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. Open Arms – Veterans & Families Counselling (Open Arms) is a leading provider of military-aware and trauma-informed mental health and counselling services to Australia’s military community which is administered by the Department of Veterans’ Affairs (the Department). The Department engages Outreach Providers through an existing panel arrangement which includes counselling and group programs for veterans and their families, and clinical supervision for Open Arms clinicians. Following the legal expansion of the definition of “outreach program counsellor” under relevant legislation in 2025, the Department is seeking to refresh and expand the professions who are eligible to deliver services to Open Arms clients through the Panel via an RFT across Australia.