Counselling provided through the Family Support Package is to help your family manage challenging life situations.

The types of counselling provided include:

• resilience training
• grief and loss counselling
• drug and alcohol counselling
• personal and relationship counselling
• parenting skills and support counselling
• mental health first aid training
• financial counselling and financial management support; and
• counselling for gambling

This counselling is in addition to services offered by Open Arms - Veteran & Families Counselling.

Who can receive it

To access counselling for a family member, you must:

• have undertaken warlike service on or after 1 July 2004
• be actively participating in an approved Rehabilitation Program
• be eligible for or getting Incapacity Payments; and
• your family has a need for counselling support

How much you can receive

Your family can have up to four counselling sessions a year for five years while you are participating in rehabilitation.

How you access

You must be participating in an approved rehabilitation program and your family must have a need for counselling to help you to achieve your rehabilitation goals.

To apply for counselling you will need to talk with your rehabilitation provider.

What to tell us

If anything changes that could affect your entitlements, you need to let us know within 14 days (or 28 days if you receive the Remote Area Allowance or live overseas). 

You need to tell us if you:

• become unwell and cannot participate in the rehabilitation program; or
• have ceased or closed your rehabilitation plan

Things you should know

• All counselling services need to be provided by a qualified professional.
• Open Arms - Veterans & Families Counselling has a wide range of counselling services available to veterans and their families. Counselling support provided under the Family Support Package is to increase existing counselling provided by other services such as Open Arms.
• Counselling provided under the Family Support Package is not for clinical treatment. Your doctor can also work with you to write a Mental Health Treatment Plan and refer you to a mental health specialist.
• Short-term child care is available under the Family Support Package to help your family when childcare is a barrier to participation in rehabilitation treatment or programs.