Expanded online claiming
for veterans
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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'.
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Veterans'
Employment Awards
finalists announced
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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.
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Productivity
Commission inquiry
and hearings
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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. |
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New families channel
to put everyone AT-Ease
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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. |
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Register now for
Anzac Day commemorations
overseas
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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. |
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Connecting veterans
with employers
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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.
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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. |
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New Director of the
Office of Australian War
Graves
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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. |
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Improvements to the
Rehabilitation
Appliances Program
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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.
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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.
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Register now for
DVA's CVC Pilot!
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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).
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ANZAC 360 brings the
remembrance to life
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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.
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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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