This is an initiative by Angus Sim, a younger contemporary veteran, to gather information from other DVA clients that will support his submission to the Senate Enquiry into Mental Health. Please give it your support and pass to your network for their action.
Angus Sim is a 30 years old East Timor and Iraq Veteran and a DVA client. He served in the Army 6RAR from 2002 until his medical discharge with PTSD in 2006.
From his experience with DVA he believes that too often, too many Veterans are falling through the cracks within the Department of Veterans Affairs. He contends that the system is not working for younger Veterans in particular. DVA staff often provide conflicting information, give wrong information and are not giving the Veterans the respect they deserve. At times, the DVA claims process can take months and in some cases puts undue stress on the client, especially if it is a mental health related claim, often worsening the client’s condition.
He intends to make a personal submission to the Senate Enquiry into Mental Health which will consider the mental health of Australian Defence Force (ADF) personnel who have returned from combat, peacekeeping or other deployment. Submissions to this inquiry close on 26 June 2015.
He has produced this survey in relation to the DVA’s treatment of its clients and invites all DVA clients to complete it. Or he invites DVA clients to log on to Facebook and visit his page called DVA Client Survey to sign up
Analyse of the survey results will reveal areas where DVA is excelling and where there is a need for improvement. He will submit the findings in his submission to the Senate Inquiry and DVA.
Watch his invitation here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4TAAWISrd2E
Many of you may be making your organisations submission to the Senate Enquiry. Note the closure date 26 June 2015.
Thanks,
Ted Chitham
FGC Co-Director
P.S. The invitation is posted on the ADSO website here
