Mental Health Recovery Program

Program purpose

To assist the region to recover after the Central Queensland Bushfires in 2018, a Community Recovery Package was made available and funded by the Commonwealth and State Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements under Category C. The package included a Community Mental Health Program to improve the mental health of those adversely affected by bushfires and to enhance the resilience of affected communities.

Administering agency

Queensland Health

Program status

This program concluded in June 2021.

Administering agency

Queensland Health (QH), through their Mental Health, Alcohol and Other Drugs Branch (MHAODB) led the design and implementation of the program. The program was delivered though Hospital Health Services (HHS).

Outcomes achieved:

  • 1,055 people screened
  • 285 clients treated
  • 2,357 clinical hours delivered
  • 399 community events attended
  • 92 resources and training materials delivered.

Case study: Enhanced support for emergency responders

Attending community events in the days after the Central Queensland Bushfire, allowed the Wide Bay Mental Heath team to see first-hand how members of the Rural Fire Service (RFS), particularly at the Wartburg and Captain Creek Brigades, were impacted.

The Wide Bay Mental Health team initially worked withy the Chief Fire Warden to provide the impacted Brigades with information on mental health services and the type of mental health care available. The team has focused effort on providing specialist clinical interventions to those that were most in need.

Emergency service stakeholders have also been engaged to provide training on compassion fatigue and burn out in order to build longer term resilience in the RFS.

 

More information

A full copy of the report is available here 

https://knowledge.aidr.org.au/me-search/disaster-page-holder/?id=24

(QRA Reference CM DOC/22/31648)