The Emergency Services Foundation is bringing its Mental Health Matters program for emergency service volunteers to Cranbourne.
The one-day event is provided with support from the State Government and will take place at the Cranbourne Golf Club on Sunday 23 May.
Designed especially for emergency service volunteers, the workshops aim to bring together and support volunteers from across the sector including CFA, SES, Ambulance Victoria, St John Ambulance, Red Cross, Life Saving, Victorian Council of Churches Emergency Ministry, and others from the local area.
The interactive workshops will be facilitated by mental health professionals from OzHelp, alongside volunteers who will share their lived experience of mental health struggles in the hope of improving understanding about mental health conditions and reducing stigma.
The program will provide participants with a deeper understanding of the many factors that influence our mental health and wellbeing and how to apply these learnings in caring for ourselves and our colleagues in a volunteer team environment.
Siusan MacKenzie, CEO at the Emergency Services Foundation said: “One in five Australians report having some sort of mental health condition.
“Gone are the days when there is any shame in putting your hand up for help.
“I encourage people to take this opportunity to understand how we can protect our own wellbeing.”
Participants will leave the workshops:
– Able to recognise early indicators of distress in themselves and colleagues.
– More confident in being able to check in with people if they show signs of distress.
– Understanding the factors which influence wellbeing.
– Knowing where to access mental health support and resources.
– Knowing how leaders (formal and informal) can support the mental health and wellbeing of a team.
Trevor Owen, CFA Deputy Chief Officer South East Region is very pleased to see this program offered locally.
“These workshops are for every emergency service volunteer. We all need to be able to recognise the signs and symptoms of distress so we can be there to support our mates and family when they need us – even though they may not recognise they need help,” he said.
The workshops are free, fully catered and all emergency service volunteers are welcome to attend and bring a partner or friend if they want.
If you are interested, please register for planning purposes by going to the Emergency Service Foundation website www.esf.com.au
For more information contact Siusan MacKenzie ceo@esf.com.au
