Community and Peer Program

Open Arms – Veterans & Families Counselling (Open Arms) is a leading provider of military-aware and trauma-informed mental health and counselling services to Australia’s military community. This includes the Community and Peer Program.

The Community and Peer Program can be accessed in various ways, including one-on-one support, group programs and community events. The Program focuses on walking along-side Open Arms clients and their families with an understanding of the challenges involved, knowledge that challenges can be overcome, and an ability to connect with and access the support resources required.

Who are our Peers?

Community and Peer Workers (Peers) are employed in Open Arms based on their lived experience of military service or military family life, and of a mental health journey, which may include as a relative/carer of a current or previous Australian Defence Force (ADF) member who has experienced a mental health journey.

Peers have the knowledge, skills and training to purposefully utilise their lived expertise, values and principles to respectfully and mutually provide Peer Support and Community Engagement. They have an understanding of navigating mental health recovery and are well placed to support ADF Members.

How our Peers help

Peers draw on their own lived experience of being part of the ADF community and with having experienced episodes of mental health challenges and knowledge of the recovery resources available. They provide military-aware insights and develop goal-oriented action plans with clients to assist in their recoveries to foster connection and hope. Peers work collaboratively and as part of a team with Open Arms Clinicians to further enhance the care and outcomes for clients.

Find all our links here  – https://linktr.ee/OpenArmsPeers

Who this service is for

Open Arms provides mental health and wellbeing support to any Veteran who has served at least one day of continuous fulltime service in the ADF and their immediate families and Reservists who have rendered border protection or disaster relief service or been involved in or witnessed a serious training accident, and their immediate families. Eligibility is also dependant on initial assessment.

Please visit our website for more information – https://www.openarms.gov.au/who-we-help/eligibility

Cost

Open Arms is a FREE service

Opening Hours

Monday to Friday – 9am to 5pm

Accessibility Support

Our main office has ramp access and designated parking. Peer support sessions can also occur in the community, or wherever you feel safe and supported.

How this service is delivered

• Face-to-face

  We deliver Face-2-Face, telehealth or telephone peer support.

• Call or visit us online

  Call us 24hrs a day 1800 011 046 or visit our website – https://www.openarms.gov.au/

• We'll come to you (outreach)

  Our peers are based out of Hobart and Launceston and can service locations ~2hrs of there. Where too geographically dispersed we offer telehealth and telephone support.