The health and wellbeing of Tasmanian emergency responders is a key priority for the Hodgman Liberal Government. And we’ve put money where our mouth is like no government before.
We are investing in the growth of our proactive and preventative Health and Wellbeing Program with a $6 million investment that supports our emergency services personnel across the services.
A strongly contested tender for this program has now been awarded to Gallagher Bassett which has a long track record of delivering case management, risk management and injury prevention services for many Australasian governments and emergency service organisations.
Gallagher Bassett intends to employ Tasmanians as part of their team and will partner with Rehab Management, a national workplace rehabilitation provider with offices in Tasmania.
The program promotes and supports individuals to maintain their physical and mental wellbeing across the Department of Police, Fire and Emergency Management and Ambulance Tasmania. We have designed the new service to support both our employed and volunteer emergency responders.
Program components to be provided under the contract include:
- Provision of online mental and physical health and wellbeing screening;
- Online cancer screening and face-to-face lung function testing;
- Triaging based on health screen results and target follow up confidential coaching support;
- Proactive professional coaching to emergency responders exhibiting risk factors;
- An online health and wellbeing hub for all DPFEM and AT staff and volunteers;
- Wellbeing educational sessions around topics that relate to emergency responders such as fatigue; and
- A reporting and data framework, including a data dashboard.
The Wellbeing Program will integrate with and complement current DPFEM and AT wellbeing services.
In addition to the Program itself, two additional Wellbeing Support Officers have started within DPFEM in May 2019 – one in the north and one in the south, bringing the total to 4 state-wide.
