Five years of veterans helping veterans
This week (25-29 November 2024) we are celebrating five years since our Community Peer program was first made available nationwide. The lived experience-led program is an integral part of our service, and it makes a huge difference to the wellbeing of our veteran community.
Community Peers are veterans and veteran family members that walk along-side our clients and their families on their mental health recovery. They share their personal experiences of military life and mental health recovery to help people overcome challenges and access the support they need to improve their lives.
The Community Peer program was established in 2019 followed a successful two-year pilot in Townsville and has grown to be a key part of our free mental health and wellbeing service. Today, the program boasts more than 60 peers, who supported more than 1,200 veterans and family members last financial year alone. They connect with ex-service organisations and attend thousands of community events to let others know about Open Arms military-aware support.
The program has close ties to the Vietnam veteran community who fought to establish Open Arms (formerly the Vietnam Veterans’ Counselling Service) more than 40 years ago. Those veterans and veteran family members would monitor phone lines around the clock, supporting people in the veteran community struggling with the aftermath of the Vietnam War.
For Rob Goulden, one of 35 peers when the program launched nationally in 2019, being a peer had a life changing effect for him, as well as his clients.
“It changed me as a person, for the better. It helped me to understand who I am and how I could use my experiences to help others. There are times when I miss the people and the work and being invited into someone’s life to help them with their personal growth.
“The Open Arms Peer Program has changed the lives of many, and I genuinely believe that the multi-disciplinary approach to recovery, including both clinical and lived experience perspectives can be instrumental in providing the best possible care to our clients.
We thank all Open Arms Peers, both past and present, for their selfless and essential work. The wellbeing of so many in the veteran community is a testament to the dedication of these individuals.
Peers both past and present have shared their experiences as veterans and lived experience peers in celebration of this week’s anniversary and you can read these here.
To find out how Open Arms military-aware mental health support can help you, call 1800 011 046 day or night, 365 days a year.