Social work role with Department of Veterans' Affairs (DVA) clients and recording in SWIS 003-22032515

Under the Standardised Service Offer between DVA and Services Australia, front of house Service Officers refer DVA clients to a social worker if they identify an imminent risk of suicide or self-harm.

Social workers:

• provide immediate crisis intervention
• advise DVA clients that social workers may ask for personal information about their circumstances. This is so the social worker can record interactions and provide the most suitable support
• liaise with and provide referrals to appropriate support services and third parties. These include Open Arms - Veterans and Families Counselling
• can still make a referral if a DVA client declines to provide information. They can do this to prevent or lessen the threat to life, health or welfare of a person
• are expected to:
• recognise a veteran
• have a broad understanding of the impact of the defence service
• manage presenting issues, and
• have a clear understanding of appropriate referral pathways
• are not expected to case manage DVA clients

Where it is necessary to prevent or lessen the threat to life, health or welfare of a person, a social worker (APS6 and above) may disclose information about a DVA client to police or other relevant authorities.

Under the Standardised Service Offer, if a DVA client presents to Services Australia, they receive a service as a non-Centrelink customer (even if they are also a Centrelink customer). This means the release of information is actioned under different legislation, including the Privacy Act 1988.

A social worker will ask a DVA client for:

• their personal details, such as name, address, date of birth and Customer Reference Number (CRN) (if they have one)
• their permission to use a Services Australia system to search for their personal information, using the details provided by the client. A Services Australia system includes Process Direct and Customer First

Note: social workers must not get personal information about the DVA client from a Services Australia system if they do not give their consent.

Social workers must only record DVA client details in SWIS Case Notes. Do not record on any other system, for example Process Direct or Customer First.

Social workers record DVA client referrals in SWIS, even if the DVA client identifies as a non-Centrelink customer.

Note: social workers must check the National Survey box in SWIS for non-identified data collection.

Social Workers record this referral:

• as a customer referral if the DVA client:
• has a Customer Reference Number (CRN) and provides consent for the referral to be recorded
• has a CRN, does not provide consent for the referral to be recorded, but the social worker deems the customer to be at imminent risk of harm
• gives consent to use their personal information to search for their record or provides permission to create a customer record for purposes of documenting the interaction
• as an anonymous customer, if the DVA client:
• does not provide consent for the referral to be recorded and is not at imminent risk of harm
• does not have a CRN and does not want a record created