Defence: Counselling Services

Senator Chris Evans asked the Minister representing the Minister Assisting the Minister for Defence, upon notice, on 21 March 2002:

1. What counselling services were available to Australian personnel while serving in East Timor.
2. In particular, how many counsellors for Australian Defence Force (ADF) personnel were in East Timor and when.
3. Was counselling available to all Australian personnel or just particular regiments.
4. (a) What post-operation briefing was given to ADF personnel who served in East Timor and when; (b) how long was the briefing and what were the main messages it contained; and (c) did all serviceman and women receive the briefing.
5. (a) What medical and/or counselling services were available to personnel who served in East Timor after their return to Australia; and (b) how many counsellors, psychiatrists, doctors and other mental-health professionals were available to returned personnel, and on what terms, eg. for what period could returnees receive free treatment.
6. How many personnel used any of these support services (please express this in absolute numbers as well as percentages of personnel in each unit and regiment).
7. Have any records been kept or analyses done of the types of trauma for which psychological treatment was sought by personnel after serving in East Timor; if so, can copies or details of such records and analyses be provided.
8. Are there any personnel who served in East Timor who had, or were reported by their friends or families to have, psychological problems that endured 4 weeks beyond their return.

Senator Hill - The answer to the honourable senator's question is as follows:

1. From the tenth day of the mission Psychology Support Teams were deployed to East Timor. Counselling services were also offered by unit chaplains and by medical and nursing staff. This support is ongoing. Following the deployment of an Egyptian medical team in February 2000, ADF personnel also had access to a psychiatrist.
2. From early October 1999 to the end of December 1999, six Army psychology staff were operating in East Timor. During January 2000, another five Army psychology staff were added, and they remained in country until 6 March 2000. Since then, two Army psychology staff have been operating within the Australian Battalion Group structure and they are reinforced by up to six additional psychology staff when the battalion group returns to Australia.
3. Psychology support in East Timor was available to ADF personnel from all three services. The psychology support included counselling services, critical incident stress debriefing (as required) and periodical debriefings for high risk personnel such as Military Police and chaplains.
4. 1. Current policy requires all ADF members on deployment to East Timor to be given the opportunity to participate in the debriefing process both prior to their return, and approximately three months after their return to Australia. This process includes an educational briefing, an individual screening interview and the completion of a number of psychometric screening instruments. However, participation in the debriefing process is not mandatory.
   2. The briefing element lasts for approximately 30 minutes and the key message relates to the types of issues that members will face on their reintegration into family, work and life on their return to Australia. It also presents signs and symptoms of poor adjustment and the range of services available in Australia for returned servicemen and women.
   3. This process is not mandatory and some personnel may not have received the brief. Overall, 8,511 personnel have had the brief since operations in East Timor began.
5. 1. On return to Australia, all ADF personnel have access to the full range of support services. This includes Defence health, psychology, social work and chaplaincy services. They also have access to the Vietnam Veterans Counselling Service (VVCS) because of their "veteran" status.
      
      Veterans in this group who have an accepted mental health disability also have access to the Department of Veterans' Affairs mental health services, including private medical and psychiatric support and psychiatric hospital admission where this is required. Veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder and/or with clinical depression or severe anxiety disorders can access the department's mental health services automatically, that is, without the need to establish a successful claim with the department.
      
      While it is not mental health service per se, veterans also have access to various forms of rehabilitation through the Military Compensation and Rehabilitation Scheme and the Veterans Vocational Rehabilitation Scheme.
   2. ADF personnel have access to all ADF military, civilian and contracted health professionals. The number of support staff available through the VVCS is 80 clinical staff in VVCS centres, as well as 330 contract counsellors in rural, remote and outer metropolitan areas. Free treatment is available for any period of time for any psychological injury that occurs as the result of operational service, either through the ADF for members, or through the Department of Veterans' Affairs for ex-service personnel.
6. There are a number of organisations within Defence offering support services (medical, psychology, social work, and chaplains) to returned ADF members. At this time, composite statistics regarding the use of support services are not gathered. Also, due to the voluntary nature of many of these referrals (meaning that such a visit might not be formally recorded on the member's official record, as per the Privacy Act), the total number of personnel using any of these support services cannot be ascertained. The ADF Mental Health Strategy will work towards addressing these issues in the future.
   
   The Department of Veterans' Affairs does not maintain the detail of individuals' units and regiments. The department provides health care to veterans who have left the armed forces and who have an accepted claim for disability. Veterans without a claim have access to the VVCS. VVCS figures indicate a small intake of East Timor veterans, primarily in the Townsville and Darwin offices. The average monthly counselling intake at Townsville over the last 12 months has been between 12 and 15 veterans. The Townsville office has also conducted group programs for current serving peacekeepers and their partners.
7. Manual records of individual counselling sessions are maintained, however they are not collated. Electronic records are not maintained at present, but will be available in the planned ADF health information system.
   
   The VVCS Townsville office is conducting an evaluation of all East Timor peacekeepers for the period 1 January 2002 to 30 July 2002, investigating suicide risk, trauma, alcohol abuse and relationship difficulties. This work is being conducted in association with local defence force clinicians.
8. A number of ADF members who deployed to East Timor have subsequently been referred for additional assessment and treatment.

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