Veteran Family Commissioner – Annabelle Wilson
The Veteran Family Commissioner serves as the bridge between lived experience and government policy. The Commissioner exists to remove barriers, influence systemic change and improve the lives of families of veterans. The role is positioned uniquely within DVA and government, and brings trusted insight, evidence, and a “skin-in-the-game” commitment to ensuring families are seen, heard, and supported.
The Veteran Family Commissioner:
- Champions equity and accessibility for all families impacted by service
- Identifies systemic issues raised by the community and advocates for reform
- Pushes for the removal of barriers and roadblocks to lasting change
- Escalates individual cases within the department where further attention is needed
- Provides evidence-based policy advice informed by lived experience
- Builds strong partnerships through stakeholder engagement and collaboration
"My vision is a system that shows up for families of veterans, and empowers them to build safe and fulfilling futures.” Annabelle Wilson, Veteran Family Commissioner
The Veteran Family Commissioner advocates for progress under 4 key areas:
- Equity of Eligibility and Access: Presumptive liability will support more families to access supports, and an understanding of ex-partners, carers and diverse family structures will make sure the department is meaningfully recognising and reaching the community that we know exists.
- Clarity and improvement of DVA Services and Supports for Families: Ensuring that the programs and supports for families that are provided by Government are fit-for-purpose and continuously improve.
- Enhancement of ESO Partnerships and Supports: Leveraging relationships and creating pathways to support to ensure that the ESO community is sustainable and safe.
- Build Life Foundations and Cultivate Belonging: Including postvention support, training and education for families, and support to rebuild and move forward with their lives.
Publications
The following sets out the Commissioner’s work and priorities, including the strategic vision guiding this work and the impact achieved to date.
- Veteran Family Commissioner - Strategic Vision 2025-2030 (PDF 2.8 MB)
- Veteran Family Commissioner - 2025 Impact Statement (PDF 4.9 MB)
Research links
Below are links to some of the main research papers and reports that the Commissioner uses when advocating for progress for families of veterans.
Children of Veterans
- Strengthening and supporting parent–child relationships through digital technology: Benefits and challenges, Johnson, A., & Rogers, M, 2023
- Gathering voices and experiences of Australian military families: Developing family support resources, Rogers, M., Johnson, A., & Coffey, Y, 2024
- International programs and resources to support children from military families: A review, Rogers, M., Bible, V., Johnson, A., Bird, J., Harrington, I., & Baker, P, 2022
- Characteristics and health conditions of children living with veteran parents, Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2025
Impact of Government communication
- Volume 1: Executive summary, recommendations and the fundamentals, Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide, 2024
- Volume 5: Transition, DVA and support for ex-serving members, Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide, 2024
- Royal Commission into the Robodebt Scheme, 2023
- Family and personal hardship: Psychosocial risk factors and deaths by suicide, Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2023
- When words matter most: Positive psychology perspectives on condolence letters, François-Poncet, S. University of Pennsylvania Thesis, 2020
- Apologies in mitigation of damages for negligence: Incentive or weapon? Kerr, J. & Carroll, R. Laws; 14(4), 2025: 59
Moral injury
- Darkest Before Dawn: Australian Veterans’ Accounts of Moral Injury, Dr. Nikki Jamieson, 2023
- Coping with Moral Injury: A guide to resilience and recovery for healthcare professionals, Dr. Nikki Jamieson, 2024
Partners of Veterans
- What interventions can improve social connections for military partners? A scoping review, Johnson, A., Mead, N., & Hickling, A, 2025
- Desired employment and local social support: The strongest predictors for wellbeing outcomes amongst the partners of Australian military members, Newfield, C., Johnson, A., & Russell, A. M. T, 2024
- Characteristics and health conditions of civilian spouses of veterans, Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2025
Social prescribing
- Randomised controlled trial evaluating the effects of screening and referral, Gurewich, 2022
- The social prescribing of psychosocial interventions, Mottershead, 2022
- Models of social prescribing, Oster, 2023
- Implementing a Social Needs Screening and Referral Program Among Veterans, Russell, 2023
- Applied social prescribing practice, Yitka, 2022
Links to Veteran and Family Wellbeing Hub Network activities
The below links showcase the current activities happening within the Hubs network:
For a full list of Veteran and Family Wellbeing hubs, including contact details for each, please visit: Veterans' and Families' Hubs | Department of Veterans' Affairs.
Back to topContact Annabelle
As a member of the Repatriation Commission, Annabelle is independent of DVA.
Contact the Veteran Family Commissioner: VETERANFAMILYCOMMISSIONER@dva.gov.au
Read more about Annabelle Wilson in her biography
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