There is a lot of information about the bushfires and the effects on mental health. How you can manage, support others, recover and ideas about PTSD are across the internet.
At the Centre for Clinical Psychology we focus on evidence based therapy for trauma and PTSD. Below are links to a range of organisations that provide information that is informed by research and evidence.
If you have been affected by the bushfires the Australian Government has introduced 10 Medicare rebatable services available in each calendar year for two years (2020 and 2021), referred to as the Bushfire Recovery Access Initiative.
People presenting for bushfire services do not need to have a GP referral or to be diagnosed as having a mental health disorder. Anyone who has had an adverse change in their mental health as a result of a bushfire which occurred in the 2019-20 financial year can access these services. This includes emergency services workers who have been affected by the bushfires.
These services can be delivered face-to-face or by video conference for those living in a rural or remote area. Please call us at the Centre for Clinical Psychology (03 9077 0122) if you feel you have been affected by the bushfires, and we can assist you whether you live in the city or a rural location.
Information
The International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies is dedicated to sharing information about the effects of trauma and the discovery and dissemination of knowledge to reduce traumatic stressors and their immediate and long-term consequences. The have produced a series of Public Education ePamphlets and fact sheets that discuss important trauma-related issues to the public, clients, research participants and other professionals. Several of these fact sheets and pamphlets are available for download in Spanish, Arabic and Chinese.
Phoenix Australia provides a range of free resources for people affected by trauma, their families and friends. These include fact sheets, booklets including information for parents and young people who have experienced trauma, as well as the best treatments available.
Recovery Online: this website gives you a toolkit of simple techniques to help you move on from trauma and reclaim your life.
The Australian Psychological Society (APS) has compiled a range of resources to help Australians to prepare and recover from the threat of bushfire. Australian bushfires 2020: Psychological preparation and recovery.
