Supporting Mental Health in the Aftermath of the Bushfires

Practical advice on how to support employees through loss, grief, guilt and PTSD.

The bushfires have had a devastating impact on many people. A lot of help has been offered in the immediate aftermath. Now many people want to know what are the next steps.

• What should I do to help my staff and colleagues?
• What can I say to someone that is in a bad place?
• How can I support someone who is not coping?
• When does someone need friendship and when does someone need professional help?
• What is grief, depression and PTSD?
• What kinds of help are out there?

The webinar is based on the latest research in trauma, disaster recovery and effective treatments.

Some people believe that critical incident debriefs are the best way to reduce PTSD, but the latest research suggests that they can increase rates of PTSD. The webinar will look at why this occurs.

Scientists have found that when people develop PTSD the speech and language part of the brain (Broca’s area) does not work well. We will look at the massive implications this has for the workplace and treatment.

We will start with some basic information about the psychological impact of disasters, grief and trauma to ensure everyone is on the same page then we will move to more advanced material. Although this webinar is aimed at people who are affected by the bushfires, most of the material will apply to anyone who has been through a difficult or traumatic event.

This is for all employers and employees, not just social workers and counsellors.

Learning Outcomes:

Participants will gain an understanding of the latest insights from neuroscience about the changes that happen inside the brain when someone develops depression or PTSD including:

• Does everyone who goes through a traumatic event develop PTSD?
• How trauma can affect the mind and the body.
• What is survivor’s guilt and what can be done to manage it?
• How to recognise signs that someone is not coping and know how to approach them.
• Know what are the right and wrong things to say to someone who is not coping, based on the latest research in the field.
• What you should do if some has a mental health crisis.
• Learn about different, evidence-based treatments that are available, who they work best for and where to find them. This will cover medication, counselling, animal assisted therapy, psychodrama, chronotherapy and more.

Suited to:

Everyone! The bush fires have affected everyone in Australia in some way, either directly or through someone they know.

You will also be provided with: 

• The PowerPoint Presentation Slide Deck
• A Searchable Transcript
• Any Supporting Documentation