Regional member wellbeing advisers

Regional member wellbeing advisers can help you

Regional member wellbeing advisers (MWAs) are part of the Organisational Wellbeing team. Although they report centrally to Burwood headquarters they are very much focused on the regions. MWAs are embedded in each region and work across all the districts in their region. Being a regional resource helps to build relationships and to gain a better understanding of local needs – no district, region or brigade is the same as another. An MWA can help by: • o ffering a range of educational and awareness programs • p romoting strategies to improve and maintain positive mental health and wellbeing • providing coaching and support to all members including leaders • raising awareness of CFA’s wellbeing support services and how to access them • p romoting and providing support for regional wellbeing initiatives such as R U OK? Day, Movember and Mental

Health Week. MWAs can also deliver a range of training packages including: • L et’s Talk About Wellbeing overview session • M ental Health and Resilience • S trengthening Team Relationships • Conflict – Resolution and Management • H aving Courageous Conversations • C hange and Transition. They also deliver Mental Health First Aid, The Working Mind First Responders and Psychological First Aid. Regional MWA contact details are: Acting Team Leader Trudy Deller (0447 513 186) Anne Duff, SE Region (0447 331 457) Chris Bull, NW Region (0429 072 413) Melisa Sincock, NE Region (0429 078 404) Michelle Taylor, West Region (0400 082 088) Miriam Day, SW Region (0436 429 095). We encourage you to pick up the phone and have a chat with your MWA about how we can help you and your brigade.

for Life Program from July to December 2020.

Until the middle of 2019 district mechanical officers (DMOs) were asked to attend Healthy for Life Program sessions at integrated stations along with career firefighters. But in July 2019 CFA designed a new health program specifically for DMOs called Roadworthy for Life. By the end of 2019 CFA’s Health Services team had visited all DMO workshops across the state to deliver this tailored program. What makes this new session different from Healthy for Life is that participants are taken through specific functional movements that are common in the day-to-day tasks carried out by DMOs. The participants are given recommendations and strategies to improve job-specific movements, reduce the risk of workplace injury and improve performance. The program has received overwhelmingly positive feedback from DMOs. “A great workshop with practical demonstrations,” said one. “The advice we received was very useful and included exercises relevant to my job,” said another. “The practical nature of the session and learning about switching on muscle groups was beneficial,” said a third. During the first half of 2020 the Roadworthy for Life Program will include cardiovascular health checks and recommendations for healthy lifestyle changes to reduce the risk of chronic health conditions. Based on the feedback received, the functional movement screening session will continue to run as part of the Roadworthy

RECOVERING FROM INJURIES

For many years CFA’s Compensation Team has helped CFA employees and volunteers with their WorkCover and volunteer compensation claims. Although the team processes invoices and pays loss of earnings, these administrative tasks account for a very small percentage of the team’s overall time. The team is focused on returning our injured people back to health, capacity and wellbeing. This involves a wide range of activities including: • maintaining regular contact with the injured person • contacting doctors to ensure the person receives appropriate and timely reviews and treatment • h elping the person to access local treatment providers • referrals to rehabilitation providers to assist with return to work • purchasing and delivering aids and appliances • arranging for specialist reviews • supporting the injured person’s choice to obtain other medical opinions • drafting return-to-work plans • e ncouraging employers to provide suitable duties for injured workers and to continue to employ them as they recover from their injury • finding alternative employment and facilitating training or upskilling. Team members also frequently offer a sympathetic ear and just listen to what the injured person has to say when things aren’t going well. In other words, the Compensation Team organises and manages medical practitioners and other providers to deliver treatment and services to help the injured person recover from their injury, while also giving a high level of support to the injured person as they recover. After reflecting on the wide range of services it offers, the Compensation Team changed its name in 2019 to the Injury Recovery and Support Services Team. A few other changes were made at the same time. To improve the point of contact between injured CFA members and the team, we now have regional injury recovery advisers who manage both WorkCover and volunteer claims in their regions. We now also have specialists who handle the required processes when a claim is first submitted and to calculate and pay loss of earnings. Having these roles ensures our injury recovery advisers can focus on what they do best – helping our injured employees and volunteers to recover from their injury and promote a positive return to their normal day-to-day life. You can contact the Injury Recovery and Support Services Team by phoning 9262 8244 or emailing injuryrecovery@cfa.vic.gov.au.