RSL and Servulink pilot tech solution to improve access to veteran support
A message from the RSL
The Returned & Services League of Australia (RSL) in partnership with Servulink, an Australian veteran-owned technology provider, have announced a pilot program that will use technology to better connect veterans and their families to vital services and support in their area.
The initiative involves a commitment from RSL Australia to further develop and deploy Servulink’s web and app-based ‘Catalogue of Services’, which has yet to be released. The agile tool will simplify the process of navigating the wide range of fragmented support services available to veterans in Australia. Users will be able to easily find relevant services in their area through a geo-location feature and further filter their search based on the specific type of support they need.
Not only will the Catalogue of Services be valuable to veterans and their families, it will also greatly assist veteran advocates, caseworkers and peer supporters in finding complementary services to best meet their clients’ needs.
The Australian veteran service and support environment is large and complex, comprising some 2,800 ex-service organisations (ESOs), 4,000 registered charities and a growing number of government and corporate entities focused on supporting and employing veterans.
Identifying the relevant local support and services suited to individual needs can be challenging, often resulting in service delivery failure, confusion, frustration, and negative mental health impacts – ironically among the very people that these services are designed to assist.
‘The current Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide provides a strong focus on the need to deliver clear and easy access to mental health, general health and other support services,’ says RSL Australia’s President Greg Melick. ‘This is an important need for all veterans and is particularly urgent for our younger veteran community.’
Veteran and Servulink Co-Founder, Matt Brennan, says, ‘the catalogue will empower veterans and their families to successfully navigate support across a range of holistic wellbeing, personal, professional, community network and family needs.’
The pilot project will integrate more than 1,000 RSL sub-branches, alongside the hundreds of other valued Australian organisations already part of Servulink’s Catalogue. The Catalogue of Services is also supported by other national veteran organisations including Legacy, Bravery Trust, Soldier On and War Widows, who recognise the need for a ‘one stop shop’ resource.
Mr Melick welcomed the collaboration as a great example of ESOs working together to support veterans and their families.
The program is currently open and actively seeking registrations from all established and reputable ESOs across Australia.
If you’re a service provider and want to be part of the Catalogue of Services, please register at servulink.com.au/registration-welcome-2021
The Catalogue of Services is expected to launch later in the year.
