Overview
Strategise with and learn from leading first responder agencies, researchers and experts at the 4th Annual Mental Health for First Responders conference. Hear case studies about best practice in supporting first responders and employees in high exposure roles, and take back ideas, strategies, and practical tips to proactively support the holistic wellbeing of your employees.
What will you take away from this event
- An understanding of evidence based practice & how the latest research should inform strategy
- Insights to overcome stigma and a lack of trust as a barrier to accessing support services
- Strategies to practically support the holistic wellbeing of employees
- Ideas to engage & equip management to adequately support first responders
- Insight into the use of early intervention & group based reflective practices to boost wellbeing
- Case studies from leading first responders who are spearheading action in mental health support
Commissioners, CEOs & other Senior Executives responsible for
- People & Culture
- Strategic Performance
- Human Resources
- Operations
- Occupational Health & Safety
- Mental Health & Wellbeing
- Counselling
- Peer Support
- Psychological Services
- Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs)
Attend to learn:
- Increase accessibility of support services through cultural change & by building trust
- Support middle management to have difficult conversations & normalise mental health
- Explore evidence based approaches to developing mental health strategies
- Improve strategy implementation through streamlined processes & follow up
Agenda Highlights
Day 1
Day 2
- INTERNATIONAL KEYNOTE: Using evidence-based approaches to support mental health conditions
- CASE STUDY: Implementing a comprehensive mental health strategy
- Exploring the evidence-based, best practice approaches to critical incident management
- INTERNATIONAL CASE STUDY: Tackling responses to PTSD for first responders
Key Speakers
Ambulance Tasmania
Neil Kirby has 38 years ambulance experience working in a number of areas including operations, education, operational support and management. He holds a Master of Public Health, Bachelor of Business (Human Resource Development), Bachelor of Arts (Journalism) and Associate Diploma of Applied Science. He has held a number of senior positions including Deputy Commissioner of the Queensland Ambulance Service in Australia and Director of Operations for the Dubai Corporation for Ambulance Services (DCAS). He is currently the Operations Consultant at DCAS. He sits on the International Roundtable on Community Paramedicine and was a founding member of International Paramedic. In 2004 he was honoured in the Australian Queens Birthday Honours list with the award of the Australian Ambulance Service Medal.
Beyond Blue
James Maskey is the National Engagement Manager of the Police and Emergency Services Program at beyondblue, an independent not‐for‐profit organisation that provides information and support to help everyone in Australia achieve their best possible mental health.
The Police and Emergency Services Program aims to promote the positive mental health of emergency service personnel across Australia and reduce their risk of suicide and mental illness through collaboration between agencies, unions, peak bodies and government departments.
A graduate of the Bond University Law Faculty and Griffith University Department of Humanities, James is also a retired front-line Queensland Police Officer with a service history including General Duties, The Police Citizen Youth Club and the highly regarded Child Protection & Investigation Unit. During the course of his duties, James responded to countless critical incidents, murders, suicides, home invasions, domestic violence incidents, fatal traffic crashes and serious sexual assaults.
Constant exposure to these critical incidents negatively impacted James’s mental health and in 2013 James was diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. In 2015, James made the difficult but empowering decision to resign from the Queensland Police Service in an effort to reclaim his mental health.
James is incredibly passionate about changing the stigma that surrounds mental health, raising the profile of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and empowering those who suffer from the debilitating mental health challenges to seek the support of professionals who can help them recover.
Department of Environment, Land, Water & Planning Victoria
Queensland Police
Elisha Balfour has been a registered Psychologist for over 10 years now. She has worked across a variety of settings including private practice, employee assistance programs and occupational rehabilitation but has had a continued interest and focus on Trauma response and the prevention and treatment of trauma related disorders. This has led to securing work as a senior Psychologist with the Queensland Police Service where she now works to support sworn and unsworn members. Elisha is passionate about destigmatising mental health in first responders and providing adequate mental health and trauma informed education and support in these areas.
Sponsors
What People Are Saying
Blog
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Date: 7 Nov 2019 By: Criterion Content Team
“What other job requires you to be in a constant state of hyper vigilance and alertness yet at the same time be a counsellor, a social worker, a lawyer, or a prison warden. What other profession authorizes you to take a person’s liberty, or potentially use deadly force, but then mandates that you attempt to …
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Date: 1 Aug 2019 By: Criterion Content Team
In a world-first study, the Black Dog Institute has revealed promising strategies for embedding psychological resilience in emergency service workers and first responders. There are over 80,000 fulltime emergency workers in Australia. By definition their roles entail highly challenging working conditions and regular exposure to traumatic incidents. Over half of emergency service responders have experienced …
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Date: 9 Jan 2017 By: Katherine Kingsle
After surveying over 450 current and former police officers and their families, an independent review into the mental health provisions of Victoria Police revealed a deeply entrenched ‘suck it up’ mentality. This is but one of many reports released in the past year addressing the mental health of first responders and emergency services. The nature …
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Date: 8 Dec 2016 By: Katherine Kingsle
An intensive report released by Price Waterhouse Coopers has revealed that mental health is costing Australian businesses up to $10.9 billion a year. Compensation claims continue to be one the greatest costs to most businesses, costing up to $146 billion a year, but are you aware of the hidden costs? Price Waterhouse Coopers have identified …