Queensland Corrective Services (QCS) officers are set to get improved mental health support with the introduction of a new peer-led initiative.
Minister for Corrective Services, Mark Ryan said the program was designed to help officers overcome the stigma associated with mental health.
“Stand TALR is a peer-led mental health awareness workshop, created specifically for correctional officers, to help encourage positive attitudes towards mental health,” Mr Ryan said.
“The program encourages staff to Talk, Ask, Listen and Refer (TALR) and attempts to combat perceptions that talking about mental health is a sign of weakness.”
He said QCS officers worked on the frontline of community safety, dealing with some of the most challenging and complex people in society.
“In a challenging field like corrections, it’s critically important programs like Stand TALR are offered to staff, and the feedback I’ve heard from officers has been very positive,” the Minister said.
Queensland’s first Stand TALR programs were rolled out this week in collaboration with the Together Union.
Secretary of the Together Union, Alex Scott said the program had been a big success in Western Australia and had subsequently been introduced in a number of other jurisdictions.
“Its strength is that it is a peer-run framework that allows Correctional Officers to support each other in tackling mental health issues,” Mr Scott said.
QCS Commissioner Peter Martin (pictured) said the safety of officers was a priority and the mental health program was an example of QCS’s continued quest for best practice.
“As one of the Corrections 2030 Guiding Principles, safety is extremely important to me and this includes the mental wellbeing of all our officers,” Commissioner Martin said.