Peer Support Program, Employee Assistance Program, and (PDF)

Peer Support Program, Employee Assistance Program, and Stress Management Contact Peer Support A list of Peers can be found on the DSE intranet INFORM, under People Centre / Health Safety and Wellbeing / Peer Support, and on notice boards. To organise Peer Support contact: Wellbeing Services Unit� Critical Incident Stress Management Hotline: 0408 006 764 OHS Area Advisor HR Manager Local Peer Employee Assistance Program The EAP is a free service provided by DSE who are committed to providing assistance to employees and their immediate family whether it is personal or work related. The EAP provider is IPS Worldwide and they have counsellors in place to provide a service to all sites across Victoria. Employee Assistance Program Support Line (24hr service) for employee support and welfare. To make an appointment call 1300 366 789 For traumatic incident or crisis counselling call 1800 451 138 Published by the Victorian Government Department of Sustainability and Environment, Melbourne, October 2009 © The State of Victoria Department of Sustainability and Environment 2009 This publication is copyright. No part may be reproduced by any process except in accordance with the provisions of the Copyright Act 1968. Authorised by the Victorian Government, 8 Nicholson Street, East Melbourne. Printed by Stream Solutions Printed on 100% Recycled paper ISBN 978-1-74242-239-8 For more information contact the DSE Customer Service Centre 136 186 Disclaimer This publication may be of assistance to you but the State of Victoria and its employees do not guarantee that the publication is without fl aw of any kind or is wholly appropriate for your particular purposes and therefore disclaims all liability for any error, loss or other consequence which may arise from you relying on any information in this publication. To help you settle back to ‘normal’ • Structure your time and maintain a schedule to re-establish a normal routine • Eat well-balanced and regular meals, even when you don’t feel like it • Maintain regular contact with partners, colleagues, family members or friends • Express your feelings and don’t bottle them up • Maintain as many normal daily decisions as possible • Do things you feel good about doing • Don’t be ‘too tough’ to get help 2052_PeerSupport_DL_HR.indd 1 2052_PeerSupport_DL_HR.indd 1 14/10/09 11:21:08 AM 14/10/09 11:21:08 AM  What Peer Supporters do The role of a Peer Supporter is to provide a confi dential fi rst line of assistance, support and basic crisis intervention, if required, to fellow workers who may wish to discuss a wide range of issues and situations, both personal and work related. There will be Peer Supporters in most offi ces throughout DSE regions and the CBD for staff to approach either face-to-face or by telephone. Peers will also be available at Emergency Management Incidents. When you approach a Peer Supporter you can expect them to: • Maintain confi dentiality • Be someone who will listen to you • Provide support • Be non-judgmental • Offer advice or options you may wish to follow • Provide information on other employee assistance programs available to you. What is Peer Support? DSE is committed to ensuring that staff health and wellbeing is maintained through a supportive and proactive culture. Following the 2002/03 and 2006/07 fi re seasons, feedback from employees has highlighted the need for staff to be able to discuss their experiences with a ‘peer’ as an alternative to seeking external support. The provision of this service through peers should assist employees engaged in work for DSE (especially fi re) to deal with day to day issues as well as stress and trauma in a preventative way. Peers are not professional counsellors, but they can share experiences, provide support and offer information on seeking professional advice if required. There are a wide range of issues and situations, both personal and work related, which can impact on an employee’s performance. For example, stress, grief, trauma, substance abuse, marriage and /or family matters, fi nancial or legal concerns, interpersonal confl ict and health issues. The Peer Support Program consists of volunteer DSE staff members who have undergone basic critical incident stress management training. The Peer Support Program is fully supported by DSE management and is aligned with the Employees Assistance Program (EAP), which provides a free counselling service to DSE. Understanding the signs and symptoms of stress Stress is a demand or pressure placed on people that makes them feel tense, unhappy or uncomfortable. It is important to emphasise that the stress response is triggered by both actual situations and imagined or anticipated ones. When stressed some people may experience the following symptoms. Emotional Anxiety, tenseness, irritability or anger, diffi culty concentrating, forgetfulness, depression, indecisiveness, apathy, being easily startled. Physical Trembling, shaking, muscle tension, headaches, palpitations, dry mouth, rapid or shallow breathing, butterfl ies, indigestion, frequent need to urinate, diarrhoea / constipation, infections. Cognitive Worry, fatigue, tearfulness, apprehension or feelings of threat, dread, confusion, relationship problems. Behavioural Nervous habits, insomnia, smoking, drinking, medication, compulsive behaviours, excessive sleep, procrastination, change in sex drive, restlessness or fi dgetiness. 2052_PeerSupport_DL_HR.indd 2 2052_PeerSupport_DL_HR.indd 2 14/10/09 11:21:14 AM 14/10/09 11:21:14 AM