Notice of RFT - Refresh and Expansion of the Professions of the Panel of Outreach Program Counsellors for the

This is a pre-release notice to provide advance notification of a proposed RFT for the Refresh and Expansion of the Professions of the Panel. Please note, eligibility, application requirements, assessment processes, and contractual arrangements will be set out in the forthcoming RFT. No evaluation criteria, scoring methodology, or commercial terms are being released at this stage. The Department reserves the right to modify or cancel the proposed RFT at its discretion. Background on Open Arms Open Arms is Australia’s national accredited provider of mental health and wellbeing services for veterans and the families of veterans. Open Arms provides mental health counselling, relationship counselling, peer support services, and group programs for people with Australian Defence Force (ADF) service (current and former serving members) and their immediate families. Open Arms provides free and confidential counselling through a national network of multidisciplinary mental health professionals, delivered in dedicated Open Arms centres by the DVA’s staff, or through the Panel; being a network of accredited mental health clinicians, engaged to support the delivery of services on behalf of Open Arms across Australia through the Outreach Program. Open Arms can provide counselling, care coordination and peer support services to veterans and the families of veterans within an episode of care model, where clients engage with our services for goal directed interventions for a defined period. Open Arms aims to provide timely access to appropriate services and care, based on a comprehensive holistic assessment and integrated care pathways to meet client needs and support recovery. This includes working in partnership with health systems, including primary health, as well as other community agencies to ensure comprehensive support for our clients. Background on the Panel and Outreach Program Open Arms’ Model of Care provides the organisational framework that underpins the delivery of a