Veterans’
Affairs,
Darren
Chester.
Now
in
their
second
year,
the
awards
celebrate
the
achievements
of
veterans,
the
businesses
that
recognise
and
benefit
from
their
skills
and
experience,
and
those
who
support
spouse
employment.
The
quality
of
finalists
this
year
is
outstanding
and
represents
a
variety
of
Australian
businesses.
The
business
community
is
represented
by
organisations
who
are
all
leaders
in
the
field
of
veteran
employment.
Each
of
the
individual
veteran
finalists
makes
a
significant
contribution
to
their
civilian
workplaces
or
demonstrates
exceptional
achievements
as
veteran
entrepreneurs.
Winners
will
be
announced
at a
ceremony
at
Australian
Parliament
House
on
5
March
2019.
DVA
congratulates
the
finalists
for
the
2019
Prime
Minister’s
Veterans’
Employment
Awards
and
thanks
them
for
all
they
do
for
Australia’s
veterans
and
their
families.
For
a
full
list
of
the
finalists
and
other
information,
see
the media
release
on
Minister
Chester’s website.
|
|
Productivity Commission inquiry and hearings
|
|
|
The
Productivity
Commission
is
conducting
a
series
of
public
hearings
around
Australia
following
the
release
of
its
draft
report, A
Better
Way
to
Support
Veterans.
The
Commission’s
draft
report
was
released
on
14
December
2018,
and
contains
a
number
of
significant
recommendations
concerning
the
veteran
support
system.
The
public
hearings
are
being
conducted
by
the
Commission
to
receive
the
views
of
stakeholders
including
ex-service
organisations,
individual
veterans
and
veterans’
families
in
response
to
the
draft
report.
The
hearings
began
on 4
February
2019
in
Adelaide,
with
the
program
to
cover
all
capital
cities,
plus
Townsville
and
Wagga
Wagga.
The
Secretary
of
DVA,
Liz
Cosson
AM
CSC,
appeared
before
the
Commission
at
its
Canberra
hearing
on
12
February
2019.
The
Commission
recently
indicated
that
a
second
day
of
hearings
will
be
conducted
in
Brisbane
to
meet
strong
demand.
The
hearings
are
due
to
be
completed
by
early
March
2019.
Separately,
the
Minister
for
Veterans’
Affairs,
Darren
Chester,
is
convening
a
number
of
roundtables
to
seek
direct
feedback
from
the
veteran
community.
To
date,
these
roundtables
have
been
conducted
in
Tasmania
and
South
Australia.
Following
the
public
hearings
and
further
submissions
to
the
inquiry,
the
Commission
is
expected
to
provide
its
final
report
to
Government
in
June
2019.
Individuals
wishing
to
view
the
report,
or
view
the
location
and
dates
of
public
hearings,
can
do
so
via
the ‘Compensation
and
Rehabilitation
for
Veterans’
page
of
the
Productivity
Commission
website. |
|
New
families
channel
to
put
everyone
AT-Ease
|
|
|
Strong
families
are
essential
to
the
health
and
wellbeing
of
Australian
Defence
Force
members
and
veterans,
which
is
why
AT-Ease
has
launched
a
dedicated
Families
section
of
the AT-Ease
website.
The
AT-Ease
website
provides
the
serving
and
ex-serving
community
with
tailored
mental
health
tools
and
resources
to
help
them
recognise
issues
before
they
become
major
problems.
It
enables
them
to
take
action
and
maintain
higher
levels
of
wellness.
According
to
DVA
research,
around
60
per
cent
of
veterans
who
seek
mental
health
and
wellbeing
support
do
so
after
encouragement
from
a
family
member.
Currently,
around
two-thirds
of
visitors
to
the
AT-Ease
website
are
women,
and
almost
half
are
women
under
45.
By
targeting
information
and
support
directly
to
family
members
through
the
Families
section,
veterans
themselves
will
also
benefit.
The
Families
section
of
the
AT-Ease
website
responds
to a
clear
need
for
better
information
for
families,
especially
around
the
services
and
support
available
to
spouses
and
children
of
veterans.
AT-Ease
also
has
a
range
of
easy-to-follow
guides
to
help
families
recognise
and
deal
with
a
variety
of
mental
health
conditions
including
the
early
warning
signs
of a
potential
suicide,
the
signs
of
post-traumatic
stress,
how
to
improve
sleep
and
diet,
and
issues
related
to
addiction
and
anger
which
can
make
life
harder
for
families.
To
learn
more
about
the
Families
section,
and
other
support
services
available
to
the
veteran
community,
visit
the families
page
on
the
AT-Ease
website. |
|
Register
now
for
Anzac
Day
commemorations
overseas
|
|
|
Anzac
Day
holds
a
special
place
in
Australia’s
history.
Each
Anzac
Day,
the
Australian
Government
holds
a
commemorative
Dawn
Service
at
Gallipoli,
Turkey
and
near
Villers-Bretonneux,
France. Both
will
begin
at
5.30am
local
time.
For
those
looking
to
attend
the
services
in
2019,
please
apply
for
an
attendance
pass.
Members
of
the
public
are
encouraged
to
register
early.
If
you
are
planning
on
going
to
the
France
service,
don’t
forget
to
also
book
your
visit
to
the Sir
John
Monash
Centre.
The
Centre
tells
Australia’s
story
of
the
Western
Front
during
the
First
World
War.
Details
on
how
to
register
are
available
onDVA’s
website. |
|
Connecting
veterans
with
employers
|
|
|
From
left,
top:
Peter
Liston,
Managing
Director,
Secure
Windows;
Stuart Munro,
Manager
–
Defence,
Turner
&
Townsend;
Prime
Minister
Scott
Morrison;
Minister
for
Veterans’
Affairs
Darren
Chester;
George
Frazis,
Chief
Executive
Officer,
Consumer
Bank,
Westpac
Group;
Glen
Powys,
Managing
Director,
tech2.
From
left,
bottom:
Luke
Palmerlee,
Executive
Director,
J.P.
Morgan;
Darren
Edwards,
Managing
Director,
Boeing
Defence
Australia;
Natalie
Colbert,
Chief
Executive
Officer,
CanPLAY;
Luke
Rix,
Chief
Operating
Officer,
WithYouWithMe.
|
|
|
Australian
employers
who
provide
career
opportunities
for
veterans,
upskill
and
mentor
these
men
and
women
and
are
focused
on
how
to
retain
them
can
sign
up
to a
new
Veterans’
Employment
Commitment.
Australian
veterans
will
be
able
to
more
easily
identify
organisations
that
are
committed
to
hiring
ex-service
men
and
women
thanks
to
the
initiative,
which
builds
on
the
success
of
the
Prime
Minister’s
Veterans’
Employment
Awards.
Organisations
that
have
signed
up
are
listed
on
the Veterans
Employment
Program
website,
and
will
also
be
able
to
use
the
Veterans’
Employment
Commitment
logo
to
advertise
their
support.
The
Commitment
will
make
it
easier
for
Australian
businesses
to
access
highly
skilled
veterans
by
facilitating
the
connection
of
participating
organisations
with
veterans
seeking
work.
The
initiative
was
launched
by
Prime
Minister
Scott
Morrison,
Minister
for
Veterans’
Affairs
Darren
Chester
and
Chair
of
the
Industry
Advisory
Committee
on
Veterans
Employment
George
Frazis
at
Sydney-based
business
tech2
in
November,
2018.
The
Commitment
is
designed
to
publicise
those
businesses
who
have
committed
to
promote
the
employment
of
veterans.
‘Employers
across
the
country
are
hunting
for
the
sorts
of
skills
and
experience
our
service
men
and
women
gain
through
their
service,’
Mr
Morrison
said.
Mr
Chester
agreed,
noting
that
more
and
more
companies
were
recognising
that
hiring
a
veteran
was
good
for
business. |
|
|
New
Director
of
the
Office
of
Australian
War
Graves
|
|
|
Brigadier
Paul
Nothard
AM
CSC
has
been
appointed
as
the
new
Director
of
the
Office
of
Australian
War
Graves.
Mr
Nothard
started
in
the
role
on
11
January
2019
saying, ‘Australia
has a
long-standing
commitment
to
remembering
our
war
dead
and
I am
honoured
to
have
been
given
responsibility
for
this
important
task.’
Mr
Nothard
graduated
from
the
Royal
Military
College
in
1987,
and
began
his
career
as
an
officer
in
the
Australian
Army.
He
has
worked
in a
number
of
roles
across
Australia
and
overseas
for
more
than
30
years,
most
recently
as
Deputy
Commander
Joint
Task
Force
633
in
the
Middle
East.
He
was
awarded
the
Conspicuous
Service
Cross
in
1999,
and
in
2008
was
appointed
as a
Member
of
the
Order
of
Australia
for
his
exceptional
military
service.
The
highly
experienced
leader
holds
a
Bachelor
of
Professional
Studies
in
Management
and
Leadership
and
Masters
Degrees
in
Management
and
Strategic
Studies.
Mr
Nothard
said
he
would
draw
upon
his
Defence
knowledge
and
experience
to
acknowledge
and
recognise
those
who
have
served
and
made
the
ultimate
sacrifice
for
Australia. |
|
Improvements
to
the
Rehabilitation
Appliances
Program
|
|
DVA’s
Veterans'
Medicines
Advice
and
Therapeutics
Education
Services
(Veterans'
MATES)
program
aims
to
improve
the
use
of
medicines
and
related
health
services
in
the
veteran
community.
A
team
of
clinical
experts
help
write
current
health
and
medicine
information,
which
is
specifically
tailored
for
veterans
and
their
treating
health
professionals.
This
material
is
then
sent
to
identified
veterans,
medical
practitioners,
community
pharmacists
and
accredited
pharmacists.
The
program
focuses
on
the
appropriate
use
of
medicines,
reducing
adverse
drug
events,
decreasing
the
use
of
unnecessary
medicines
and
improving
the
use
of
health
services.
To
date,
more
than
40
targeted
topics
have
been
delivered
to
more
than
290,000
veterans,
32,000
doctors
and
8,500
pharmacies
and
accredited
pharmacists.
In
2018
these
topics
included dry
mouth, proton
pump
inhibitors, osteoporosis and preventing
falls.
Veterans’
MATES
has
a
high
participant
satisfaction
rate
–
identified
through
surveys
and
observational
studies,
with
77
per
cent
of
veterans
finding
this
program
helpful.
To
find
out
more
visit
the Veterans’
MATES
website or
call
us
during
business
hours
on
1800
500
869.
|
|
DVA’s
Veterans'
Medicines
Advice
and
Therapeutics
Education
Services
(Veterans'
MATES)
program
aims
to
improve
the
use
of
medicines
and
related
health
services
in
the
veteran
community.
A
team
of
clinical
experts
help
write
current
health
and
medicine
information,
which
is
specifically
tailored
for
veterans
and
their
treating
health
professionals.
This
material
is
then
sent
to
identified
veterans,
medical
practitioners,
community
pharmacists
and
accredited
pharmacists.
The
program
focuses
on
the
appropriate
use
of
medicines,
reducing
adverse
drug
events,
decreasing
the
use
of
unnecessary
medicines
and
improving
the
use
of
health
services.
To
date,
more
than
40
targeted
topics
have
been
delivered
to
more
than
290,000
veterans,
32,000
doctors
and
8,500
pharmacies
and
accredited
pharmacists.
In
2018
these
topics
included
dry
mouth,
proton
pump
inhibitors,
osteoporosis
and
preventing
falls.
Veterans’
MATES
has
a
high
participant
satisfaction
rate
–
identified
through
surveys
and
observational
studies,
with
77
per
cent
of
veterans
finding
this
program
helpful.
To
find
out
more
visit
the
Veterans’
MATES
website
or
call
us
during
business
hours
on
1800
500
869.
|
|
Register
now
for
DVA's
CVC
Pilot!
|
|
Veterans
are
encouraged
to
sign
up
for
the Coordinated
Veterans'
Care
(CVC)
Pilot to
trial
the
effectiveness
of a
digital
coaching
app.
The
CVC
Pilot
will
determine
whether the
app
can
help
veterans
build
resilience
and
improve
their
wellbeing.
Participants
will
use
the
app
alongside
support
from
a
general
practitioner
and
practice
nurse.
DVA
is
looking
for
veterans
who
are
existing
Gold
and
White
Card
holders
with
mild
to
moderate
anxiety
or
depression
and
who
have
a
diagnosed
musculo-skeletal
condition
requiring
pain
management.
While
the
Pilot
focuses
on
veterans
who
are
under
the
age
of
55,
GPs
can
refer
veterans
who
are
older
if
they
meet
other
eligibility
criteria.
Veterans
enrolled
in
the
CVC
Pilot
will
have
access
to
coordinated
care
from
their
GP
for
up
to
12
months
as
well
as
access
to
the
app.
The
app
is a
short-term
coaching
program
taking
an
average
of
6–8
weeks
to
complete.
The
app
also
provides
access
to
useful
information
and
emergency
contact
numbers.
The
Pilot
builds
on
the CVC
Programwhich
is
designed
to
increase
support
for
veterans
with
one
or
more
chronic
conditions
or
complex
needs,
and
who
are
at
risk
of
unplanned
hospitalisation.
The
CVC
Pilot
is
being
trialled
in
selected
regions
in
Queensland,
New
South
Wales,
Victoria,
South
Australia
and
Tasmania.
For
more
information
and
to
see
the
listed
regions
visit
the CVC
Pilot
(for
veterans)
page
on
the
DVA
website.
Registration
for
the
Pilot
ends
on
30
June
2019.
If
you
are
interested
in
participating,
please
contact
Tunstall
Healthcare
by
phone
(free
call
1800
424
514).
|
|
ANZAC
360
brings
the
remembrance
to
life
|
|
Virtual
reality
technology
and
stunning
360-degree
drone
footage
are
bringing
the
Australian
Remembrance
Trail
along
the
Western
Front
to
Australians
across
the
world,
through
an
app
called
Anzac
360
that
features
interactive
videos.
This
app
and
its
videos,
developed
by
DVA
in
partnership
with
News
Corp
Australia,
and
produced
by
Grainger
Films,
will
allow
all
Australians,
including
the
next
generation
of
schoolchildren,
to
experience
these
First
World
War
sites
from
their
classroom
or
at
home.
It
will
inspire
people
to
travel
to
France
or
Belgium
to
see
the
Australian
Remembrance
Trail
for
themselves
while
giving
those
who
cannot
visit
the
sites
in
person
the
next
best
thing.
Eight
key
sites
and
battles
are
explained,
highlighting
the
challenges
our
troops
faced
some
100
years
ago,
from
the
tactical
decisions
that
had
to
be
made
to
moments
of
extraordinary
bravery
that
resulted
in a
Victoria
Cross.
The
app
is
free
to
download
from
the
App
Store
and
Google
Play.
Search
Anzac
360.
|
|
A
former
member
of
the
Royal
Australian
Navy
has
devoted
the
past
50
years
to
painting.
Mal
Gilmour’s
interest
in
art
was
ignited
at
the
age
of
12.
After
leaving
school
at
the
age
of
14,
he
travelled
and
worked
around
rural
Australia.
This
chapter
of
Mr
Gilmour’s
life
has
influenced
his
art
which
focuses
on
Australian
landscapes.
‘I
grew
up
in
the
bush
with
no
electricity,
on
the
Goulburn
River,’
Mr
Gilmour
said.
Mr
Gilmour,
who
lives
in
Inglewood,
Victoria,
took
to
painting
after
being
medically
discharged
from
the
Navy
in
1967.
Having
enlisted
in
1963,
Mr
Gilmour
served
on
HMAS Vendetta,
a
destroyer
that
undertook
patrols
in
the
South
China
Sea
and
escorted
the
aircraft
carrier
HMAS Melbourne during
the
Indonesian
Confrontation.
It
later
escorted
the
carrier
HMAS Sydney to
Vung
Tau
during
the
Vietnam
War.
He
also
saw
service
in
Borneo
and
Malaya.
After
leaving
the
Navy,
painting
became
a
way
to
help
Mr
Gilmour
recover
from
some
of
the
stress
he
had
experienced
during
service.
‘Back
when
I
got
out,
you
were
just
shown
the
door,’
he
said.
The
self-taught
artist
has
featured
in
many
exhibitions
over
the
years,
his
first
just
a
year
after
his
discharge.
When
he
is
not
painting,
Mr
Gilmour
shares
his
passion
by
teaching
art
classes.
Despite
his
accomplishments,
he
remains
humble.
‘I’m
not
a
genius,
I’m
just
dedicated.
I
started
at
the
age
of
12
and
I’ve
never
stopped.’
For
more
information
about
Mal’s
work,
visit
his website.
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