Defence statement to SBS Insight on transition support

July 2017

Defence welcomes SBS Insights interest in this matter and the efforts being made to
encourage measured and constructive discussion on what is a very important topic for all
those in the defence community.

Defence recognises that leaving the military is a significant life changing event for many
Australian Defence Force (ADF) members and their families. As such we are continuing to
enhance and improve the support we provide before, during and after transition.

In partnership with the Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA), Defence is committed to

Each year about 5,500 people go through the transition process; whether voluntarily in
pursuit of other opportunities, at retirement or the end of their formal engagement, or
prematurely for health or family reasons or due to unforeseen circumstances.

All of these members will access the Transition Support Services delivered by a team of ADF
Transition Officers located across 13 ADF Transition Centres nationally to support and
prepare all ADF members for their transition. This is now a mandatory part of the transition
process for all permanent members, Reserve members undertaking Continuous Full Time
Service and ADF Gap Year participants so they are aware of the transition process, their
administrative requirements and the support services available.

Further to this ADF members and their families can attend an ADF Transition Seminar at any
time during their career, with many attending more than one depending on their
circumstances. Around 23 two-day seminars designed to help the member and their family
prepare for transition are held nationally throughout the year and provide information from
Defence and other supporting agencies on topics including finance and superannuation,
health and wellbeing, relocating, employment, and ex-service organisation support.

Supporting members

The support available to ADF members is multi-faceted and focused on the member
throughout their employment in the ADF, through the transition process and after they have
left the Defence organisation.

Defence does not provide this support in isolation; we form part of a whole-of-government
effort to enhance services and promote their availability to all who might need them. The
work being done in relation to mental health, both within Defence and across the broader
community, is a case in point.
Defence is a sub-section of society and our members face the same issues that affect the
broader Australian community. But of course there are also specific challenges that they may
encounter due to the nature of military service.

Thats why, in addition to what is available in the broader community, Defence has services
tailored specifically for ADF members and their families. Our approach looks beyond the
obvious health elements to include the responsibilities and roles of commanders, leaders and
ADF members themselves in promoting good mental health, preventing suicide and self-
harm, and encouraging their colleagues and mates to reach out for support.

During the transition process Defence is also increasingly targeting its efforts towards those
most in need based on criteria such as continuity of healthcare, finding employment and
social connectedness. While these considerations are important for all, they are more critical
for a smaller percentage of members with health considerations (including mental health
difficulties) regardless of whether those issues are directly related to military service.

Health support is provided to ADF members to ensure timely and accurate handover of health
information to civilian health care services (such as general practitioners) and, if relevant, the
rehabilitation, compensation and other health care services available through DVA. To
enhance this process, Defence has been working closely with DVA and the Commonwealth
Superannuation Corporation to streamline the medical processes prior to transition. A Single
Medical Assessment Process has been developed to ensure that all three areas have adequate
and accurate health information prior to transition, so that all individuals can be provided
with their required level of support when re-entering the civilian world. The new concept will
be trialled later this year and implementation is planned in 2018.

This is in addition to the DVA On-Base Advisory Service which is already available in
location to ADF members while transitioning to provide information on entitlements, help
identify potential needs, facilitate access to DVA services and assist with lodging claims.
Work is under way to enhance this existing service, which includes building stronger working
ties with ex-service organisations to allow them to also connect with and support ADF
members during transition.

Employment and training

In Defence we are working hard to enhance the continuum of support which begins at
recruitment, continues throughout a members military career and carries on into their post
military life.

The Government recognises the importance of ensuring ADF members who are transitioning
from the military have access to meaningful employment opportunities and the Prime
Ministers Veterans Employment Program announced in November 2016 is a great example
of this.

But the transition process does not begin the day it is determined a member is leaving the
ADF. Defence provides the opportunity for ADF members to benefit from a range of
education, accreditation and training designed to develop the individual throughout their
career and prepare them for opportunities both in the ADF and when they leave the military.
Defence partners with academic institutions to provide the best education in relevant and
specialised fields. Defence also has four Registered Training Organisations that have
operated since 1994 to deliver qualifications and units of competency against nationally
recognised industry standards.
This includes trade training for Defence apprentices in key trade areas and the qualifications
are all nationally recognised from national training packages. Most are civilian qualifications
with a small number providing Defence specific qualifications from the Defence Training
Package which is also nationally accredited and available on the national vocational
education and training (VET) register (www.training.gov.au).

In addition, Defence is currently represented on 12 national Industry Reference committees,

Separately, Defence and DVA provide a number of support programs to assist transitioning
members to secure employment through training and financial support. The Career Transition
Assistance Scheme (CTAS) is one such program and is a condition of Service under the
Defence Act 1903.

CTAS is available to all permanent members of the ADF and eligible Reservists. A member
can access CTAS 12 months before and up to 12 months after their transition date. CTAS
services include job search preparation workshops, career management coaching, rsum
coaching, approved leave to undertake job search activity, and financial counselling.

Despite the positive initiatives in place, Defence acknowledges that the experiences of those
who have left the ADF are often varied. That is why forums like the one facilitated by SBS
Insight are so important, because they help to inform and enable the continuous improvement
of the services available.

In recent times Defence has implemented a number of reforms which includes new
mechanisms to ensure that every individual separating from the ADF does so with
appropriate separation discharge documentation; a realignment of the ADF Transition
Service business model to focus more on providing coaching and mentoring support for
members in the 12 months after they separate from the ADF; and initiatives that encourage
family participation and acknowledge the vital role they play in supporting ADF members.

We are also working with DVA to implement an Early Engagement Model, which will allow
DVA to establish a relationship with a member as early as possible and receive notification of
critical events that might occur during a members career.

Conclusion

In summary, there is significant support available to ADF members who are transitioning
back to civilian life. Transition is an important step during a career and Defence places high
priority on helping individuals and their families. The support detailed above is considerably
more than what is provided by other Australian employers, and it is in line with worlds best
practice.

However this certainly does not mean we can relax our commitment to this issue. Our focus
going forward is not only on ensuring services are in place but also that they are connected,
that people are aware of them, and that they know how to access support.
With this in mind, the Government has established a Transition Taskforce to examine the
experiences of ADF members and their families as they leave the ADF, in order to identify
and address any real or perceived barriers to effective transition.

This is important work and Defence is grateful to SBS Insight for helping to highlight how
we are focused on developing and refining the transition process to better meet the needs of
the individual.

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The Defence All-hours Support Line (ASL) is a confidential telephone service for ADF
members and their families that is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week by calling
1800 628 036.

Crisis support and confidential counselling is also available by calling the Veterans and
Veterans Families Counselling Service (VVCS) on 1800 011 046.