ACKNOWLEDGING OUR FIRST RESPONDERS

FOREWORD BY ELISE STEPHENS Business Service and Development Manager, Fortem Australia

First responders are there for us in multiple ways, and we often take them for granted.

If you have a family member that is a first responder, you know first-hand the sacrifices they make to do their job. We don’t often see the impact that those sacrifices make until a transition happens. A transition doesn’t necessarily mean leaving the service; it can also mean any circumstance whereby the first responder has a situation or event that results in a change of routine, workplace, role type, or relationship. In a first responder career, it would be safe to say there are many transitions, and that affects the whole family unit.

I believe we also don’t emphasise and take note of the impact on the first responder’s family. The ones who are there from the beginning are essentially the glue that holds everything together.

There are a lot of similarities between defence and first responder families, both experience needing to adjust their routines at short notice. Many experience the toll that working long hours can cause, the loss from the serving members’ side in missing out on key family milestones, and at times, the exhaustion from the partner at home compensating.

There are often feelings of loneliness for the partner at home, particularly when juggling the many hats they can wear and the stressors of life admin itself. Both Defence and First responder families experience adjustment stress due to relocation and the pressures of career progression and expectations.

Elise Stephens is a former Western Australia Police Officer who is married to an ADF veteran, who has been deployed to Afghanistan and Iraq multiple times.

Elise’s passion for first responder wellbeing sparked early in her career, when she witnessed first-hand, the need to support officer wellbeing.

Elise is known for her innovative work in career management and wellbeing for first responders; she oversees programs promoting first responder wellbeing throughout their career lifecycle. Elise also developed Fortem’s Career Management Framework.

Elise holds qualifications in Career Development, Coaching and Counselling.

We see that the impact of first responder work in families are greatly under-recognised. Usually, families are put in second place, particularly when a first responder joins the service, it comes with a sense of loyalty to serve, and importance placed on that service to the community.

It’s a privilege to work at Fortem where we can provide a range of services to support FR families.

WHY DOES FORTEM EXIST?

First responder work is inherently stressful. Frontline workers deal with numerous operational stressors and are exposed to a wide range of traumatic events. As a result, research has consistently found high levels of burnout and exhaustion and higher rates of psychological distress, diagnosed mental health conditions and suicidal thinking in the first responder community.

Social connection is a key predictor of mental health and wellbeing after stress and trauma. Research on first responders in Australia has demonstrated that social connection influences various aspects of mental health and is associated with higher resilience.

Getting the right help early is critical to good outcomes. First responders need holistic, culturally aware, evidence-based support, that prioritises prevention and early intervention as well as recovery and injury management to maintain an experienced, productive workforce as well as happy, healthy first responder families. To achieve this, we also need to address poor mental health literacy and selfstigma; key barriers to first responders getting this help.

WHAT DO FIRST RESPONDERS AND THEIR FAMILIES NEED?

We ask a lot from first responder families, but there are gaps in what is available to support them. Based on first-hand conversations and various research first responder families need and deserve:

Recognition of the important role partners and family have in supporting the first responder workforce Acknowledging the sacrifices made by first responders and the positive impact these sacrifices have on people’s lives within the community.

Understanding of the full range of psychological impacts of first responder work. Like defence members, first responders (and their families) are exposed to a complex range of stressors, including organisational and operational factors, and different types of trauma.

Resources that go beyond education and self-care skills training packages, to building networks of support and safety around the family unit, creating a strong and resilient container for the inherent stress of first responder work.

Breaking down the barriers to appropriate and attuned mental health support. First responders face stigma and concerns for career impact that prevent them from seeking help when needed, leaving families trying cope as best they can on their own.

WHAT DOES FORTEM DO TO MEET THESE NEEDS?

Low threat, engaging activities that enhance First Responder social connections and overall wellbeing.

Fortem’s wellbeing activities are deceptively simple, designed to be fun, accessible and non-threatening. What feels like a fun day out with mates or family is actually an essential vehicle for a number of sciencebacked benefits, including, enhancing social connection in and between first responder families, creating and expanding networks of support and safety, building trust and engagement which promotes early access to more targeted psychological support where needed, enhancing mental health literacy and breaking down stigma which both act as barriers to first responder help-seeking, and providing opportunities to improve work/ life balance and using natural resources to manage workplace stress – helping first responders to switch over to family life rather than just switching off from work.

HOW DOES FORTEM DIFFER FROM OTHER PROVIDERS?

Fortem focuses on bringing the right services to the right people at the right time.

Fortem is an independent organisation that maintains strong relationships with agency stakeholders (link to advisory board)

Fortem is truly client’-centred, providing a holistic model that included including things like not having arbitrary session limits, equal focus on families, not differentiating between ‘work’ and ‘home’ stress, not being diagnosis focused, focusing equally on preventative measures as well as recovery measures.