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After the floods - building social connections

Understanding social connection, mental health, and recovery

As a health professional, policy maker, recovery or frontline worker, you play a critical role in helping your community cope with the impacts of trauma during disaster and beyond. In recent months, weeks, and days, many communities in Eastern Australia have been significantly impacted by flood disaster. Understanding how you can best provide support to those in need will be critical to helping communities recover.

Our After the floods - building social connections webinar will include a presentation, ‘Social currents through disaster’ by Professor Lisa Gibbs, of important findings on the significance of social relationships post-disaster and the implications of those findings for mental health and recovery, including where diminishing resources and capacity over time impact post-disaster social supports.

In addition, an expert panel will explore ways to successfully build (and re-build) connections with friends and family, social networks, and community groups, and share insights into how you can help to support successful social intervention, what it looks like on the ground, the challenges, relevant services, and implications for policy.

We’ll also share how you can access the leading-edge free resources and training available to you now through the Phoenix Australia Disaster Mental Health Hub and Bushfire Recovery projects.

Who should participate?

The webinar is designed for professionals who work in general practice or community health settings, recovery and frontline workers, and policy makers.

Speakers / Panellists

· Enterprise Professor Nicole Sadler AM CSC, Head of Policy and Practice, Phoenix Australia (moderator)

· Professor Lisa Gibbs, Director of the Child & Community Wellbeing Unit, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, and Lead of Community Resilience in the Centre for Disaster Management and Public Safety, University of Melbourne

· Shona Whitton, National Lead, Recovery & Psychosocial Support, Emergency Services, Operations, Australian Red Cross

· Patrick O’Brien, Acting Manager, Drought and Disasters, Mental Health, Alcohol and Other Drugs Branch, of Queensland Health

What is the cost?

There is no cost to participate in this webinar.

Presented by Phoenix Australia

We’re Australia’s National Centre of Excellence in Posttraumatic Mental Health, the internationally recognised experts in trauma-related mental health and wellbeing. We build evidence and translate knowledge into action, such as improved treatment options and greater support for trauma-affected individuals, families, and communities.

We are Phoenix Australia. We understand trauma and renew lives.

Click here to access the Phoenix Australia Disaster Mental Health Hub: https://bit.ly/3v35ga6

Click here to access Bushfire Recovery Training: https://bit.ly/3ly3qep

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