WELLBEING PROJECT TEAM

The Wellbeing Project is crucial to the long-term betterment of DRA, our members, and the amazing 6700 men and women who leave the ADF each year.  I have worked extensively in veteran wellbeing since founding Homes for Heroes (H4H) in 2013, where I worked with the most unwell veterans we have. I chose to sponsor the Wellbeing Project because I have never seen a more powerful tool than the model of continued service offered by DRA.  Yet, there is no actual evidence base to prove what we know is true.  

ASPIRATIONS FOR THE PROJECT 

The Wellbeing Project is an independent study of the effects of service in DRA.  It will allow us to better tailor how we operate to improve our members’ experience and it will provide an evidence base that validates our work.  I have had scores of veterans contact me over the last 6 years to tell me that service in DRA turned their life around.  We need to validate their experience.  Once we do so, we can expand, share and grow our model. 

WELLBEING GOAL

In March of 2022 I testified at the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide.  The Commission had a great interest in DRA because we provide a model of hope and opportunity.  At the conclusion of my testimony, I was asked by a Commissioner if we have an evidence base to support our work.  Despite hundreds of qualitative stories and experiences, the answer was ‘not yet’. 

By participating in the Wellbeing Project, you are helping your mates, and future generations of veterans.  As a veteran once said to me “I wish I had of found DRA when I first left the Army, then I wouldn’t have fallen so far”.  The experience of veterans leaving the ADF is not a forgone conclusion.  With your help, we can be there to provide a new mission, new purpose and new identity to veterans.  We must be able to prove what we do to be heard. 

ASPIRATIONS FOR THE PROJECT

I have been with DRA for 5 and a half years. Throughout that time, I have seen the positive difference we make to our community by asking people to serve others. It is sometimes difficult for me to put this into words when I am explaining exactly what it is we do. I hope that by completing this project, we will have objective evidence of just that, and be able to show the true value of what we do. I am passionate about wellbeing and finding different ways of supporting the pillars of good mental health are of great interest to me. I believe DRA is one of those contributors, and I can’t wait to see the proof.  

WELLBEING GOAL

I have recently set myself two goals. One is physical, the other mental.  My first goal is to get back into physical training. After allowing myself to stay too long in a hiatus, my goal is to regularly attend Pilates classes to build my strength. My wellbeing goal is to restart regular horse riding lessons. This is something I started some time ago, but stopped because I became too overwhelmed with everything else. This is a step towards setting time aside for myself, and reminding myself to value what is important to me in life.  

ASPIRATIONS FOR THE PROJECT

Through this initiative, Movember, in collaboration with The Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride, will evaluate and build evidence for programs that improve the mental wellbeing of veterans, first responders and their families.  

WELLBEING PROJECT

Each day in October, I will do 60 minutes of physical activity for the men we lose to suicide every hour across the globe. 

ASPIRATIONS AND IMPORTANCE

As a mental health and wellbeing researcher, I am always looking for new ways that people can use to improve the way they feel. Volunteering to help people when they need it most – IE when they have gone through a disaster – has tremendous potential as an avenue to do just that, not just for the volunteer but ultimately for the entire community. This makes this project very special to me. 

PERSONAL STORY / GOAL

For me everything comes down to “walking the walk”. My job consists of giving advice on what to do to build your wellbeing, and while I may know what the research tells me, it is still easy to fall into patterns that have the opposite effect. My big wellbeing goal is to continue connecting back to what I value and what is important to me, to help me learn from past behaviour and continue learning new ways to help me improve the way I feel, so I can become a better partner, father, colleague and person. 

dASPIRATIONS FOR THE PROJECT

I’m participating in the Wellbeing Project as the Members Lead Project Advocate. 

The Wellbeing project is a great way we, as DRA members, can help the defence and emergency service personnel. 

I know that helping others on their worse day with my skill sets helps me be a better husband, father, and human. 

And this project is going to prove what DRA does WORKS. 

PERSONAL STORY / GOAL

I was a wreck when medically discharged from the army. Both physical and psychological injuries from a training accident in Malaysia where 5 Australian soldiers were killed, and I blamed myself for not doing enough to save them. The old army saying of don’t let your mates down came back to haunt me as I thought I did the ultimate let down by not being able to keep them alive for their family’s and kids. 

So, 15 years of self-destruction followed alcohol, drugs, violence all in front of my children.  

Until I stopped feeling sorry for myself and decided to get help. 

So Physiological counselling and medications helped a bit, but I was now on the Drs merry-go-round. I needed to feel like I can make a difference again not only for myself but for my kids who had only seen the worse in me. I saw an ad on Facebook for a disaster relief not-for-profit wanting ex-military people for disaster work. 

I signed up and was in Huston Texas within months. 

Holy crap I worked harder than I had in years, but I didn’t have the survival guilt anymore. Helping others was helping me balance the ledger in my head. I felt like I can help people who were going through there worse day. And tell them things will get better and tell them a bit about my journey to let them know they weren’t alone in hurting. And to not waste 15 years of their life. To get help now to use their networks and come back stronger. 

And now I want to let the people of the defence force and the emergency service personnel about DRA and how it can make them a better human if not for themselves for their families. 

I try and live my life by one simple rule. 

Be the change you want to see. 

ASPIRATIONS FOR THE PROJECT

Hi, I’m Dianna and I am one of the Project Advocates from the Membership Team. I’m excited to be a part of the Wellbeing Project because I believe that although much progress has been made in identifying and acknowledging PTSD, and Mental Health and Wellbeing, we still have a long way to go. Mental health issues are more common than we realise, yet there still seems to be a negative stigma associated with it. I believe that talking openly about mental health will achieve a more positive social acceptance of this very real condition, and in turn open opportunities to find the help that is needed to live a happy, healthy and mentally stable life. 

PERSONAL STORY / GOAL

As an advocate of the Wellbeing Project, I was asked if I would like to share my goals with you, the reader, but I found it to be a difficult task. Being a wife and a mother of 3 means I often put myself at the bottom of the priority list.  I usually live each day as it comes and deal with the multitude of issues as they arise, while trying to stay positive (or at least pretend). My focus has always been to raise good, stable and loved children and that my success would be valued according to the way my children live their lives.  

Being constantly tired and locked somewhere in all the chaos of work and family, I now realise that I lost the drive and energy to be fit and healthy even though I have always wished to live to a ripe and wrinkly age of 104. So, I have now set myself 2 goals. My short-term goal is to spend 20min each day reconnecting with my faith so I can find peace amongst the chaos. My longer-term goal is to run the SMH Half Marathon in May 2023. I will achieve this by closing the kitchen at 8pm, eating healthier, slowly build my distance training 3 times a week and light muscle training 2 times a week. I must remember, little steps first….focus….then pick up the pace. 

WHY IS THIS PROJECT IMPORTANT TO ME

Capturing the experiences and differences that contributing to something bigger than ourselves through service with DRA can have on our mental health, and well-being can support a greater understanding of the value of meaning, purpose and connection for all those who are experiencing challenges in their lives and provide an avenue to address greater societal mental health.  

MY GOAL

I experienced many challenges transitioning from the military and understanding my place in the world. My inability to communicate my thoughts, experiences, and feelings contributed to many of these challenges. Through these experiences, I developed a passion for understanding the impacts of our environment on mental health and embarked on studies in the field of Social Work. My goal is to complete my studies and contribute to creating programs to support greater mental health and well-being for society while sharing my own experiences openly to help others who might be struggling. 

ASPIRATIONS / IMPORTANCE

The project is important to me as it captures important data regarding DRA members’ well-being. I believe the project data will assist DRA volunteers deploying on future disaster relief ops by providing a snapshot of members’ mental health before and after deployments. This well-being project is the first of its kind for DRA and will be is groundbreaking. It will provide an accurate snapshot of our members as well as the commitment, resilience and get shit done culture that DRA has created. This project will give DRA an understanding of the challenges people face. this will allow DRA to prepare for those challenges in the future to mitigate serious mental health issues our members may receive while on ops. 

PERSONAL WELLBEING STORY / GOAL

As a provisional psychologist mental health and well-being is extremely important to me. I have faced my own mental health challenges through both my service in the Police and the Army. Two things need to be understood firstly, there is no control over the timing of mental health challenges people face, secondly, you may seek help adjusting to life with mental health challenges, however, it is vital to get the assistance that suits you and not someone else.   

I have recently completed Honors in Psychology; my goal is to complete my master’s next year and then onto general registration as a psychologist. I can then work with the veteran and emergency services community to help them overcome and deal with their mental health challenges.