About WAVES
The Wellbeing for Australian Veterans and Emergency Services (WAVES) Program is a dedicated wellbeing program for serving and veteran defence force personnel and first responders. It is an interdisciplinary, student-led service providing access to various community wellbeing activities and multiple allied health services, using the medium of sport and exercise to achieve life goals and inspire recovery and wellbeing.
WAVES’s history and ongoing motivation is inspired by the spirit of the Invictus Games. While some of our participants will strive to compete at national and international events, for the majority of our participants, our program helps them harness the power of exercise and sport to meet personal and wellbeing goals – whether that may be playing with their children more, participating in a 5km fun run, getting back to work, or simply feeling healthier and happier.
The overarching goals of WAVES for all participants are to:
- Promote post traumatic growth via positive psychological or personal growth in the aftermath of a traumatic event (e.g. injury, psychological trauma, stressful life event etc.)
- Improve physical well-being
- Improve psychological and emotional well-being
- Promote community reintegration and participation.
How WAVES works
The WAVES Program is currently delivered in two complementary arms:
Invictus Pathways Program (IPP): offering individually tailored and culturally appropriate growth, development, health and fitness support through one-on-one sessions delivered by allied health university students under the supervision of clinicians.
Community Adaptive Sports Program (CASP): providing a suite of community-based activities for participants and their families, in partnership with local organisations, to enhance social connection and engagement.
1. Invictus Pathways Program (IPP)
This program involves you participating in exercise training sessions with an Adelaide University Exercise Science/Exercise Physiology student trainer at a minimum of 1 session per week at Adelaide University gyms. While working with you, the students will be completing their placement hours and will be supervised and supported by the broader WAVES Staff.
Before starting your exercise training program, you will attend initial screening assessments at the Adelaide University Occupational Therapy and Exercise Physiology student-delivered clinics to support the development of your program. The IPP also provides access to Physiotherapy, Podiatry, and Psychology and student-delivered clinics as part of your program. These clinical services include:
- Exercise Physiology: this process assesses your medical history and health status and enables allocation to the student trainer with the correct level of knowledge and skill to best help you.
- Occupational Therapy: OTs work with individuals, groups and communities to achieve optimal health and wellbeing through participation in the occupations of life. Assessment (and any ongoing engagement) can focus on removing barriers to achieving goals through working with individuals physical, emotional and mental strengths, whilst addressing limitations.
- Physiotherapy: screening can identify areas for sport-specific improvement. Past or present injury assessment will provide direct advice to the student trainers about what you should and shouldn’t be doing to ensure you are safe in the gym.
- Podiatry: lower limb issues can potentially cause injury or impact performance if not identified and managed.
- Psychology: assessment allows the psychology clinic to provide advice to the other allied health students about how to work with you and any emotional and psychological issues you might currently be experiencing.
- Performance testing: to assess baseline levels of fitness and strength, and testing is repeated approximately every 3 months to monitor your progress over time. Testing can vary from functional movements and capacity through to high performance analysis.
The duration of the Invictus Pathways Program is set at maximum of 2 years with some flexibility on a case-by-case basis. As you near the end of the 2-year program, you will participate in a structured transition phase to build your independence and allow you to continue training independently and continue to reach your life goals.
2. Community Adaptive Sports Program
This program offers a suite of community adaptive sports opportunities in partnership with community organisations. Activities range from short courses (e.g. sailing) to ongoing opportunities such as access to dedicated gym facilities. An individual is not required to be part of the Exercise and Performance Program to access these activities. The activities are typically group-based and via strong links with the community sporting organisation, provide you and your family an opportunity to participate in positive, active community activities with other WAVES participants and members of the general public. The available activities should be considered to try something new in a safe and supported environment, and act as a stepping stone towards community reintegration.
The availability of these activities changes throughout the year. Activities offered have included:
- Cycling
- Wheelchair sports
- Swimming
- Sailing
- Sitting volleyball
- Archery.
The duration of involvement in the Community Adaptive Sports Program is unlimited. WAVES participants (regardless of IPP participation) and their families can access the activities for an unrestricted period of time, with the focus of this offering acting as a pathway and transition towards independent community participation.
How does WAVES benefit me?
Participants have reported the following benefits from participating in WAVES:
- Physical Health: increased mobility, strength, and overall fitness through regular exercise, rehabilitation and tailored support to help injury recovery, prevent further health deterioration, and maintain long-term fitness goals.
- Mental Wellbeing: improvements in mental wellbeing, mood, resilience, and reduced symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
- Family and Social Benefits: positive changes in family dynamics, as well as motivating family members to adopt healthier lifestyles as well.
Student-led services
WAVES provides a unique opportunity for allied health students to gain valuable placement opportunities within the adaptive sports and wellbeing fields to support the physical, psychological and social wellbeing of returned service personnel and first responders, while working in collaboration with other students from other allied health professions.
When undertaking their placement with WAVES, students have an intensive induction, attend tailored workshops and receive mental health support to prepare them to work with veterans and first responders. Students strengthen their understanding of the practical side of their degrees, while building meaningful relationships with the veterans and first responders they work with.
Students involved in the WAVES program have consistently reported a deeper appreciation for the population they serve and feel a deeper sense of meaning in their work.
