The past 18 months has been a trying time for all of us and especially for the primary health care sector. In response to a growing need to provide extra support for our primary care workforce, Western Victoria PHN (WVPHN) is making our own Employee Assistance Program (EAP) support services available to staff working in GP clinics in our region.
WVPHN has arranged for Converge International’s EAP health and wellbeing services be offered to all general practice and Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation staff, in particular practice managers, receptionists and other non-clinical staff who may require confidential counselling.
Note: WVPHN will not be provided with practice names and staff accessing the service. We will only receive data on the number of people who have used the service.
If you would like more information on how to access the service for your practice staff, please contact our practice facilitators on qi@westvicphn.com.au
Other support services
Other organisations offering mental health support services for the primary care sector include:
- Nurse and Midwife Support – www.nmsupport.org.au
- RACGP EAP – www.racgp.org.au/racgp-membership/member-offers/the-gp-support-program
- CRANAplus – crana.org.au/mental-health-wellbeing/call-1800-805-391
- Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine – www.acrrm.org.au/support/wellbeing
- HeadtoHelp – headtohelp.org.au
- Beyond Blue – coronavirus.beyondblue.org.au/impacts-on-my-work/essential-services.htm
- Safer Care Victoria – Healthcare worker Wellbeing Centre – www.bettersafercare.vic.gov.au/support-and-training/hcw-wellbeing
- Black Dog Institute – www.blackdoginstitute.org.au/the-essential-network/