The Establishment of OzHelp Tasmania

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Based on the success of the OzHelp Foundation in the ACT, the OzHelp Tasmania Foundation was established in 2007 to support the Tasmanian building and construction industry. Its focus is on reducing the unnecessary loss of life of apprentices and workers through suicide. This is achieved by providing workplace suicide prevention and mental health and wellbeing training and support services.

 

These include:

• Providing practical life skills for young apprentices and trainees to develop resilience and coping skills (especially during their transition from school into the workplace).
• Providing workplace supervisors with the practical skills to manage and look after their employees.
• Providing workplaces with an introduction to mental health and wellbeing to enable employees to look after themselves and others.

Expanding beyond the building and construction industry

Whilst still undertaking its primary role of suicide prevention and social capacity building within the building and construction industry OzHelp Tasmania has broadened its scope due to the success of the program, requests for training and support from other industries and recognizing that overall workplace mental health and wellbeing was not being fully addressed.

 

Training is now undertaken in a variety of workplaces including private companies and government organisations.

 

Training and support services are also provided to all apprentices and trainees enrolled at The Skills Institute under the Skills for Life program.

 

Our Identity:

OzHelp Tasmania  is a not for profit organisation that undertakes workplace suicide promotion, prevention and early intervention activities incorporating mental health and wellbeing programs that target apprentices and young workers, adult workers, employers and managers in Tasmania in order to:-

• Provide proactive suicide promotion, prevention and early intervention services
• Foster good mental health and wellbeing in Tasmanian workplaces
• Provide mental health and wellbeing education and social capacity building programs
• Provide mental health and well being prevention and promotion activities
• Provide early intervention services including linkages to established professional service providers, community
  mental health services and NGO’s

What does the OzHelp Tasmania Foundation Provide?

OzHelp Tasmania Foundation is a not for profit organisation established in 2007 on a Statewide basis. Its focus is on reducing the unnecessary loss of life of apprentices and workers through suicide. This is achieved by undertaking workplace suicide promotion, prevention, early intervention and social capacity building programs including workplace mental health and wellbeing training.   

 

The Training Service includes:

• The OzHelp Life Skills ‘Tool Box’
• The OzHelp ‘Workplace’ Life Skills Program
• Workplace Supervisor and Mentor Training
•  Workplace Mental Health and Wellbeing Training

The Support Service includes:

• Apprentice and trainee support
• Worker support
• Employer support
• Advisory and counselling support

Mission:

To be a thriving not for profit provider of workplace mental health and wellbeing services designed to reduce the loss of life through suicide and to develop resilient, resourceful and productive workforces.

 

Vision:

To be recognized as the pre-eminent resource for the provision of  workplace mental health and wellbeing services. 

 

Our Declaration

We will passionately ensure the provision of promotion, prevention and early intervention services that are designed to build confidence, resilience and awareness amongst apprentices and workers throughout Tasmanian workplaces. We will energetically seek to:

• Provide training and health promotion services that remain relevant to industry in order to raise awareness of
  mental health and wellbeing and reduce the risk of suicide or self harm amongst Tasmanian workers;
• Build innovation around the delivery of core and other services designed to build resilience and resourcefulness amongst Tasmanian workers;
• Encourage and receive referrals of workers whose circumstances place them at risk of mental health problems including suicide, and provide them with appropriate support services;
• Increase access for workers ‘at risk’ to appropriate support and resources in order to reduce the risk of suicide or
  self harm;
• Improve industry’s awareness and understanding of mental health and wellbeing including suicide issues and engender more supportive attitudes to those in the workforce at most risk;
• Build strong resilience of new (mostly young) workers in the industry (apprentices and trainees) to protect against suicide;
• Engender a workplace environment that fosters good mental health and wellbeing and discourage the stigma
  attached to mental illness;
• Raise awareness of mental ill health, its causes and associated factors;
• Educate the workforce in techniques to encourage early recognition of problems and seek appropriate interventions.    

Using the OzHelp Tasmania Services

Training and support is based on agreements between employers and OzHelp Tasmania.

 

For further information contact Keith Morrison, State Marketing and Training Manager on 6343 3122, 0419 189153, or k.morrison@ozhelptasmania.org.au