Good practice for dealing with traumatic events
This world-first research provides the first evidence internationally on the best way to track exposure and organisational responses to potentially traumatic events.
Fire and emergency first responders inevitably experience potentially traumatic events in their roles.
Over time, this exposure can be cumulative and impact mental health and wellbeing. The consequences can be devastating both for individuals and organisations, yet there was little evidence on how to track exposure to potentially traumatic events.
In 2016, the Centre co-funded research by Beyond Blue into the national mental health and wellbeing of police and emergency services. It found those working in emergency services were more likely to experience high levels of distress, but that a workforce that supported mental health could ‘inoculate’ people against these effects.
Ten years later, the Australasian Fire and Emergency Services Authorities Council (AFAC) Mental Health and Wellbeing Group wanted to understand current best practice for tracking trauma. The Centre funded Phoenix Australia – Centre for Posttraumatic Mental Health to undertake this work.
There was little international evidence on how to track potentially traumatic events, so the research drew heavily on industry expertise, experience and current practice.
The result was a series of industry good practice principles around tracking and responding to potentially traumatic events, endorsed by AFAC.
The research team produced the Good practice principles guide outlining the rationale and descriptions of each principle, with examples from current practice. Agencies can use the Guide to review existing systems and inform future designs to ensure they are fit-for-purpose and aligned with good practice.
This world-leading work provides an important foundation for improving tracking practices in fire and emergency services, both in Australia and internationally.