Advocate to help a mate
Just like Simpson and his donkey, Australians have a long history of helping their mates. Did you know that you can help your mates by volunteering with an Ex-Service Organisation (ESO) as an advocate?
Advocates associated with an ESO provide free, valuable advice and assistance to veterans and their families who are in need.
There are two veteran advocacy categories:
- Wellbeing advocates help veterans and families access a broad range of government and community services such as health and housing support to maintain wellbeing.
- Compensation advocates help veterans and families submit compensation claims to the Department of Veterans’ Affairs. Some advocates can also assist with appeal processes.
You don’t need to be a veteran to become an advocate and you can train in both categories.
The Advocacy Training and Development Program (ATDP) provides free training available to ESO-associated advocates, supporting them to provide free quality advice to veterans and families. The program is a partnership between DVA and ESOs. ATDP provides a nationally accredited Course in Military Advocacy delivered by Major Training Services.
The course consists of six elective Units of Competency across two major streams: Wellbeing (2 Levels); and Compensation (4 Levels). You can choose which Units of Competency you’d like to complete depending on your interest.
If you are interested in becoming an advocate, simply contact your local ESO. You can use the ATDP Advocacy Register to find the ESOs in your area at the ATDP Advocacy Register.
Veterans and their families can also use the ATDP Advocacy Register to find an advocate to access support. For more information about the training program, please visit the ATDP website.