RAAF homes in on psychosocial hazards
The Royal Australian Air Force has introduced a suite of products to help commanders and team leaders support the mental health and wellbeing of aviators.
CAPTION: Two new resources will help leaders address personnel issues arising from psychosocial hazards in the workplace. Story by John Noble. Photo by Leading Aircraftwoman Annika Smit.
The Directorate of Human Performance and Safety (HPS) collaborated with the recently established Directorate of Mental Health and Wellbeing – Air Force (MH&W-AF) to develop a Commanders Guide to Psychosocial Risk Management, supported by the Air Force Mental Health and Wellbeing Leaders Toolkit.
The resources can assist commanders and team leaders to address personnel issues arising from psychosocial hazards in the workplace.
Left unchecked, psychosocial hazards at work, ranging from job demands to exposure to traumatic events and materials, can lead directly to poor mental health and wellbeing, and can have devastating effects on individuals, families and loved ones.
Director of MH&W-AF Group Captain Felicity Williams, said the new resources came at an especially relevant time, given the work being undertaken by the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide.
“Very importantly, the mental health and wellbeing of Defence personnel is of particular focus at the moment so these resources will prove most valuable in not only checking, but also in improving, the strength, welfare and agility of our aviators,” Group Captain Williams said.
“This thorough and expertly designed toolkit identifies a range of management measures, including preventative and recovery controls for psychosocial risks.
“Both resources highlight the importance of an integrated approach to supporting aviator wellbeing, so it’s very important that not only commanders and team leaders familiarise themselves with this information, but all support services working across our air force.”
Director Human Performance and Safety Group Captain Craig Nielson said it was vital that we reduce psychosocial risk across the Royal Australian Air Force in order to ensure healthy workplace cohesion and ultimately peak performance from all of its people.
Defence members can access the two resources via Headquarters Air Command’s Human Performance and Safety page and the Royal Australian Air Force’s Mental Health and Wellbeing page on the intranet.
CONTACT believes RAAF is deliberately dropping ‘Royal Australian’ from its name – despite Defence assuring us it isn’t true. Campaigning against this name-change-by-stealth, CONTACT has appropriately ‘repaired’ this official story. See here for more details
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