4 minute read
Activating a process of support
The recently released DHAA strategic plan is a demonstration of our commitment to promote the mental health and wellbeing of members
by Bill Suen, DHAA CEO
MOST OF US know that dental practitioners can experience high levels of depression, anxiety, burnout, psychological distress and suicidal ideation when compared with the general public and other health professionals. There is a need to improve the wellbeing and mental health of members of our profession. The recently released DHAA strategic plan has explicitly indicated our commitment to promote the mental health and wellbeing of members, with a number of projects already in place to support this strategy.
In Victoria, we have successfully applied for a government grant to offer a certificate of workplace wellbeing course in collaboration with the ADA (Victorian Branch). The program consists of 10 hours of online live training workshops, focused on the six pillars of wellbeing: Positive Emotion, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning, Accomplishment and Health (PERMAH). Participants will develop and run a small wellbeing project of their choice in their dental practice (or maybe across several practices in their local area), and then showcase their projects. The ADAVB has already run this course earlier in the year and had received excellent feedback from participants. We are hoping that through this project we can enhance and amplify the wellbeing awareness across Victorian dental teams.
With the support of DHAA Director, Dr Roisin McGrath, we are launching our National Mental Health First Aid Training for our members. This is a blended online course that includes a self paced eLearning component and an instructor-led component via video conferencing. The course teaches participants about the signs and symptoms of mental health literacy and provides practical skills needed to support someone experiencing a mental health problem, or in a mental health crisis until appropriate professional help is received or the crisis resolves. It informs participants of the types of help and support available and how to help someone access the support they need.
The DHAA Peer Support Service (PSS) was launched in 2020 to support DHAA members (including graduates and students) on matters related to the many challenges and demands related to a dental practitioner in Australia. The service provides an experienced dental practitioner to act as a listening ear as well as advise on other support services in times of stress over the phone. The volunteer may also provide advice on where to seek appropriate professional support. Since its inception we have supported members who are:
• A subject of a professional practice investigation either through the PI insurer and/or AHPRA.
• Affected by an occupational health and safety or industrial relations situation as an employee at the workplace.
• Seeking advice on practice matters that may lead to a PI insurance claim or AHPRA notification.
We are most thankful for the volunteers who have offered their support to a small number of members who sought the service over the past few years. While the number of episodes is low, those who sought help found the service extremely valuable in addition to other professional services they have received. This is an excellent opportunity for members to give back to the profession and support our peers. We are now seeking expressions of interest from members who wish to be part of this caring volunteering community. Initial training is provided for new volunteers and there is no obligation to take on any cases unless the volunteer feels comfortable with it.
I invite you to take part in any of the above initiatives and be part of our strategy to promote the positive mental health and wellbeing of our members. Please see details of these opportunities on pages 9, 13 and 15 of the DHAA Bulletin.
