Program – Defence and Veteran Suicide: Prevention through Understanding symposium | National Commissioner for Defence and Veteran Suicide Prevention

Publication date

24 February 2021

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Day 1 – Wednesday 10 March

Welcome to Country (10 min)
Symposium Opening by interim Commissioner for Defence and Veteran Suicide Prevention, Dr Bernadette Boss CSC (20 min)
KEYNOTE ADDRESS: Christine Morgan, CEO of the National Mental Health Commission and National Suicide Prevention Adviser to the Prime Minister.
- TOPIC: The National Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Plan: the importance of family engagement (60 min)
SPEAKER: Gwen Cherne, Commissioner for Veteran Family Advocacy
- TOPIC: Veteran and Family Response (30 min)

SPEAKER: Geoff Evans, CEO Disaster Relief Australia and veteran
- TOPIC: Vulnerability and Risk: a model of intervention on curves (60 min)

SPEAKER: Scientia Professor Richard Bryant, School of Psychology, UNSW
- TOPIC: The complexity of assessing and treating post-concussion syndrome (traumatic brain injury) as against post-traumatic stress disorder (60 min)
SPEAKER: Professor Sharon Lawn, Flinders University
- TOPIC: Veteran Wellbeing and Support (60 min)
SPEAKER: Dr David Caldicott, Emergency Consultant & Senior Clinical Lecturer, College of Health & Medicine, ANU
- TOPIC: Swords into Ploughshares- The Medicalization of Illicit Drugs(60 min)
Commissioner's day one close (15 min)

Complimentary networking drinks and canapes – Level 15, QT Hotel (limited numbers)

SPEAKER: Coroner Jacqui Hawkins, Coroners Court of Victoria
- TOPIC: Case study – Jesse Bird inquest (30 min)
SPEAKER: Dr Kay Danes OAM, alumni of Southern Cross University School of Law & Justice, Researcher & Policy Analyst
- TOPIC: Pleading Positive Reform: An analysis of suicide risk, self-harm and reputational peril impacting serving members of the Australian Defence Force (shared 60 min session)
SPEAKER: Nikki Jamieson, PhD candidate, School of Health, UNE, and veteran mental health advocate
- TOPIC: Moral trauma and veteran mental health (shared 60 min session)

SPEAKER: Professor Sandy McFarlane AO University of Adelaide
- TOPIC: Investigating suicide by ADF members and ex-serving personnel (60 min)

SPEAKER: Madeline Romaniuk, Associate Director of Mental Health Research, Gallipoli Medical Research Institute
- TOPIC: The Impact of Transition out of the ADF on Mental Health(60 min)
SPEAKER: Dr Katelyn Kerr, Senior Clinical Psychologist, Toowong Private Hospital, Trauma Recovery Programs & Australian Institute for Suicide Research and Prevention
- TOPIC: Predictors of Suicide in Veterans (60 min)
Commissioner's event close (15 min)