AWW NSW advocates for the needs of all women and families of veterans connected to Defence service. We provide a voice for our members and community to ensure their views are represented across all areas that impact upon them.
We thank everyone who participated in the consultation sessions regarding the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide Terms of Reference.
Several key points we raised were picked up in the Terms of Reference:
- The need for the entire veteran support system to be examined
- The need for suicide attempts and patterns of behaviour to be examined
- The need for experiences to be examined and compared to the policy framework
- The need to examine the powerful influences within Defence culture that can have negative consequences for both veterans and their families
- The level of regulatory oversight of treatments and access to treatments
- The duty of care of all entities within the veteran support system to intervene when cases are bought to their attention
- The efficacy of treatments being undertaken by veterans and indeed their diagnosis; and
- The need to support the families of veterans before, during and after instances of ill health/ suicide.
We are encouraged to see that the Government has heard our calls for broad and all-encompassing terms of reference.
