Working in the mental health sector can be emotionally demanding. Numerous studies of health sector workers have found higher levels of work-related stress and burnout than many other occupational groups. As the peak body for the remote and isolated health workforce, CRANAplus plays a key role in supporting the wellbeing of the rural and remote health workforce.

CRANAplus has been supporting wellbeing through wellbeing workshops, resources and the Bush Support Line. CRANAplus Wellbeing workshops discuss how to manage prolonged stress, avoid burnout, manage the exposure to traumatic events in the rural and remote health context and prioritise their own wellbeing. CRANAplus has delivered over 180 Wellbeing workshops to over 3500 rural and remote health workers. These services are available to all health workers including those in the mental health sector. Our resources include tip sheets, podcasts and eLearning courses and are designed to be highly accessible to the busy rural and remote mental health worker.

It can be challenging to promote wellbeing in this sector where many workplaces are currently experiencing workforce shortages, high workloads, community and workplace violence and issues of personal safety. On top of this, other barriers exist such as self-stigma, confidentiality concerns and a lack of time to seek help. As a result, CRANAplus has been developing innovative ways to support the workplace to prioritise their own wellbeing.

To engage the mental health workforce, our experience has been to tailor and adjust delivery to the needs of the workplace. Wellbeing workshops have been delivered online by joining existing meetings and other professional development sessions or pre-recording workshops.
Wellbeing resources have been developed across a range of mediums to promote uptake. Feedback we have received has taught us the importance of simple, practical, and regular messaging considering health workers’ own wellbeing can make a difference.

Key Learnings:

1. Promoting wellbeing to the rural mental health workforce requires innovation and flexibility.
2. Information must be accessible and practical and adapted to the needs of each workplace.