How to identify and manage psychosocial risks in the workplace

Dr Elizabeth Berryman | Director, chnnl Ltd
Launched in 2020, chnnl is a solution that helps healthcare practitioners identify psychosocial risks and
combat issues such as bullying, harassment, burnout and suicide. chnnl supports 25,000 frontline workers to achieve their very best in life by transforming organisations using the power of psychological safety.

Preventing harm to employee mental health through psychosocial risk assessment and control: A case study of ISO 45003 implementation

Adam Nebbs | PhD Candidate, Menzies Institute for Medical Research
In 2021 the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) released the first international standard for psychological health and safety at work, the ISO 45003. In this session, Adam describes what a
psychosocial hazard is and how the ISO 45003 standard can be used to help guide assessment and
control of psychosocial hazards. He also reveals how his research, using implementation science, will help ensure implementation efforts are successful.

Making meaningful workplace responses to DFV matter

Luke Addinsall | Assistant Director, Insight Exchange
Kaylene Edson | Associate, Workplace and EAP intersection
Insight Exchange centres on the expertise of people with lived experience of domestic and family violence and gives voice to these experiences. The initiative is designed to inform and strengthen social, service and systemic responses to domestic and family violence. It is for everyone and is freely accessible via www.insightexchange.net.
In this session Kaylene and Luke co-present from their shared work. Their aim is that together we uplift communications and processes across the ecosystem, making sure that victim / survivors are safely supported no matter how or where they seek information. They examine how workplaces can effectively communicate, prepare and respond to DFV and they will share resources designed for workplaces / responders that are freely available with no cost barrier.

The application of Affirmative Therapy for LGBTQIA+ clients

Rikeya Constable | Provisional Psychologist and Clinician, Veretis Group
The Affirmative Framework describes a culturally competent approach for providing psychological
support for LGBTQIA+ people. Rikeya presents an overview of Affirmative Therapy research findings, the key components and how they can be applied.

How to solve bullying in the workplace

Saranne Segal | Director, Segal Conflict Solutions, Mediator (NMAS)
Saranne presents on her White Paper How to resolve workplace bullying in 30 days and shares with you:

• Best practice for dealing with bullying complaints / grievances
• Understanding where organisations go wrong and how they may reduce their liability
• How to conduct a risk assessment
• Four steps to resolve the complaint quickly and effectively
  

Delivering remote mental healthcare with virtual reality (VR)

Dr Shiva Pedram | Research Fellow, University of Wollongong
Mental health disorders impact 1 in 5 people aged 16-85 in Australia (AIHW, 2020). Recent disasters, lockdowns, an economic downturn, and social isolation have resulted in not only a greater need for mental healthcare services but also barriers to accessing these services. Access to face-to-face counselling can be a problem for many people experiencing mental health problems, particularly those in rural & remote areas.

Around 960,000 people in remote and rural Australia experience a mental disorder each year (Garvan
Research Foundation, 2015). Although Australians living in remote and rural areas are impacted by mental disorders at the same rate as people living in major cities, they experience several unique barriers to
receiving care, aside from poor service availability and access. These include a reluctance to seek help, concerns about stigma, high costs associated with accessing services, and cultural barriers in service access.

The introduction of virtual reality (VR) mental healthcare has the potential to:

• improve the engagement with therapy and treatment outcomes for patients,
• reduce the time-based load on mental healthcare providers (by reducing the frequency of commute / travel to remote communities)
• increase the availability of professionals through the provision of a de-centralised suite of services

Dr Shiva Pedram discusses findings from pilot research investigating the effectiveness of VR as a counselling tool for remote communities.

The role of occupational therapy in mental health

Erin Garner | General Manager Occupational Therapy, Occupational Therapy Australia
In this session, Ms Garner oulines the role of occupational therapy in counselling and mental health services.
She describes the range of evidenced based clinical frameworks and models that occupational therapists draw on to improve mental health and wellbeing outcomes for patients. She also discusses specific OT tools additional to more formal psychological treatment, and how OTs bring a unique focus to their work.

Joint presentation – Mental Health Foundation of New Zealand and Australian Mental Health Commission: What we are seeing. What we are doing.

Shaun Robinson | CEO, Mental Health Foundation of New Zealand
speaker tba | Australian Mental Health Commission
In this session, Shaun discusses the emerging trends in New Zealand and the foundation’s key priorities based on current challenges and opportunities seen in the mental health landscape of New Zealand.

Is the mental health industry making progress or are we enabling mentally unhealthy
behaviours?

Cate Page | Chief Clinical Officer, Converge International
With increased access to mental health services across Australia in both public and private spaces, reduced stigma through heightened awareness and government funding, and the explosion of service providers and supports available to individuals, are we seeing improvements in the mental health of Australians? This session explores and challenges some of the fundamental beliefs we have about what really makes a difference to those accessing support and perhaps what we could be considering as a way forward.

What are younger employees really thinking?

Katie Milne | Head of Sales and Marketing, Veretis Group
Recent results of the 2021 census found that millennials now outnumber baby boomers, and are making up the majority of the workforce. However, as other generations such as Gen Z and Alpha start looking to enter the workforce, it’s important to reflect on their wants, needs, mental health and wellness perspectives. In this session Katie explores the viewpoints of younger generations and how these views will influence the workforce and broader society of the future.

Mental health and suicide prevention

Mitch McPherson | 2017 Tasmanian Young Australian of the Year, and Founder of Tasmanian based mental health and suicide awareness organisation SPEAK UP! Stay ChatTY
Since the loss of his younger brother to suicide in 2013, Mitch has courageously harnessed his lived
experience of loss to encourage our community to speak up about their mental health and to take action. Mitch shares his story with sensitivity, safe language and compassion, and cares deeply about prioritising the wellbeing of those in the audience.

The role of EAP in elite professional sport

Michael Magee | Clinical Performance Psychology
Kevin Kingston | Well-being and Education Officer, Penrith Panthers
Awareness of the impact elite professional sport has on an individual’s mental health has grown in recent history. The withdrawals of gymnast Simone Biles from the Tokyo Olympics and Naomi Osaka from the French tennis open vividly demonstrate fallout from the pressures that athletes face. So how do you support the mental health of an individual whose occupation is specifically based on comparison and competition? And what role can EAP play?

Most major sporting codes have some form of EAP in place providing athletes with a confidential pathway to support which is separate from performance-based services provided within their club or professional body. The NRL has recently reviewed its mental health service for athletes and sought to become a world leader in mental health / wellbeing programs for its participants. Using a multi-layered approach the code is now providing support that is ‘best-in breed’ and provides athletes multiple avenues to confidentially seek help when needed.

Providing mental health support to athletes within the professional sport ecosystem can be difficult but once the industry-specific pressures which pose challenges to both clinicians and athletes alike are widely ggknown and acknowledged, clinicians and EAP providers are able to supply such a service.

EMCAP research project: Mental health and research action plan

Rebecca Neilson | (She/Her), Manager, Research and Mental Health, State Insurance Regulatory Authority, Department of Customer Service

This session explores the SIRA strategy (State Insurance Regulatory Authority), which:

• continues to improve the way customers are managed
• has a 2025 goal to reduce secondary psychological injury
• looks at alternatives to offering psych support only
• explores which other stepped care services are available to assist
• considers pilots to help with research-based practices