11.3 Selecting Rehabilitation Service Providers for DVA Clients in Rural or Remote Areas or Residing Overseas

Management of a DVA rehabilitation program is by an Australian-based approved rehabilitation provider contracted to deliver DVA rehabilitation services where the DVA rehabilitation client resides, including:

• in rural and remote area of Australia; or
• an overseas location.

If a client’s location provides a barrier to face-to-face interaction with their rehabilitation provider or rehabilitation activities, DVA may consider alternative forms of engagement, such as emails, skype and video conferencing.

A client residing at remote or overseas locations is subject to the same considerations as for any DVA rehabilitation client. These include the client’s specific circumstances, assessment of the services they require and their willingness to engage with rehabilitation and their provider. This assists with determining the merits of providing engagement remotely, together with the cost effectiveness, safety and efficacy of the goals and activities in the client’s whole-of-person DVA rehabilitation plan.

Local service providers for specific activities

If it is in the best interests of the client, and if an appropriate service can be locally sourced (e.g. where the client’s place of residence is an overseas location), the DVA rehabilitation provider may utilise suitably qualified organisations in the client’s local area to deliver specific activities identified in the client’s approved rehabilitation plan.

The DVA rehabilitation provider sources the local service provider and includes this as a third party cost under the rehabilitation plan. There is no requirement for the local provider to be an accredited Comcare provider or subject to a DVA contract, because the client’s overall DVA rehabilitation program remains managed by their DVA-contracted rehabilitation provider.