Jack is a warm, regular phone check-in for Australian veterans — built to listen, notice when something is off, and make sure a real person follows up. Jack supports case workers and ex-service organisations; it does not replace them.
The hardest stretches are between appointments — after transition, when the routine of service is gone, or when isolation creeps in quietly. Jack keeps a gentle, consistent line of contact open, so a quieter week doesn't become an unnoticed one.
The Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide found that at least 1,677 serving and ex-serving ADF members died by suicide between 1997 and 2021 — more than 20 times the number who died on active duty over the same period.1 The Commission was clear that this is a fixable failure of systems and follow-through — not an inevitability, and not a reflection on those who serve.
Its Recommendation 86 calls for proactive contact with ex-serving members through the first twelve months after separation — reaching out to ask how they're adjusting and connecting them with support, rather than waiting for them to ask.4 Jack is purpose-built to help deliver that kind of steady, proactive contact — always under the direction of the case workers and ex-service organisations who hold the relationship.
serving and ex-serving ADF members died by suicide between 1997 and 2021 — more than 20 times the number killed on active duty1
of all deaths among ex-serving men aged 17–29 are deaths by suicide2
of veterans who left full-time service experienced a mental disorder within a 12-month period3
These figures sit alongside another truth: most veterans transition well, and support works when it reaches people in time. If anything on this page raises something for you, free and confidential help is available right now — Open Arms on 1800 011 046 (24/7, for veterans and families) or Lifeline on 13 11 14.
If you or someone you know needs support now: Open Arms — Veterans & Families Counselling 1800 011 046 (24/7, free for veterans & families) · Lifeline 13 11 14 · In an emergency call 000.
Jack phones on a schedule that suits each veteran for a natural, unhurried conversation — no app to download, no form to fill in. Just a call.
Kate reads tone and content for shifts in mood, signs of isolation, or concerning language — building a picture over time, not a one-off snapshot.
When something needs attention, Jack flags it to the right case worker or ESO contact — with context — so a human can reach out. That escalation path is engineered, tested and rehearsed, not left to chance. Jack assists; people decide.
Jack offers wellbeing support and escalation to real people — it does not provide clinical care or counselling, and it is not a crisis service or a medical device. If a veteran needs to talk to someone now, the right call is Open Arms — Veterans & Families Counselling on 1800 011 046 (24/7, free for veterans and families), Lifeline on 13 11 14, or 000 in an emergency.
Keeps a steady line open for veterans engaged with DVA services, so case workers hear about changes sooner.
The shift to civilian life can be disorienting. Jack offers a consistent check-in through the first year after separation — the very window the Royal Commission marked out for proactive contact.4
For veterans living alone or far from support, a regular friendly call helps surface withdrawal before it deepens.
Ex-service organisations can extend their reach across more members without stretching volunteers — Jack handles the routine contact and flags who needs a human.
Jack is a persona powered by Kate — the coordination and voice engine behind careplans.io. Kate handles the scheduling, the listening, the risk signals and the escalation routing that sit behind every call, tailored here to the language and context of veteran support.
That means Jack benefits from work hardened across aged-care and community pilots, while speaking in a way that respects service.
Conversation data is stored in AWS Sydney. AI processing currently runs in the United States (Anthropic and Hume); Zero Data Retention is in progress.
Essential Eight Maturity Level 3 controls implemented. ISO 27001:2022 aligned, with certification in progress.
Jack runs on Claude and Hume EVI under enterprise terms. Veteran conversations are never used to train AI models.
Jack is not a medical device and not a crisis service. It extends the reach of case workers, clinicians and ESOs — the people stay in charge of care.
We're in pilot and in discussion with veteran-support partners. If you work with DVA clients or an ex-service organisation, we'd welcome the conversation.
andrew@careplans.ioSources
Statistics describe population research, not Jack's own outcomes; Jack's effectiveness is under evaluation. Language on this page follows Mindframe guidance for communicating about Defence and veteran suicide.