Black Dog Institute launches veterans toolkit for Primary Health Networks

A suicide-prevention ‘road map’ has landed in the hands of GPs and primary health carers looking to support Australia’s veterans. Here’s why a Darwin veteran is backing it.

Australia’s veterans have “amazing support available” but it can be a confronting experience to access it.

The latest Australian Institute of Health and Welfare data suggests the suicide rate for male veterans is 31.4 per 100,000 population per year, and 15.3 for women.

A toolkit developed with support from veterans, healthcare providers and the Black Dog Institute could be key to destigmatising mental health concerns.

After transitioning out of full time service in 2021, Heather Latimer said receiving her veteran card in the mail was “almost embarrassing”.

“My mental health was based around my pregnancy, and I found that hard dealing with the little snide comments here and there and all the stigma associated,” she said.

“I imagine it’d be even harder for people who have done war-like service.”

Darwin-based veteran Heather Latimer is launching Villy, an app focused on fostering community connections and normalising support for Defence families. She is hosting a Viking-themed fundraiser at Billeroy House on September 14. Picture: Sierra Haigh

Ms Latimer said the stigma around mental health issues in Defence meant many people decided to “self-medicate with other more socially acceptable things like alcohol”.

She said this approach was “problematic in its own right”.

The Darwin-based veteran said the Black Dog Institute’s toolkit would help Primary Health Networks navigate the “complexity” of veteran care.

Black Dog Institute head of implementation Janey McGoldrick said the toolkit was a “step-by-step guide ” for health providers to implement effective suicide prevention programs.

She said the toolkit was critical for providers such as GPs, who were often the first port of call for veterans seeking mental health support.

It comes in the midst of an ongoing royal commission into veteran suicides.

“It’s really pragmatic, it’s a road map to implementation from the exploration phase,” Ms McGoldrick said.

“It includes an action plan and it really helps build understanding and hopefully skills and capacity to really think about how to work with the veteran community in a meaningful way.”