Self-care resources

Phoenix Australia – Centre for Posttraumatic Mental Health has developed a range of resources to support health professionals, first responders and community members affected by the bushfires.

The Australian Government has announced a new mental health support program for Australians affected by the bushfire crisis. The measure will ensure people have access to coordinated and tailored support they need to recover from the effects of the 2019–20 bushfires, including access to on the ground counselling and mental health support.

The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) managing emergencies in general practice guide aims to assist practices to prepare, respond and recover from disasters and emergencies in Australia.

The Australian Psychological Society (APS) has put together a range of resources to help Australians prepare and recover from the threat of bushfire, including managing emotional distress and looking after children who have been affected by bushfires.

Air quality across NSW may be affected by extensive smoke from bushfires. To ensure your safety and the safety of your patients, refer to the Department of Planning, Industry & Environment’s Air Quality Index (AQI) data which is updated hourly.

The Australian Government’s National Bushfire Recovery Agency has answered a number of commonly asked questions relating to the National Bushfire Recovery Fund in a helpful fact sheet, including contacts for bushfire assistance.

SARRAH has put together a range of resources for communities, including information about air quality and exposure to bushfire smoke.

The Australian Government Department of Human Services is providing support for individuals who can show they lost income as a direct result of the NSW bushfires in August 2019 through to January 2020, through the Disaster Recovery Allowance.

Coordinare has provided tips and resources to assist organisations in preparing for, responding to and recovering from a disaster, including mental health resources and support for health professionals.

Beyond Blue has put together a list of mental health support services and advice for dealing with the emotional impact of a disaster, to assist individuals in bushfire-affected communities.

NSW Health has provided helpful information about disposable P2/N95 face masks including how to fit a mask and conduct a fit check, and a list of community pharmacies in bushfire-affected areas where P2 masks have been distributed by NSW Health.

NSW Health has provided helpful information to assist in accessing mental health and counselling services during the current bushfire emergency.

The National Rural Health Alliance has provided information from Alliance members and the health sector that may be helpful to anybody living or working in fire-affected communities including specific recourses, information and advice.

Wentworth Healthcare, provider of the Nepean Blue Mountains Primary Health Network, has put together an emergency preparedness guide for primary health networks and others supporting the local GP response during emergencies.

Even if you’re not directly affected by the fires this season, the devastation can still have an impact on your mental health.

Clinical Psychologist, David Younger who works with disaster affected communities says it’s important to have some down time away from the news.

He gave ABC’s Craig Hamilton a list of ways to look after yourself in these tough times.

This RACGP fact sheet outlines important information about bushfires in Australia and provides tips for keeping your practice and patients as safe as possible in the event of extreme weather.

The holiday season can be a stressful time of year, don’t forget to look after yourself while caring for your rural community. The Northern Territory PHN has launched a “Christmas in Mind” campaign and put together a helpful list of available crisis support services for anyone experiencing stress, grief or other issues around the holiday season.

The North Coast PHN has developed a bushfire response resource for people in the Mid North Coast and northern NSW. The website includes a Primary Care Services Directory, changes to local practice and pharmacy opening hours and links to mental health support.

The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) has provided helpful resources for GPs whose practices and communities have been affected by bushfires.

If you’re a Mid North Coast or Northern NSW residents who has been affected by the bushfires, you are being encouraged to access free mental health support via the local Healthy Minds program.

This community information handout, ‘Support options for those affected by bushfires’ has been produced by NSW Disaster Recovery and the North Coast PHN.

This useful resource from the Centre of Rural and Remote Mental Health helps you assess how you are going and provides tips on what to do and how to get help.

Created by Emerging Minds, an organisation dedicated to advancing the mental health of Australian children and families, the community trauma toolkit contains recourses for health professionals and GPS to help and support adults and children before, during, and after a disaster or traumatic event. 

A pre-recorded podcast by the Black Dog Institute explores the problems in mental health care delivery in rural Australia, from the point of view of the consumer and service provider. 

The Black Dog Institute’s Mental Health Community of Practice is a private online community for health professionals with an interest in mental health. To join the community you must be a health professional in Australia. 

The Black Dog Institute offers a number of podcasts and webinars online, focusing on a range of mental health topics, from expert knowledge to personal stories. These podcasts each tackle an important mental health topic and provide support for health professionals. 

A free mental health assessment tool by the Black Dog Institute, the online clinic is for anyone worried they may be developing a mental health problem or would like better understanding of their mental health. The online clinic takes you through a range of clinical assessments and provides a personalised report with suggestions for support services.

The Rural Adversity Mental Health Program (RAMHP) and the Centre for Rural & Remote Mental Health (CRRMH) have put together downloadable fact sheets to encourage talking about mental health, focusing on taking care of yourself during drought.  

What are the factors that contribute to excess stress and burnout for health workers? The Hunter New England and Central Coast PHN has been partnering with NSW Rural Doctors Network to educate clinicians on how to identify the signs and symptoms of depression, especially suicidal ideation, intent and plans in the first responder population.

In a free, recorded webinar, the Black Dog Institute explores the role e-mental health programs can play in the lives of doctors at risk of or already suffering from mental health problems. This resource is for GPs interested in self-care as well as the care of their patients.

Read RVTS4GP’s blog ‘Self Care’, an honest, realistic and practical look at GP self-care. Listen in on a discussion led by Dr Louise Stone, a GP who practices in Yarralumla (ACT).

Dr Bethan Richards is Australia’s first Chief Medical Wellness Officer. Dr Richard’s passion is to drive cultural and systemic change in health and reduce stress and burnout among junior and senior doctors. Her program, MDOK, teaches all medical staff the skills to care for their own health, manage traumatic events and mentor younger staff, in addition to attending workshops and sessions on goal-setting, relaxation, stress management, clinical debriefing, nutrition and exercise.

Heads Up gives individuals and businesses tools to create mentally healthy workplaces. The Heads Up website includes information for employers, employees, managers and small business owners. Its webinar series includes videos on ‘Supporting staff and colleagues’ and ‘Developing a mental health strategy for your workplace’.

The new page provides local organisations and community groups with access to mental health and suicide prevention resources to help them build local awareness, community capacity and reduce stigma.

The resources webpage is a result of collaboration between a range of organisations including Wellways Australia, Murrumbidgee Local Health District (MLHD), NSW Police, NSW Ambulance, Department of Education, headspace (National Youth Mental Health Foundation), Centacare South West NSW, Riverina and Murray Joint Organisation, RivMed, Relationships Australia, and Federal members for Farrer and Riverina.

Is resilience out of favour? Apparently, suggesting one should be resilient is saying we should ‘suck it up’ and get on with it, and this is not the way that things should be done in this day and age. Resilience is defined as the ability to adapt successfully in the face of adversity. Remote and rural health practitioners need this adaptation to adversity to maintain their own mental health, so they can continue to provide excellent care to their patients. 

Guide, Tips, Resilience, Health, Midwives, Nurse, Student, Nurse & Midwife Support 

As nurses, midwives and students we know you understand the importance of staying healthy. However, the caring nature of the profession, teamed with increasingly busy lives, may mean that you put other people’s health ahead of your own. To guide you Nurse & Midwife Support has put together a range of tailored resources on topics including exercise, mindfulness and sleep.  

This Centre for Remote and Rural Mental Health video is for health professionals wanting to understand the impact of drought on mental health and outlines how to support patients impacted by the drought. The advice in this video is not intended for patients with a diagnosable mental illness. Find this video and other drought resources on the Centre for Rural & Remote Mental Health website.

The Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine provides this four-week online course, which has a focus on rural and remote Australia.

In this podcast the Centre for Remote and Rural Mental Health focuses on what happens to our mental health when we experience emergencies and disasters. Disasters can strike at any time. From car accidents to natural disasters we can find our mental health pushed and tested in many ways. Listen for tips about keeping yourself and those around you mentally well during tough times.

Extreme weather events can have a big impact on those affected. If there has been a disaster or extreme weather event in your area, there are things you can do to take care of yourself and your mental health. Find out more with this fact sheet from the Rural Adversity and Mental Health Program.

The Mindful Nurse Lucinda Jones van-Buuren joins Nurse & Midwife Support to discuss how practising mindfulness can assist nurses and midwives. Lucinda has some valuable insights to share, including not being afraid to ask for support, self-awareness being essential for a healthy mind, and the importance of mediation or mindfulness as a daily practice to promote wellbeing.

This podcast is part of Nurse and Midwife Support’s 2018/19 summer podcast series.

MJA InSight has brought together its top 10 articles for 2018 and doctors’ health, with mental health a particularly strong theme. Explore speaking out, seeking help and getting treatment from a personal perspective as individuals share their stories.

MJA InSight has brought together its top 10 articles for 2018 and doctors’ health, with mental health a particularly strong theme. Explore speaking out, seeking help and getting treatment from a personal perspective as individuals share their stories.

A drought is one of the toughest challenges a farmer can face. It chips away at their finances, emotions and mental health.But in the face of these challenges, their resilience shines through. Rural Weekly has put together some tips from folk from the land on how they stay strong during the dry.

The Psychological Toolkit is a collection of practical resources available for health professionals to assist in the management of mental illnesses in their clinical work. The material includes questionnaires to assist health professionals in the assessment of depression, charts to assist with treatment protocols, tools for self-monitoring, and exercises for patients.

Volume eight of Glove Box Guide to Mental Health, released by The Land in partnership with the Rural Adversity Mental Health Program (RAMHP), is a 64 page resource which includes personal stories, advice, support and contact information to help improve the mental health and wellbeing of rural communities.

The mental health of nurses, midwives and students is important. Mental health is not only necessary to living a full life; it is vital for nurses, midwives and students to ensure a well-functioning healthcare system.

In this podcast from Nurse & Midwife Support, host Mark Aitken RN is joined by experienced mental health nurse Anne and nurse/midwife Sonya who share their insights into maintaining mental health.

A full transcript is provided.

In this podcast from Nurse & Midwife Support, Lucinda Jones van-Buuren – “The Mindful Nurse” – shares some valuable insights including don’t be scared to ask for support, self-awareness is essential for a healthy mind, and the importance of mediation or mindfulness as a daily practice.

AMA (NSW) has asked GPs interested in taking on doctors as patients to volunteer to be included in a registry. AMA (NSW) hopes the registry will provide easier access to care and remove some of the barriers preventing health professionals from seeking help.