Behaving as team to treat PTSD
WORKING and engaging with all levels of the community is key to tackling Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
Returned and Services League of Australia Queensland president Stewart Cameron was in Townsville this week to talk about the issue with the Department of Defence and heads of the region’s emergency services.
The Queensland Ambulance Service, Queensland Fire and Rescue Service and the Queensland Police Service all contributed to Monday’s discussion at the Townsville RSL.
Mr Cameron said the meeting was all about engagement between the ADF and emergency services.
“We’ve all got common issues and many of us have common backgrounds, so it’s about how do we actually work together for the common good,” he said.
Mr Cameron said it was about understanding the shared issues of the ADF, RSL and emergency services.
“So it’s a case of how can we help and how can we actually work with each other to support each other,” Mr Cameron said.
“I think one of the things that is coming out clearly is a message around community.
“This is all about the community coming together to help those who go out and at times do things that most of the community have no appreciation of.”
Mr Cameron said there was nothing specific to come out of the meeting to tackle PTSD, it was more a “general realisation” about working together.
“We’ve all been operating in this space for quite some time,” he said.
“I think the broader question is one of understanding about how the wider community can help Defence and the emergency services.
Part of the problem with PTSD was people not wanting to come forward, he said.
“But they are members of the community, they’ve got neighbours, so if the neighbours knows of a problem it would be a really good thing if they can tell someone their friend needs a hand,” he said.
“I think it’s wider than the emergency services and Defence, I think we as a community have an obligation to each other.
“I think one of the sad bits of modern life is we don’t ac- tually know our neighbours as we should.”
Commander 3rd Brigade Brigadier Scott Winter said it was important to work together with different organisations.
“I think part of it ( the meeting) reflects how far we have come,” he said.
“We get some fantastic support from Queensland RSL to support some resilience work we do with our inservice people and they obviously provide some great pathways as our people transition out into fantastic lives post- service.”
Brigadier Winter said being able to talk about best practices between the different groups was important as it helped everyone.
“I think this is something that has been growing in recent years,” he said.
“Certainly here in Townsville we’re fortunate with that sense of community more broadly there are a lot of synergies created working together.”
It’s hoped the collaboration will be taken even further in the future.
“It’s not just in terms of the support mechanisms but in the pre- habilitative work,” Brigadier Winter said.