fmhc-2024-website-logo
  • Program Overview
  • Partner
Register Your Interest

2024 Frontline Mental Health Conference

 March 4th & 5th, 2024
 JW Marriott Gold Coast Resort & Spa, QLD

The Frontline Sector; Uniting to Make Mental Health & Wellbeing a Priority.

Register Your Interest View Program
Day-2-Keynote-Mark-Deady-4-web

PRESENT

Share your insights, research or case studies with mental health professionals and the frontline sector.

PRESENTER APPLICATIONS NOW CLOSED

 

Sponsors-OIR-web

PARTNER

Partner with FMHC24

Connect with over 250 frontline workers and sector professionals before, during and after the conference.

Learn More
Day-1-Keynote-Panshop-2JPG-web

REGISTER

Register your interest today

Register your interest to attend and be the first to know when the registration ‘doors’ open.

Register Now
iStock-1256649791-web

It’s time to do things differently.

You know it, your leaders know it, the sector knows it.

We must collaborate to unlock the power of mentally healthy habits within the frontline sector.

Join us at the Frontline Mental Health Conference and unite to cultivate a mentally resilient workforce.

Together, we can shape a frontline sector that thrives.

Troubling Statistics

1 Every Week

More than one veteran dying by suicide each week.

21

From the the Australian National Police and Emergency Services Mental Health and Wellbeing Study, it was determined that 21% had high and 9% had very high psychological distress.

11%

11% of Australian emergency workers have PTSD, compared to 4% of the general population.

89%

Accessing mental health expertise was considered difficult by 89% of New Zealand police and 62% of ambulance staff.

Sources: 1. aihw.gov.au | 2. nih.gov.au | 3. eshealth.com.au | 4. wiley.com

Frontline workers are heroes of our community with specific and special requirements when it comes to psychological safety, seeking help when it’s needed and challenging systemic stigma, harassment and bullying.

At the Frontline Mental Health Conference you will discover research, innovations and treatment techniques from mental health experts, meet with fellow sector workers, hear from sector leaders and unite to improve the mental health care and wellbeing of first responders - during training, whilst serving and in post-service.

Let’s work together to minimise psychological hazards, tackle burnout and PTSD and release the stigma around asking for help.

A frontline sector which promotes mentally healthy habits = a mentally healthy frontline workforce.

Image credit: Fire Rescue Victoria

Image-Credit-Fire-Rescue-Victoria-BA-web

What will I learn at FMHC?

In 2024, our conference theme:
The Power of Collaboration: Working Together to Create Lasting Change

We will explore the topics:

Supporting the Unsung Heroes: Exploring Who Helps the Helper and How?

  • Combatting Empathic distress fatigue (compassion fatigue) and cultivating healthy empathy
  • Nurturing Resilience: Promoting Mental Health and Building Coping Skills
  • Navigating Vicarious Trauma and Embracing Post Traumatic Growth: Moving from darkness to thriving.
  • Fostering Compassionate Communities: Creating Safe and Inclusive Cultural

Revolutionising Frontline Mental Health: Exploring Innovative Approaches to Treatment

  • Tech-Enabled Wellness: Supporting and Empowering Mental Health through Technology
  • Promoting Wellbeing: Integrating Risk Assessment, Work Health, Mitigation, Health and Safety Disciplines
  • Holistic Wellbeing: Exploring the Interplay of Nutrition, Sleep, and Mental Health
  • From Theory to Practice: Implementing Effective Strategies
  • Empowering Voices, Embracing Change: Co-creating New Knowledge and Collaboration for Frontline Mental Health Transformation

Healthy Workplaces and Environments for Frontline Workers

  • Preserving the flame: Preventing burnout and empathic distress fatigue
  • Navigating Workplace Challenges: Fostering Supportive Environments
  • Crisis Care: Effective Procedures and Compassionate Approaches during crisis situations
  • Thriving Beyond Trauma: Supporting Successful Return to Work with Mental Health Injuries (PTSD etc)
  • Empowering Frontline Champions: Creating Healthy Workplaces and Inclusive Environments for Lived Experience, Peer Workers, and Volunteers
  • Healing the Invisible Wounds: Addressing Moral Injury

Addressing the unique challenges faced and opportunities for frontline workers and their families

  • Caring for Our Caregivers: Navigating the Challenges and Supporting the Families of Frontline Workers
  • Breaking Barriers: Empowering Frontline Workers, Families, and Challenging Mental Health Stigma
  • Lifecycle of frontline workers from recruitment, employment, training, transitions, retirement and beyond
  • Psychosocial Risk and the implementation of processes within organisation
  • Responding to Tragedy: Addressing Critical Incidents, the Impact of Line-of-Duty Deaths and Deaths by Suicide

Framework for mental wellness (from induction/primary prevention through to tertiary prevention)

  • Shaping the Future: Student Engagement and Equipping Entry-Level Professionals
  • Healing from Within: Trauma-Informed Approaches to Response, Intervention, and Practices
  • Collective Guardianship: Uniting for Suicide Prevention
  • Prioritising the Protectors: Supporting First Responders and Nurturing Support Systems
  • Community Strength: The Vital Role of Family and Support Networks in First Nations Communities - Collaborative Approaches
  • Creating Safe Spaces: Promoting Inclusion, Safety, and Belonging for LGBTQIA+, People with Disabilities, and Other Marginalised Communities

Latest research, case studies and policies

  • Words Matter: Exploring Language and Ethical Communication
  • Charting New Territories: Exploring Recent Work Health and Safety Legislation Changes in NSW and Queensland
  • Setting the Bar: National Standards for Mental Health Training and Innovative Care Models
  • Rights Empowerment: Ensuring Legal Rights and Accountability in Frontline Mental Health Services and Employment

Keynote Speakers

Jacqueline Drew VIEW BIO

Associate Professor Jacqueline Drew

School of Criminology and Criminal Justice and Griffith Criminology Institute, Griffith University

Jacqueline Drew

Associate Professor Jacqueline Drew

School of Criminology and Criminal Justice and Griffith Criminology Institute, Griffith University

Dr Jacqueline Drew is an Associate Professor with the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice and Griffith Criminology Institute, Griffith University. Jacki has over 20 years of experience in law enforcement, as a practitioner and researcher. Jacki began her career in law enforcement with the Queensland Police Service (QPS). Jacki’s work focuses on police organisational practice and experiences of police personnel, specifically the areas of police mental health, suicide, police leadership, career paths of women police and recruitment and retention. Jacki has been awarded an Australian Research Council (Linkage) Grant, working with the Queensland Police Commissioner, to develop a workplace health and wellbeing early warning system to improve the mental health and wellbeing of police personnel. Jacki works internationally with law enforcement in the United States (US), she is a lead investigator on a national (US) biennial survey research program with the National Fraternal Order of Police focused on police wellbeing.

Kate Martin VIEW BIO

Dr Kate Martin

Director, CLET Training

Kate Martin

Dr Kate Martin

Director, CLET Training

Dr Kate Martin is the Director of CLET Training and has over 17 years experience working with former and current police, military and emergency services workers. With a background in law and raised in a police family, Kate completed her doctoral studies with Charles Sturt University in 2020 having researched the transition processes for first responders and how this impacts their post service employment satisfaction. In her pursuit of answers for the challenges faced by service personnel Kate holds 11 higher education qualifications including a Master of Disaster and Emergency Response from Edith Cowan University, a Master of Policing, Intelligence and Counter Terrorism from Macquarie University and a Bachelor of Psychological Science from Swinburne University.

Kate’s work with CLET Training directly applies evidence-based research to support police, military and emergency services, and more recently corrections, personnel in understanding their reality, both in and out of the job, and to help with the transition process, when it occurs. Acknowledging that physical and mental health injuries are only part of the challenge faced by this group, Kate’s work has a direct focus on the diverse and complex nature of the service-based experiences and seeks to offer an informed approach to pave the way both within and without service.

male-place VIEW BIO

Professor Zachary Steel

Chair of Trauma & Mental Health, UNSW & St John of God Health Care

male-place

Professor Zachary Steel

Chair of Trauma & Mental Health, UNSW & St John of God Health Care

Prof Zachary Steel holds the St John of God Chair of Trauma and Mental Health a partnership between Richmond and Burwood Hospital in NSW and the School of Psychiatry UNSW. He has a 30 year history of work with populations affected by trauma, including veterans, emergency service workers. refugees, asylum seekers as well as those affected by mass conflict. He is the immediate past president of the Australasian Society for Traumatic Stress Studies (2019-2021) and sits on the Board for the Service for the Treatment and Rehabilitation of Torture and Trauma Survivors (STARTTS).

Dr Nikki Jamieson VIEW BIO

Dr Nikki Jamieson

Department of Defence

Dr Nikki Jamieson

Dr Nikki Jamieson

Department of Defence

Dr Nikki Jamieson is a suicidologist, author, researcher and AASW registered social worker in Australia. Nikki’s interest in military suicide and moral injury, was born from lived experience and has led to pioneering research on moral injury and suicide, several publications, a book and national and international keynotes and workshops.

Nikki is an established leader in suicide prevention and moral injury, and has worked strategically within suicide prevention across a range of government departments including DVA, Health, Education and more recently for the Department of Defence where she currently holds a key role in suicide prevention.

male-place VIEW BIO

CAPT Malcolm Roberts

Department of Defence

male-place

CAPT Malcolm Roberts

Department of Defence

CAPT Malcolm Roberts is in his 20th year in the Australian Army. In 2009/10 he deployed to Afghanistan on Operation Slipper as a company medic. It was during this deployment that he encountered a number of traumatic incidents including the death of a fellow soldier. CAPT Roberts continued his career in Army and in 2013 he completed his Bachelor of Nursing, commissioning as a Nursing Officer. It wasn’t until 10 years after his deployment that CAPT Roberts was diagnosed with PTSD. Since then he has had to navigate the challenges of maintaining a fulltime career in Defence with his recovery.

CAPT Roberts is a firm believer in the benefits of Lived Experience and finding purpose as a way of navigating the challenges of PTSD. He continues to deliver his Lived Experience talks to Defence members and advocates for destigmatising Mental Health in Defence and the wider community. CAPT Roberts is posted to HQ 2nd Health Brigade as the Long Term Schooling Manager for SE Qld, NSW & ACT. He is married to his ever patient wife Rachael and between them have four amazing children.

male-place VIEW BIO

Scientia Professor Richard Bryant

UNSW

male-place

Scientia Professor Richard Bryant

UNSW

Bio coming soon.

male-place VIEW BIO

Chaplain Rob Sutherland, CSC

Principal Veterans’ Chaplain, Department of Veterans’ Affairs

male-place

Chaplain Rob Sutherland, CSC

Principal Veterans’ Chaplain, Department of Veterans’ Affairs

Bio coming soon.

Join us at Frontline Mental Health Conference and walk away empowered with the information you need to best support your clients, team, your peers and your community. 

Who attends FMHC?

The delegates for the Frontline Mental Health Conference are varied across emergency services, defence, community, government, mental and allied health as well as business. Typically, we see:

  • Emergency services personnel, defence force personnel, Police, Ambulance, Fire Services Wellbeing Officers, Managers and Leaders.
  • Professors, Associate Professors, Lecturers, PhD Students from Universities around the world with a particular focus on frontline workers and emergency workers.
  • Senior management and leadership roles including Commissioner, Assistant Commissioner, Unit Director & Coordinator, Member Welfare Manager
  • Psychologists, GPs, Social Workers, Speech Pathology, Occupational Therapists, Physiotherapists, Nutritionists, Allied Health Manager, Mental Health Nurses working within frontline sector.
  • Directors and Consultants of Private Counselling/ Psychiatrist/ Psychologist Practice.
  • Mental health workers from federally funded government agencies.
  • Team Lead, Program Manager, Project Lead of Hospital and Health Services and PHNs.
Day-1-Keynote-Matt-Ireland-4-web

Is FMHC for me?

Day-1-Keynote-Panshop-2JPG-web

Yes! The Frontline Mental Health Conference is for you if you’re looking for:

check-solid-green A space for safe, open and connected conversations around the mental health of all first responders and frontline workers at all stages of their career.
check-solid-green Application based presentations to leave you with practical tools to create immediate and positive changes. 
check-solid-green Networking with like-minded sector professionals to discover best practice solutions.
check-solid-green Inspiration from current research, top professionals and community leaders in the frontline sector.
check-solid-green A platform to share your own stories, research, programs and case studies with your community. 
check-solid-green Time away from your every-day to connect with your peers and get your fingers on the information which will help you succeed in your role.

Join us and help create a safer future for all frontline workers.

What Our Attendees Have to Say

Testimonials

fmhc-2024-slider-testimonial-1
fmhc-2024-slider-testimonial-2
fmhc-2024-slider-testimonial-3
fmhc-2024-slider-testimonial-4
fmhc-2024-slider-testimonial-5
fmhc-2024-slider-testimonial-6
fmhc-2024-slider-testimonial-7
FMHC 23 Social media feature
FMHC Social Media feature 2
FMHC 23 Social media feature 3
FMHC 23 Social Media feature 4
FMHC 23 Social Media feature 5
FMHC 23 Social media feature 6
FMHC 23 Social media feature 7
FMHC 23 Social media feature 8
AdobeStock_211736368

Present at FMHC

FMHC will explore the theme: “The Power of Collaboration: Working Together to Create Lasting Change”.

As a presenter you will share your latest research, findings, ideas and insights with the frontline mental health community. 

This is your chance to lend your voice to the current challenges faced by the sector and provide real-world case studies, solutions and new approaches to creating safe, thriving frontline workplaces and communities. 

This opportunity comes up once a year so please take this as your moment to apply to present now.

Apply To Present

Partner with FMHC

Partner with FMHC24 and connect with 250+ frontline and emergency workers, leaders and mental health professionals. 

Introduce delegates to the research, programs, services and initiatives which can help improve the mental health care and wellbeing of first responders during training, whilst serving and in post-service.  

Our team can assist in creating custom partnership packages designed for your specific goals, so reach out today.

Find Out More
AdobeStock_317827695-fmhc-2024

Register your interest to attend the 2024 FMHC
Registrations will open Thursday 5 October 2023.

Register Your Interest to Attend

Register Your Team's Interest to Attend

Venue & Accommodation

The 2024 Frontline Mental Health Conference will be held at the JW Marriott Gold Coast Resort & Spa, QLD.

Room with Breakfast for up to two people - $370

JW-MARRIOTT-GOLD-COAST--high-res-External-web
Marriott SP- New Room

Sponsors

Destination Gold Coast

Host City Partner

LivingWorks

Platinum Sponsor

DRA_MasterBM_Horizontal_RGB

Gold Sponsor

Converge International

Gold Sponsor

St-John-of-God-Health-Care-logo

Silver Sponsor

Emerge n See

Bronze Sponsor

Portrait StandBy logo-outlined-svg

Bronze Sponsor

fortemaustralia.org.auwp-contentuploads202207Logo-Primary-colour-inlineSupporting-the-brave-RGB

Bronze Sponsor

Queensland Government

Proudly supported by the Queensland Government
App Sponsor

Contact Us

Links

  • Present
  • Partner
  • Register Your Interest
  • Venue & Accommodation
  • Committee
  • Privacy Policy

    Information

    • Program Overview
    • Conference Scholarships
    • Delegate Terms & Conditions
    • Presenter Terms & Conditions
    • 2022 Resource Centre
    • 2023 Resource Centre

    Contact

    Please use the contact form to get in touch.
    PO Box 329, Ashmore City, 4214
    +61 7 5502 2068

    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • LinkedIn
    As an association that is a leader in mental health, we stand beside our First Nations people in both Australia and New Zealand to empower their people and communities to improve their wellbeing. We support our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Australia and Maori people in New Zealand/Aotearoa and acknowledge the beauty, strength and uniqueness in their people and cultures. We celebrate their diversity and acknowledge that we work, walk and talk on your lands and we thank and pay yindyamarra/whakaute/respect to your ancestors, Elders and people. Our association will work to continue to amplify voices and empower communities to improve the mental health within First Nations people in both countries.

    © The Australian & New Zealand Mental Health Association. All rights reserved.