Community Emotional Preparedness & Workforce Wellbeing: A Call for Sector Wide Change
| Friday, November 7, 2025 |
| 1:15 PM - 1:45 PM |
Overview
David Younger, Clinical Psychologist & National Disaster Consultant, David Younger Psychology
Presenter
David Younger
Clinical Psychologist & National Disaster Consultant
David Younger Psychology
Community Emotional Preparedness & Workforce Wellbeing: A Call for Sector Wide Change
Presentation Overview
In comparison to decades prior, emergency management in Australia has evolved to a model that is inclusive of strengthening social capital, physical preparation, response, psychosocial recovery, and community-led recovery. In an era of cascading disasters, it is now questionable if this is sufficient.
This keynote presentation about disaster preparedness and recovery outcomes explores the importance of including an emotional dimension into community preparation activities. This will be contrasted with the needs of the recovery workforce, many of whom are tired, fatigued and dual impacted. A proposal is made for a shift toward holistic, mind-body approaches to workforce wellbeing that are grounded in contemporary science and practice.
David will draw on his experiences with disaster affected communities and organisations to instil a sense of curiosity and openness, courage and compassion, as well as confidence and calm.
This keynote presentation about disaster preparedness and recovery outcomes explores the importance of including an emotional dimension into community preparation activities. This will be contrasted with the needs of the recovery workforce, many of whom are tired, fatigued and dual impacted. A proposal is made for a shift toward holistic, mind-body approaches to workforce wellbeing that are grounded in contemporary science and practice.
David will draw on his experiences with disaster affected communities and organisations to instil a sense of curiosity and openness, courage and compassion, as well as confidence and calm.
Biography
David is a Melbourne based clinical psychologist with 16 years disaster experience. David partners with communities, agencies, organisations, as well as local and state governments across Australia. He has been a trusted advisor after numerous events including bushfires, floods, droughts, cyclones, the 2017 Bourke Street tragedy, thunderstorm asthma, and COVID-19. David is a workshop facilitator, keynote speaker, and mentor. He also has almost twenty years’ experience as a psychologist and therapist, working with adults and young people across a broad range of mental health challenges. With warmth and compassion David highlights that, ‘Confronting adversity and trauma and somehow finding a way through is something that I’ve seen many Australian communities be able to do.’
