Emergency service workers at Australia’s first residential wellbeing program.
In an Australian-first, a residential wellbeing program is being piloted on the Mornington Peninsula to address mental health in emergency service volunteers and paid staff. Between April and October, six groups of eight people in these high-stress roles will benefit from the four-day residential program at Cape Schanck’s Cape House Hotel.
The program was developed by the Emergency Services Foundation after identifying a gap in early intervention initiatives for Victorian emergency service workers. The ESF undertook comprehensive research to understand how ‘retreat’ programs work, and with the help of Senior Sergeant Greg Dean from Victoria Police, considered various program approaches and options internationally when developing the residential wellbeing pilot program.
Clinical counsellor Dr Shannon Hood leads the Peninsula program with support from Dr Richard Chambers and Sharon Craig, all of whom are familiar with the emergency services environment. Aiding the management of stress, St Andrews Beach yoga instructor Sam Pawson adds further value to the program’s team, teaching participants relaxation techniques they can use in future, including yoga, qi gong, breathing and meditation.
Already the pilot is receiving positive feedback from its first cohorts, with one attendee saying: “It has been so pivotal for me as an individual, a husband, a dad and a manager to attend this pilot. I see this as a huge game changer for first responders and their families moving forward.”
Victoria’s first responders, including ambulance, fire and police services, lifesaver organisations and the SES, prioritise the care and safety of others in their jobs, sometimes at a cost to their own mental health. In a concerning statistic that needs to change, Victoria emergency service workers account for almost 25 per cent of all mental injury claims lodged with the state’s WorkCover insurer.
June 12 is Thank a First Responder Day, a national day of appreciation for first responders and their families. To learn more about Victoria’s own emergency services and to show your support, visit esf.com.au
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