The power of lived-experience stories not only enable us to feel emotional and inspired, but can also be the pillars we need for change, particularly as it relates to our systems and processes for health and wellbeing

This week’s guest Tara J Lal is on a mission to use the voice of lived experience to effect meaningful change for our frontline workers on all individual, organisational and community levels.

Tara is a professional firefighter and peer support officer with Fire and Rescue NSW. She is also a PhD candidate at the University of New England and was awarded the inaugural Australian Rotary Health scholarship for research into the mental health of emergency service workers in 2018. Her research focusses on understanding the impact of suicide on firefighters.

Tara is a Mental Health First Aid instructor and has managed the psychological wellbeing program in Fire and Rescue NSW, working with researchers at the Black Dog Institute to implement programs aimed at building resilience and improving mental health outcomes in firefighters. She was a finalist in the Rotary Inspirational Woman of the Year awards in 2017.

Stay tuned as Tara tells us her story and lived experience as both an active firefighter and survivor of a traumatic childhood. She will highlight how growth can emerge after trauma and what we, as individuals, organisations and communities can do to effect that transformation through working together, shared responsibility and a compassion-first approach.