Federal budget 2020: Mental health and support services for serving, veteran Diggers get funding boost
New provisions to combat the high incidence of suicide and PTSD in the ranks of serving and veteran Diggers have been unveiled, with spending on mental health and support services to be ramped up.
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Serving Australian Defence Force personnel will be offered help to transition to civilian life and then provided ongoing mental health support under new provisions to combat the high incidence of suicide and PTSD in the ranks of serving and veteran Diggers.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison has committed $101.7 million over four years from this year, for veterans’ mental health support and services including creating new specialist veteran mental health care psychiatry training places.
There is also funding for more case co-ordinators and other veteran health workers and the establishment of a new Veteran Family Advocate position to work with families to help shape policy.
The commitment follows Mr Morrison’s very public support for veterans following appeals by the mothers, wives and partners of those troubled serving or former soldiers failing to cope with life after the military.
This year’s Budget sees the funding for the previously pledged establishment of the independent National Commissioner for Defence and Veteran Suicide Prevention to investigate more than 400 Defence and veterans deaths by suicide since 2001.
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The $31 million spend over five years will ensure the office can sustain royal commission powers to properly undertake the review into “systemic issues relevant to these deaths by suicide” including to compel the production of evidence, summons witnesses and make recommendations.
A new National Coronial Centre for Defence and Veteran Suicides will also be scoped and established within State and Territory Coroner jurisdictions.
Among a raft of veteran specific initiatives, is also expanding the Open Arms’ Veterans and Families Counselling Community and Peer program.
Help is also coming digitally with a pilot program of web-based forums for veterans and their families, better improving support and access in regional and remote areas.
The government will also provide an additional $25 million to exempt Veterans’ Disability Pensions from the Commonwealth’s income test for rent assistance and income support payments.
This is expected to lead to more veterans eligible for rent assistance and follows recommendations made by the Productivity Commission.
One of the biggest moves however will be funding to help veterans adjust to life outside the Australian Defence Force, specifically to find jobs and adjust to civilian norms.
The focus on veterans affairs by Defence comes after the government had already committed $270 billion to Defence spending over the next 10 years, with new toys including aircraft and missiles as it refocuses on the changing strategic outlook of the Pacific Region.
The government did however announce further commitment to its Pacific Step Up program with infrastructure programs for Pacific allies notably the Solomon Islands where it plans to construct a border and patrol boat “outpost”.
China had proposed a similar idea with the Solomons and has been looking to shore up closer ties with them and other nation’s including Vanuatu, PNG and East Timor.
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Originally published as Federal budget 2020: Mental health and support services for serving, veteran Diggers get funding boost