New accreditation framework improves drug and alcohol care for veterans

Embedding veteran identification within existing accreditation processes under the AOD National Quality Framework – a national policy mechanism that requires treatment providers to be accredited against an approved quality standard – offers a practical means of strengthening and improving responsiveness to veterans' needs.

Researcher Andrew Prevett, who is part of the Open Door Initiative at Flinders University, says this identification improvement will improve the AOD care sector's capacity to recognise veterans' needs, plan appropriate responses and assess outcomes.

Importantly, this will address concerns outlined in the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide for Australia's AOD sector – with the AOD National Quality Framework well placed to advance recommendations 72 and 73 in the Royal Commission report, which calls for expanded, better-integrated healthcare services for veterans and stronger military cultural competency amongst health professionals in mainstream settings.

Australia has almost 600,000 veterans, including both current and former serving members of the Australian Defence Force – and those who have transitioned from full-time service report they are affected by anxiety disorders (37%), affective disorders (23%) and alcohol use disorder (13%). These conditions frequently co-occur and are associated with elevated suicidality.

In the 2022–2023 National Drug Strategy Household Survey, 33% of veterans exceeded the lifetime risk guideline for alcohol consumption, while 46% reported lifetime illicit drug use. Together, these figures highlight the disproportionate burden of AOD-related harm amongst veterans and the importance of ensuring that mainstream services can identify and respond effectively to their needs.

By making veterans visible through the AOD National Quality Framework, this approach could strengthen military cultural competency and support more responsive, culturally safe care. It would also generate the data we need for service planning and treatment pathways in mainstream services.

While structural reforms remain important, we can leverage existing accreditation processes as a concrete and immediate starting point. We invite AOD sector stakeholders, policymakers, and researchers to engage with this framework and think about how it could work in their own settings."

Mr. Andrew Prevett, Researcher, Flinders University

Mr Prevett notes that while this approach does not resolve all structural challenges – with many providers in mainstream settings currently lacking awareness of the veterans in their care and the unique challenges arising from military service – it provides a concrete starting point for improving recognition and care for veterans within Australia's AOD treatment system.