The Residential Wellbeing Program is a four-day initiative designed for Victorian emergency service workers, modelled after the British Columbia First Responder Resiliency Program. It aims to address the identified gap in early mental health intervention by offering intensive support in a residential setting on the Mornington Peninsula. Six groups of eight participants work with mental health counsellors to help participants understand the effects of operational stress on the body, brain, behaviour, and relationships. The program facilitates peer discussions, equips participants with self-regulation and communication skills, and provides strategies to maintain resilience and prevent serious mental injury. In addition, the "Leading for Better Mental Health" program focuses on team leaders in emergency services, offering action-based learning to create psychologically safe workplaces. Working with people from a range of agencies has been shown to provide a rich learning experience that provides a unique opportunity for team leaders to consider how the significant mental health challenges confronting people, organisations and the sector be addressed.

Supported by the State Government’s Emergency Responder Mental Health Program, it was available at no cost to agencies in 2024.

Presentation Key Learnings:
1. Understanding how team leaders can be a protective factor for wellbeing.

2. Understanding the power of early intervention.

3. Understanding how an early intervention live-in program can equip participants with skills for self-regulation, effective communication, and planning strategies to maintain their resilience while facing ongoing operational challenges.