Governance

Open Arms' National Advisory Committee (NAC) meets three times a year. The NAC provides the Minister for Veterans and Defence Personnel with independent advice on the needs of the veteran community and how these can be addressed through Open Arms.

Each Open Arms region holds at least two Regional Advisory Forums (RAF) annually. The forums give key stakeholders an opportunity to meet representatives of Open Arms to discuss regional service delivery issues and community needs. Issues raised from these forums are considered by the NAC.

Terms of Reference 

The role of the National Advisory Committee (NAC) is to:

  1. Deliver independent and distinctive advice to the Minister on the needs of the veteran community and ways in which these can be addressed through Open Arms.
  2. Support Open Arms to develop programs and service delivery arrangements that are:
    • responsive to the mental health care needs of all Australian veterans and their families 
    • based on a health and wellness approach 
    • assist in liaison with other mental health agencies to facilitate a co-ordinated approach to mental health care, and be
    • consistent with the government’s mental health policy enabling Open Arms to fulfil its role as key component of the Department of Veterans’ Affairs delivery of community based mental health care.
  3. Provide guidance to Open Arms on:
    • issues and needs within the veteran and defence communities that impact on the delivery of Open Arms programs, and
    • provide strategic service delivery partnerships that will enable Open Arms to play its part, with other providers in an integrated approach to mental health care.
  4. Assess and report to the Minister on the operations and quality of outcomes delivered to the veteran community, through Open Arms programs.

Appointment to the NAC is for three years. Ministerial appointments to the committee are made on the basis that while committee members may be members of interested organisations they do not serve on the committee as representatives of those organisations.

The NAC meets three times a year at Open Arms locations across the country. Secretariat support is provided by the Open Arms National Operations team and minutes published on this website.

Consultation

Your feedback guides Open Arms. We want and value your feedback, ideas and suggestions to ensure Open Arms continues to meet the needs of the community we serve. You can email the NAC via the Secretariat, or contact:

Open Arms NAC Secretariat
Department of Veterans’ Affairs
GPO Box 9998
Brisbane QLD 4001