NSW emergency services staff came together this morning at EML for the First Responders PTSD Forum, with guest speaker Associate Professor Sam Harvey from the Black Dog Institute, UNSW.
“Our goal is to reduce the length of time any emergency service worker experiences life-limiting impacts from PTSD and other psychological injuries; and to build worker resilience and workplace cultures that support prevention and early action” said Ms Amber Addicott, EML Claims Manager supporting NSW Police who delivered the opening address this morning.
For more than a decade EML has been investing in partnerships with emergency service departments and research institutions nationally to continually improve first responder recovery from psychological injury.
HR professionals, claims managers and injury management specialists from NSW Police, Fire and Rescue NSW, NSW Rural Fire Service, the State Emergency Service, and NSW Ambulance participated in today’s forum to continue embedding the latest innovations in PTSD and psychological injury management into standard practices.
We are continuing to work on reducing stigma, creating mentally supportive workplaces and management practices, early referral pathways, and gold standard treatments” said Ms Addicott.
In partnership with experts nationally, EML has supported or developed a range of videos, guides and articles specifically for work-related PTSD, with a focus on first responders and their clinical treatment providers.
These resources are available at eml.com.au/ptsd
Pictured: Mary Noy – Acting Director Operational Workplace Support, NSW Police; Gemma Halliday – Director Operational Workplace Support, NSW Police; Amber A – Claims Manager supporting NSW Police, EML; Kirsty Smith –Member Benefits Partnerships Manager, EML; Mick I – Strategy Consultant, EML; Antony B – Account Manager, EML.