Health services for Ipswich veterans and family members have now been boosted, with the opening of a new Mates4Mates Family Recovery Centre.
Latest ABS Census data shows there are over 14,000 current and ex-serving Australian Defence Force members living in the Ipswich region.
Mates4Mates General Manager, Emma Whitehead said that the challenges facing our veterans and their families are many and complex.
“These challenges can include service-related physical injuries, mental health issues and isolation,” Ms Whitehead said.
“Mates4Mates is actively changing lives through providing psychological services, physical rehabilitation, social connection activities and skills for recovery programs.
“Our new Ipswich Family Recovery Centre means our services and support will be even more accessible for such a large population of current and ex-serving Defence Force personnel and family members who live locally.”
Federal Member for Blair Shayne Neumann said Mates4Mates had a strong track record of supporting veterans and their families, and he was pleased they were establishing this much-needed facility in his electorate.
“I’m confident Mates4Mates will do a great job when it comes to supporting the local ex-service community in areas like transition support and social connectedness, and I know they will have a real focus on support for families of veterans,” Mr Neumann said.
“Having visited the Mates4Mates Family Recovery Centres in Brisbane and Townsville, I have seen first-hand the outstanding work they do to bring current ADF personnel, veterans and their families together.
“The Australian Government wants to see more services for veterans and their families here in the Ipswich region, and I look forward to working with them to support our local defence and ex-service community."
The Mates4Mates Family Recovery Centre is providing psychological and physical rehabilitation and wellbeing support services with an on-site psychologist, on-site counsellor, and a visiting exercise physiologist, as well as regular social connection activities with a team of on-site liaison officers.
The Mates4Mates Ipswich Family Recovery Centre is located at Level 1, 260 Brisbane Street in West Ipswich.
To find out more about Mates4Mates, please contact the team on 1300 4 MATES (62 837).
The holiday season is typically one of the busiest times of the year, with longer school holidays, the Christmas break and New Year’s celebrations, but for some veterans and Defence families it can hold additional challenges.
