Veterans helping mates with mental health
It may not be the obvious solution to encourage someone in need to get help,
but a Department of Veterans’ Affairs program where veterans encourage
other veterans to look after themselves is getting the message out there.
Minister for Veterans’ Affairs Alan Griffin said veterans are a self-sufficient
bunch who rely on their mates but are loathe to ask others for help.
“We’ve found that veterans relate best to other veterans and the Men’s Health
Peer Education Program is the perfect way to get veterans to encourage their
mates to live healthier lives,” Mr Griffin said.
“There are lots of examples on how well this approach works.”
Dave is a NSW Men’s Health Peer Education volunteer and a veteran and it’s
his job to encourage other veterans to make healthier lifestyle choices.
Dave was manning an information tent at a field day recently and he saw first-
hand the positive impact of his work when a man walked up to have a chat.
“A bloke and his missus, couple of kids, all weighed down with sample bags
and free giveaways, kids have a couple of balloons each, all had a ‘sausage
sanga’, with onions and tomato sauce. Mum decides to give the kids a clean
up in the toilets so Dad gets lumbered with the lot. He’s standing there with
the bags and the balloons looking for some place to hide.
“He wanders over to our stand and I am right onto him––this is what we have
been waiting for, all our training will now pay-off. ‘How you going mate?’ I say,
‘good day for it isn’t it? Nice looking sanga you got there’. He says ‘mate of
mine just got back from Iraq a couple of months ago and he seems a bit lost,
bit stressed-out too I think, he’s getting on the grog a bit and he gets angry
very quickly, have you got any info I can give him?’ “
“I yarn with him awhile and give him some information to pass onto his mate.
“His missus comes over and he takes-off back to the kids. ‘That’s my
husband,’ she says, ‘he has just come back from Iraq and he seems a bit lost
some of the time, he gets stressed out and angry very quick, he is drinking a
lot lately and has trouble sleeping.’
“Maybe next time I see this bloke it will be down at our local DVA office or at
our local Vietnam Veterans’ Counselling Service office signing up for a stress
and anger management program, or he might be checking out a lifestyle
course, either way I know my training as a MHPE volunteer has paid-off and
that will make it all worthwhile.”
Mr Griffin said Men’s Health Peer Education is one of many programs
available to help members of the veteran community lead healthy lifestyles.
“Encouraging veterans to get involved with some of the many healthy lifestyle
programs available through the Department is a priority for 2009,” Mr Griffin
said.
For more information on MHPE or becoming a volunteer visit
menshealth@dva.gov.au or call 133 254.
NEWS 
