Comments on the recent Four Corners report 'Insult to Injury'.

Today's post focusses on some key points raised in the recent Four Corners report.

Last week Four Corners aired the report, "Insult to Injury" , about police Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and the additional difficulties that these individuals face when seeking legitimate financial compensation for the injuries they have acquired through the course of their duties.

To me this re-iterated the layered complexity of emergency service welfare, return to work and compensation systems and the need for effective preventative options so that the best officers can stay in the job and entirely avoid that path altogether. ​

From my perspective, this is deeply frustrating that the emergent research on the way trauma is held in (and can be released from) the body hasn't reached those officers in need. Therapies such as EMDR, hypnotherapy, kinesiology, regular meditation or yoga, theatre sports and guided journalling are all proven to assist the brain in processing traumatic events. It appears that talk-therapy and ineffective drug therapy are the only options offered.

I often wonder what the ripple effect would have been had these highly trained individuals been supported enough from the outset. They all sounded so passionate and proud about the job they did. I'm also struck about the ones that do see the traumas and don't get affected at all. I'm certain there would be a fair percentage who would continue on for as long as they can, and would continue to process the events, but what about the ones who are affected the least? And are these the ones that we would want in the job in the first place?

Imagine if we only had the most compassionate, connected and justice-centric officers in the job? How could this impact on workplace relationships, romantic partnerships, family life and general interactions with vulnerable members in the community?

The other striking aspect of this Four Corners episode was the observation made by the lawyer, John Cox, who commented that it was the very best officers who were coming out with PTSD. This rings so true to me and I'm sure this is could certainly hold true for all the other services as well. 

Interestingly this contradicts the internal messaging of some poorly educated managers (as per the 2016 Victoria Police Mental Health Review) who incorrectly view those who are suffering as weak and unable to cope with the demands of the job. 

Resilience and reliability, as highlighted in the Four Corners program and the mental health review are naturally one of the key values that are held by people working in the emergency services.

The key now is to find a way to support staff in a way that acknowledges the traumatic nature of their work, without sugar coating it, or overly dramatising it. Instead solutions for increasing self-awareness, self-management and self-soothing should be promoted to improve the chances of each emergency service officer to continue in their chosen field for a time determined by them.

Ideally, the first priority of organisations would be to support their teams in processing trauma appropriately thereby improving the running of their business in the long term. The momentum of this has been increasing in 2016 and it will continue to build as the research shows that the pace of emergency service work is continuing to rise. 

If you enjoyed this post, consider entering your details below to receive these directly to your inbox. You'll also be the first in the know about any upcoming offers, events or courses as well.
​