Veteran-led initiative by Brodie Moore and Mick Hartnett to reduce suicides

Brodie Moore and Mick Hartnett served in Afghanistan and have lost their closest mates to suicide. Now, after joining forces they reveal how they are helping to save more lives.

Back when Brodie Moore and Mick Hartnett were serving, veterans faced waits of up to a year for mental health diagnoses and psychiatric reports from the Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA).

Frustrated by the delay, in 2022, they founded Medilinks Access, which with its team of expert specialists has now cut wait times to less than six weeks.

“I saw first-hand how many friends and family, including my brother who is currently an officer in the air force, were struggling to access psychiatry services and it was very obvious that mental health services for veterans needed to be improved,” Mr Moore, 33, who lost six colleagues during his tour of Afghanistan, said.

“Psychiatric assessments are a critical component of the DVA mental health compensation process and many veterans who have suffered mental health injuries during their service, have never spoken to a psychiatrist or other mental health services.”

Former soldier Brodie Moore founded Medilinks Access with Mick Hartnett. Picture: Richard Walker

Mick Hartnett says streamlined access to expert psychiatric assessments is crucial. Picture: Supplied

He said the royal commission’s final report serves as a reminder of just how crucial mental health support is for veterans.

The commission found the DVA was chronically understaffed and underfunded to perform its duties.

As of February this year, there were 73,700 claims with a DVA officer.

Mr Hartnett, who served in the army for 12 years, said streamlined access to expert psychiatric assessments is the “crucial first step in identifying and managing mental health conditions.”

“As a veteran myself, I understand first-hand the challenges of transitioning from military to civilian life,” Mr Hartnett said.

“Like most medical specialties in the country, there is a shortage of psychiatrists and therefore this creates a bottleneck for veterans to get the mental health support and care they deserve, leading to long wait times and poor outcomes.

“Our team of expert psychiatrists understand the complexities of service life, eliminating delays and providing quality care.”