Free mental health care through DVA

The past two years have been challenging for all Australians, including our Australian Defence Force (ADF) personnel, veterans and their families; and now is the time to make mental health a priority.

All current and former full-time members of the ADF can get free mental health treatment. So can reservists who have completed disaster relief service, border protection service or were involved in a serious training accident. This is called non-liability mental health care. It means there is no need to prove your condition is related to military service and no need to submit a claim for compensation. It covers treatment for any mental health condition.

A Veteran White Card is used to pay for treatment under non-liability mental health care arrangements. Many veterans have White Cards that already cover non-liability mental health treatment. To check if your White Card covers mental health treatment, or to apply for a non-liability mental health White Card if you don’t already have one, you can use DVA’s MyService app, email nlhc [at] dva.gov.au, or call DVA on 1800 VETERAN (1800 838 372).

If you have mental health concerns, talk to your General Practitioner in the first instance. Your GP may refer you to a mental health practitioner, such as a psychologist or psychiatrist. Before your appointment, make sure the practitioner will accept the DVA Veteran White Card for payment.

Further information is available on the Free mental health care for veterans page of the DVA website.

All current and former ADF personnel and their families also have access to free and confidential counselling and support through Open Arms – Veterans & Families Counselling. This life-saving support is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week by calling 1800 011 046.