The Commissioner’s Advisory Group (the Group) is being established to advise the Acting Defence and Veterans’ Service Commissioner (the Commissioner), to improve the prevention of suicide for serving and ex-serving Australian Defence Force (ADF) members.

The Group will comprise of professionals and individuals who can bring a mix of skills, experience and expertise, including lived experience of suicide and suicidality, or in areas such as suicide prevention, Defence member and veteran health and wellbeing, and experience serving in the ADF, or as family of an ADF member. Commonwealth research institutions with relevant subject matter expertise may also participate as members. 

Applications are sought for the appointment of up to 6 individuals with lived experience and 6 suitably qualified independent specialists and professionals.

Group members will be appointed from this process for a period of two years from commencement and will be remunerated for their participation with rates commensurate to relevant rates in the Remuneration Tribunal (Remuneration and Allowances for Holders of Part-time Public Office) Determination 2023.

Members are being sought with demonstrated expertise or experience in one or more of the following areas:

• lived experience of Defence and veteran suicide, mental health and wellbeing

• suicide prevention and/or postvention

• biostatistics and/or data management and analysis

• reputable and relevant academic research

• evaluation of suicide prevention and wellbeing programs

• mental health intervention and treatment, and

• suicide prevention and/or wellbeing within the Defence and veteran ecosystem. 

Before proceeding, please ensure you have read the Commissioner’s Advisory Group Terms of Reference on the DVSC website: www.dvsc.gov.au/advisory-group.

Please read each question carefully and respond to all questions.

• The expression of interest questions should take around 30 minutes to complete, depending on your answers.

• Participation is voluntary.

• There are free-text questions in this form. Please keep information you provide in response to these questions relevant to your suitability to be appointed to the Group.

• Please keep the information you provide in the form accurate and up-to-date. If you wish to provide an update on, or correct, your response, please contact us by email at contact@dvsc.gov.au.

• The collection and storage of data from this application is in accordance with the Australian Privacy Principles and the Defence and Veterans’ Service Commission’s Privacy Policy.  

• Any de-identification of data is undertaken in accordance with guidance provided by the Office of Australian Information Commissioner. 

• The first section of the application asks for demographic information. This is to inform the make-up of the Group.

If you have any questions, please get in touch at Contact@dvsc.gov.au.

Thank you for your expression of interest to join the Commissioner's Advisory Group.