DVA Acute Support Package
The DVA Acute Support package is more formally known as the Defence, Veterans’ and Families’ Acute Support Package.
For some veterans who are at risk, or currently enduring a crisis, their kids may be eligible for academic support in the form of DVA-funded tuition. DVA Tuition through the Acute Support Package is intended to help children through their schooling to ensure they are engaged and are not disadvantaged by the nature of their family crisis. Many veterans’ kids have become isolated and disengaged from school given the intense circumstances veterans face, whether it be their mental health, losing friends or family, or experiencing family breakdowns. Unlike the DVA tuition provided by the education schemes, the Acute Support Package is also available for veterans who are eligible to receive incapacity payments. This means kids outside the DVA education schemes may have access to DVA-funded tuition if they find themselves in a situation that warrants DVA granting an Acute Support Package.
The following information is intended to help families understand their children's entitlements. Veterans or family members will also be entitled to support and are encouraged to seek support through this package even if they do not have kids. However, as one of the major organisations that help veterans’ kids in Australia, we feel it is important to understand the full breadth of support DVA offers veterans’ kids.
Are you in an acute crisis?
If you or someone else is in crisis and needs immediate help, call one of the following:
Triple zero (000) if you feel like you may hurt yourself or someone else
Open Arms – Veterans & Families Counselling on 1800 011 046 (24-hour free counselling and support for you and your family)
ADF Mental Health All-hours Support Line on 1800 628 036 (Confidential 24-hour telephone service for ADF members and their families)
Lifeline Australia on 13 11 14 (Free support services if you are in crisis and need to talk to someone)
1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732 (National Sexual Assault, Domestic and Family Violence Counselling Service)
Which Veterans are Eligible?
A veteran or a current serving member may be eligible if:
they are under 65 years of age; and
they are receiving, or eligible to receive, Incapacity Payments under the DRCA or MRCA, SRDP under the MRCA, a Special or Intermediate rate of Disability Compensation Payment, or Veteran Payment under the VEA; and
the veteran or a related person of the veteran is experiencing, or at risk of experiencing, a crisis as a result of new and challenging life circumstances.
What is Considered a Crisis?
DVA has a fairly loose definition of crisis in the context of this DVA claim. Generally, DVA considers a crisis to be a new and challenging life circumstance or event over which you have no control, that has recently occurred and is impacting on your wellbeing or ability to function.
What does this mean in practice?
If veterans or their families have experienced some of the following in the last two years:
psychiatric admissions into hospital
Family members who pass away
Child experiences some major event
Disengaging from school (refusing to show up)
Sexual or physical violence
Change in custody
Then they may be entitled to more general support for their child. This can include a plan that allocates funding for their academic and extracurricular support. This could be online tutoring to help support children in their schoolwork at home if their attendance is unsatisfactory, or to help fill in gaps they have missed due to this life event.
What other supports are available?
There are many supports available, and if you are seeking support from this package at DVA, it is best to have an idea about what you need before you apply. DVA will wait for your request before approving DVA tuition, so if you do not request it, they may exclude it from your plan. Some common examples of what they fund are listed below:
childcare (including home-based care, centre-based care, family day care, occasional care, and outside school hours care)
counselling for adults and children (including clinical, financial, and other life skills counselling where required)
household assistance (including meal delivery or preparation, cleaning, and household and garden maintenance)
services to build capacity (including financial literacy, relationship skills, cooking lessons, and mental health first aid)
wellbeing, academic, and extracurricular support for children (including tutoring, music lessons, and sporting activities)
transport for families to attend services provided through the program if required
other services that may help a family adjust to new and challenging circumstances.
How Much Tutoring Will DVA Pay For?
For kids, DVA will design a 12-month plan that can pay for up to $7,500 of DVA-funded tuition. If a parent decides to use all of this DVA funding for tutoring, then they can ask for this in their plan. Generally, parents will allocate some of this funding for wellbeing activities too because while tutoring is important to ensure children stay up to date with their schoolwork, their wellbeing support will ensure they continue to build their capacity despite the challenges they are facing.
How Can Shield Tuition Help My Kids?
Shield Tuition is uniquely able to offer tutors whose tutoring experience is primarily with veterans’ kids. Our tutors ensure your child is:
enaging in their schoolwork
helping ensure your child does not fall behind
can focus on their well-being during their crisis as we have their academic support covered
Less time spent on school work with the kids, is more time and energy focusing on improving the functioning of the family.
