Easing the adjustment to civilian life post military service is at the heart of Go Beyond, a ground-breaking new online program freely available to all ex-serving Australian Defence personnel from Monday.
A joint venture between RSL Queensland and the Gallipoli Medical Research Foundation (GMRF), Go Beyond is an evidence-informed national program to assist veterans with adjusting to civilian life after service.
Go Beyond was developed from the findings of a six-year Service to Civilian Life study undertaken by GMRF and proudly funded by RSL Queensland.
This study was the first qualitative investigation of its kind undertaken in Australia and one of the largest studies examining military transition in the world.
Today, all Australian veterans can access the free Go Beyond program after completing the M-CARM (Military-Civilian Adjustment and Reintegration Measure) survey, an evidence based, online self-administered questionnaire that quickly and accurately gauges how users are adjusting to civilian life.
Users are then issued with a personalised needs assessment profile that forms the basis of their tailored Go Beyond online training program.
Previously published research from the Department of Veterans’ Affairs study, Transition to Wellbeing, found almost half of all veterans who transitioned to civilian life had a diagnosable mental health condition within the first five years of leaving service.
GMRF’s Service to Civilian Life study and the newly launched Go Beyond program form part of RSL Queensland’s ongoing $14 million commitment to veterans' mental health initiatives and research.
