Responder Assist’s intake service is independent and confidential.
Our service is devoted to the mental health of emergency workers with specially trained clinicians with deep experience in treating emergency workers.
Responder Assist’s research pillar is across the latest interventions so that you can feel confident in knowing that you will be receiving the best possible care and evidence-based treatments.
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We are currently undertaking world-first studies to better understand how to optimise treatment for emergency workers
Find out moreAre you Ready to Respond? What would you do if you faced a mental health crisis? Hear from Deputy Director and Victoria Police veteran Tim Peck on the risks of emergency services work, and how you can plan for mental health impacts. For more on getting ready to respond, see our mental health plan information here.
Wondering what a mental health plan might look like? Our template might help. Of course, you don’t have to write your plan down, if that’s not for you, but you may like to consider the key areas. Remember, no matter where you’re at, recovery is always possible.
Police Veterans Victoria Inc. is a not-for-profit organisation that supports Victoria Police Veterans and their families. They are the only organisation with a dedicated focus on improving mental health amongst Victoria Police Veterans and their families.
Veteran Peer Support Officers (VPSO’s) are police veterans who are trained to provide confidential support and referral services to those that may be experiencing mental health issues including PTSD, depression, anxiety, social isolation, alcohol and substance abuse.
Our VPSOs are not counsellors and do not make psychological assessments but they do have access to various resources including psychologists, chaplaincy and other support services.
We recognise that family members can also be impacted, and our service is extended to them.
Go to Police Veterans Website
SES Victoria is the control agency for flood, storm, tsunami earthquake and landslide in Victoria. SES Victoria has a coordination role in facilitating the development of emergency plans for these hazards at state and regional tiers, by managing responses to these emergencies and helping communities to prepare through effective planning.
SES Victoria provides emergency assistance to thousands of Victorians every year. In 2019-2020 SES Victoria responded to 33,742 emergency incidents across the state, contributing a total of 382,141 hours helping Victorians in need.
SES Victoria’s people – volunteer and staff– are highly skilled, well equipped, and trained comprehensively in a wide range of emergency environments. Today, they comprise more than 5,000 volunteers and 200 employees, all crucial to the success of SES Victoria and their vision to make the community safer, together.
Their volunteers are the backbone of SES Victoria, serving the Victorian community 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year for more than 40 years. 95% of SES Victoria’s people are volunteers.
Login to the SES Hub
Police Veterans Victoria Inc. is a not-for-profit organisation that supports Victoria Police Veterans and their families. They are the only organisation with a dedicated focus on improving mental health amongst Victoria Police Veterans and their families.
Veteran Peer Support Officers (VPSO’s) are police veterans who are trained to provide confidential support and referral services to those that may be experiencing mental health issues including PTSD, depression, anxiety, social isolation, alcohol and substance abuse.
Our VPSOs are not counsellors and do not make psychological assessments but they do have access to various resources including psychologists, chaplaincy and other support services.
We recognise that family members can also be impacted, and our service is extended to them.
Go to Police Veterans Website
SES Victoria is the control agency for flood, storm, tsunami earthquake and landslide in Victoria. SES Victoria has a coordination role in facilitating the development of emergency plans for these hazards at state and regional tiers, by managing responses to these emergencies and helping communities to prepare through effective planning.
SES Victoria provides emergency assistance to thousands of Victorians every year. In 2019-2020 SES Victoria responded to 33,742 emergency incidents across the state, contributing a total of 382,141 hours helping Victorians in need.
SES Victoria’s people – volunteer and staff– are highly skilled, well equipped, and trained comprehensively in a wide range of emergency environments. Today, they comprise more than 5,000 volunteers and 200 employees, all crucial to the success of SES Victoria and their vision to make the community safer, together.
Their volunteers are the backbone of SES Victoria, serving the Victorian community 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year for more than 40 years. 95% of SES Victoria’s people are volunteers.
Login to the SES Hub
Traumatic events involve situations that are either life-threatening or have the potential for serious injury, such as physical or sexual assault, natural disaster, war, or a serious accident. Most people will experience at least one of these types of events during their lives.
After a traumatic event, you might experience strong feelings of fear, sadness, guilt, anger, or grief. You might find it hard to cope and it might take a while to come to terms with what has happened. Generally, these feelings will resolve on their own, and with the support of family and friends, you will recover.
Recovery after trauma doesn’t mean forgetting your experience or feeling no emotional pain when remembering it. Recovery means becoming less distressed and having more confidence in your ability to cope, as time goes on.
Recognise that you have been through an extremely stressful event and that you will have an emotional reaction to it. Give yourself permission to feel rotten, but also remember your strengths – even though it’s tough, you can deal with it.
Look after your physical health by getting plenty of rest (even if you can’t sleep), regular exercise, and by eating regular, well-balanced meals. Physical and mental health are closely linked, so taking care of one will help the other.
Cut back on stimulants such as tea, coffee, chocolate, soft drink, and cigarettes. Your body is already ‘hyped up’ enough, and these substances will only add to this. Try to avoid using drugs or alcohol to cope, as they can lead to more problems in the long term.
Make time for relaxation – whether it’s listening to music, taking a bath – whatever works for you. It might be helpful to learn a relaxation technique like meditation, yoga, progressive muscle relaxation, or breathing exercises.
Talk about your feelings to other people who will understand, if you feel able to do so. Talking things through is part of the natural healing process and will help you to accept what has happened. As you start to feel better, you may even wish to provide support to others who have been through similar situations.
Spend time with people you care about, even if you don’t want to talk about your experience. Sometimes you will want to be alone, and that’s OK too, but try not to become too isolated.Try not to bottle up your feelings or block them out. Recurring thoughts, dreams, and flashbacks are unpleasant, but they will decrease with time. Consider writing about your feelings if you feel unable to talk to others about them.
Avoid making major life decisions like moving house or changing jobs in the days and weeks after the traumatic event. On the other hand, make as many smaller, daily decisions as possible, such as what you will eat or what film you’d like to see. This can help you to feel more in control of your life.
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Responder Assist is a government funded service that aims to improve the lives of emergency services workers through tailored mental health supports.
We run a clinical intake and advice service that is open to all Victorian emergency services workers, including those that have retired from service. We also offer training and support to mental health practitioners who treat emergency services personnel. These offerings are underpinned by our research arm which runs ongoing clinical trials to develop evidence-based mental health interventions that are specific to emergency workers.
Confidential 24/7
counselling and referrals
