The importance of mental health care in emergency management highlighted by Tony’s Trek

He will walk through town headed to Broadford, where on May 2 he will deliver a thought-provoking talk at Broadford Golf Club.

Mr Pearce set off on March 10 with the idea to support pioneering initiatives for mental health to help people across Victoria’s emergency management community.

His route is taking him through many areas affected by Victoria’s 2019–20 Black Summer bushfires, acknowledging the mental health impacts that those fires and other emergencies had, and continue to have, on emergency personnel and community members alike.

Tony’s Trek aims to raise awareness and support for building collaborative sector-wide mental health initiatives led by the Emergency Services Foundation.

Victoria’s emergency management sector includes more than 125,000 paid and volunteer members in front-line and support roles devoted to helping Victorian communities before, during and after emergencies like fires, floods, storms and pandemics.

A study by Beyond Blue has revealed first responders and emergency service workers are more likely than others in the community to suffer serious and debilitating mental illness because of the accumulated trauma they often face while working. This is reflected in escalating mental injury claims.

“We are seeing larger and longer duration emergencies affecting our communities,” Mr Pearce said.

"It’s increasingly evident that members of our emergency services community, who give so much to Victorians before, during and after these emergencies, are at increasing risk of suffering a mental injury due to the type of work that they do to keep us safe.“

Despite considerable investment in mental health treatment programs and services, there is still much work required to help prevent mental injury.

Emergency Services Foundation chief executive officer Siusan MacKenzie said the foundation sought to get ahead of the mental harm and injury threat that currently pervades the sector.

“That’s why our focus is on prevention and early intervention,” Ms MacKenzie said.

“We must make sure we have the best possible programs to help support those who are always ready to support our community.”

Funds raised from Tony’s Trek will be used to enable the Emergency Services Foundation to deliver pioneering prevention-focused mental health initiatives, a Lived Experience Program and Pilot Residential Wellbeing Program.

Emergency Services Foundation is entirely dedicated to the prevention of mental health injury for Victoria’s emergency workers. It works with the support of 14 member agencies.

Find out more at esf.com.au/

If you or someone you know is experiencing issues around mental health, you can contact Accessline on 1800 800 944, Lifeline Australia on 131 114, Beyond Blue on 1300 224 636 or Kids Helpline on 1800 551 800.