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New study underway to improve advocacy services

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Image via Commonwealth of Australia, Department of Defence.

Former chair of the Defence Abuse Response Taskforce, Robert Cornall AO, is leading a study to improve advocacy services for veterans and their families.

Former chair of the Defence Abuse Response Taskforce, Robert Cornall AO, is leading a study to improve advocacy services for veterans and their families.

The study comes in response to concerns raised in the Senate foreign affairs, defence and trade reference’s committee report: The Constant Battle: Suicide by Veterans.

Minister for Veterans' Affairs Darren Chester said the study will aim to help families with compensation and appeal processes.

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"Veterans and their families deserve to have easy access to the best services available to them and this study has been established to ensure that happens," Minister Chester said.

"This study will go a long way to helping our younger veterans and their families navigate the compensation claims and appeals processes and it will address a number of improvements to the current advocacy model which were recommended in the report."

Minister Chester said Cornall's experience working with defence will help deliver a better outcome for veterans and their families. 

"Mr Cornall has an excellent track record in working with the defence and legal communities, and I’m confident he’ll bring all his experience to bear on finding new ways to ensure those who’ve served our nation get the best possible advocacy," the minister said.

Cornall will talk to younger veterans, female veterans, veterans’ families, ex-service organisations, and the broader defence community in the coming months.

The latest research will be reviewed, veterans’ advocacy services in other countries will be examined, and advocacy models in other areas, such as the legal services, community, and disability sectors will be looked at.  

"I hope many individuals and organisations will contribute their experiences and ideas to the study," Minister Chester said.