• Disrupted healthcare journeys.
• The presence and prevalence of traumatic brain injury (TBI) and Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) within military populations, and the close linkage between TBI/CTE and suicidal ideation and death by suicide.
• The combination and accumulation of multiple stressors experienced within military communities; and
• The injury burden experienced by our current and former serving Defence force members and their families.

Calling for support in the improvement of veteran family wellbeing

• Including a role of the NSW Office for Veterans
• Funding the delivery of programs and services through the National Centre for Veterans Health Care which mitigate the unique risk factors associated with poor outcomes for veterans and their families
• Improving military cultural competence of mental health providers within the state
• Screen for adverse childhood experiences and report the findings
• Deliver SafeTALK training within community sector organisations working in NSW; and
• Conduct research into the Defence family population in NSW.

The post Enhancing mental health for NSW veterans and their families first appeared on Families of Veterans Guild.

On 29 August 2025, the Senate’s Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Legislation Committee made a landmark recommendation: that the legislation establishing the Defence and Veteran Services Commission should be amended to specifically include veteran families.

If implemented by the government, this will be the first time that veteran families have been specifically included in legislation governing the veteran sector. We are at the starting blocks when it comes to properly caring for and supporting the needs of veteran families in Australia, and this important step not only sends an important signal to the families of veterans, it also creates an obligation to include them.

Why this matters for veteran and defence families

While Australia has seen significant reforms in the care of veterans—and rightly so—their families have been left behind. The model of care for defence families and veteran families has barely changed since the end of WWII.

Without families specifically being included in the legislation that governs the system, there is no obligation to support them or inquire into their needs. The majority of families remain largely invisible and the impacts that defending Australia has on them are left unmitigated.

A shift from rhetoric to action

While we have seen rhetoric change in the last few years and the word family included in initiative and policy titles; it hasn’t translated to practical, impactful and meaningful change for them.

This recommendation by the Senate’s Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Legislation Committee however, could start to change this. It would mean from the very start the Defence and Veteran Services Commission has an obligation to include families and inquire into the impacts of service on them. It has an obligation to make recommendations in their interests that go further than helping Defence and DVA to hear more from them.

Our contribution to the review

As part of the inquiry, we made a submission highlighting the urgent need for the explicit inclusion of families of veterans in the legislation. We argued that families are currently left out of veteran-related legislation, giving them limited standing in the system despite carrying the ongoing impacts of service. Schedule 9 presents an opportunity for Parliament to change this by ensuring families are visible and properly recognised.

Our submission also called for a stronger object for the new Commission—one focused on reducing the incidence of suicide and suicidality among veterans and their families, rather than simply improving suicide prevention. We recommended that the Act include a clear definition of “family” based on the Australian Bureau of Statistics framework, recognising the wide range of relationships affected by service. We also reinforced the need for independence, accountability and transparency in the Commission to rebuild trust.

Our CEO also appeared at the Senate hearings to provide evidence, highlighting the lived experiences of defence and veteran families and advocating on their behalf. 

The road ahead

We have a long way to go when it comes to providing support for all families of veterans in Australia. By implementing this recommendation, the government has the opportunity to they are listening and most importantly demonstrate that the families of veterans matter. 

Learn more:

• Watch the hearing here

• Read the final report here

• Read our submission here

The post Senate Committee recommends historic change for veteran and defence families first appeared on Families of Veterans Guild.