TrackSAFE Foundation welcomes the opportunity to work with the Victorian and Federal Governments, leading health professionals and our network of supporting companies to improve the mental health system and its wider impact on the rail community.
Most of us will experience poor mental health or mental illness at some point in our lives — directly or indirectly. The TrackSAFE Foundation works to prevent suicide and injury on the rail network and improve the wellbeing of the rail workforce. Beyond the human loss or injury caused by person-train collisions or near misses, incidents can cause trauma and work-related stress to the rail and recovery staff involved with the incident.
Many events necessitate an absence from work and the risk of acute and chronic health and wellness issues can have ongoing impacts and affect their return to work. In 2019 there were 81 suspected suicides and 61 attempted suicides on the Australian rail network.
The Victorian Royal Commission into the Mental Health System report has been released and can be viewed here. The Commission made 65 recommendations to transform Victoria’s mental health system, including earlier intervention, community-based care and services, support for families and carers and ‘drop-in’ and crisis respite facilities. The Victorian Government has accepted every recommendation.
The report acknowledges that collaboration across governments and sectors such as education and justice, workplaces and social networks, is particularly important for suicide prevention, because multiple factors are associated with suicide. It is known that the appropriate support of an individual following a suicide attempt can save a life.
To support people experiencing suicidal behaviour there are a number of recommendations of relevance to the rail industry:
- training in appropriate responses for members of workforces likely to come in contact with people experiencing suicidal behaviour;
- the provision of free, online evidence-informed ‘community gatekeeper training’ for Victorians to develop suicide awareness and prevention skills;
- enabling Aboriginal people to design culturally safe ‘community gatekeeper training’ for Aboriginal people;
- aftercare services for specific groups of people at risk of experiencing suicidal behaviour and the development of an intensive 14-day support program for adults who are experiencing psychological distress, modelled on Scotland’s Distress Brief Intervention program.
There were also several specific recommendations for establishing mentally healthy workplaces. Employers are encouraged to commit to creating mentally healthy workplaces including:
- addressing workplace barriers to good mental health;
- promoting inclusive workplaces that are free from stigma and discrimination;
- and supporting people experiencing mental illness at work.
The new Mental Health and Wellbeing Cabinet Subcommittee is looking to sponsor industry-based trials to demonstrate how to adapt and implement comprehensive mentally healthy workplace approaches in an industry context. The Commission also recommended the government facilitate Victorian industries and businesses to invest in evidence-informed workplace suicide prevention and response programs, with an initial focus on forming partnerships with high-risk industries.
The Commission recommends a number of governance changes including the establishment of a Suicide Prevention and Response Office, led by a State Suicide Prevention and Response Adviser, the establishment of a Mental Health and Wellbeing Cabinet subcommittee Chaired by the Premier, a new Mental Health and Wellbeing Act, a new Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission as an independent statutory authority and a new Interdepartmental Committee on Mental Health and Wellbeing Promotion.
TrackSAFE Foundation welcomes the opportunity to work with the Victorian and Federal Governments, leading health professionals and our network of supporting companies to improve the mental health system and its wider impact on the rail community.
Some of the stories and the Commission’s analysis may contain information that could be distressing. You may therefore want to consider how and when you read this report. There are a number of services available to support you including Lifeline 13 11 14.