 CFA takes mental health very seriously. Our people are continually responding to help and protect the community every day. And whilst volunteering and working for an emergency service isn't extremely rewarding and fulfilling experience, it can also be demanding physically, mentally and emotionally. Through CFA volunteering I've met some fabulous people. I've been some amazing places. I've experienced some incredible stuff. And if you want to feel good about yourself, do something in the service of others with people that you respect and admire around you. I've seen lots of hairy stuff. I've seen lots of sad stuff. I've seen lots of wonderful people and incredible, incredible achievements in that time. Be careful and be looking after yourself. And don't fall into the trap of, oh yeah, this is a big brave world I'm in and I need to be stoic and I need to be dishonest. No, you don't. The most important thing you can do for the well-being of yourself and for others is to be open with your emotions and your feelings and your experience. Because I can guarantee you there's five people on a crew. If one person's knocked around, the others will be too. CFA's well-being services and resources are readily available to you to help you maintain good mental health and to support you in dealing with difficulties if they arise. These services and resources are free and confidential 24-7 and they can be accessed by all CFA members and their immediate families for any reason, be it personal or CFA related. CFA well-being support services are all accessed via one phone number, the well-being support line on 1800 959 232. You never know when you might need it, so it might be useful to save it in your phone. The member assistance program, often called MAP, provides CFA members and their families access to psychologists and counsellors who are external to CFA. You can speak with a qualified mental health professional for CFA or personal related issues. There are other services available through MAP too, such as support with finances, lifestyle, career, relationships and more. The peer support program are peers who are current members of CFA, so we know what it means to work and volunteer alongside you. You might see a peer at a fire station after a difficult incident or on deployment with a strike team or around the office. Peers are trained in psychological first aid and volunteer the time to provide well-being support to you, our fellow CFA members. Chaplaincy at CFA provide non-denominational, emotional, pastoral and spiritual support. This could be anything from a conversation about the quality of your day to helping an individual or family through the death of a loved one. Our chaplains are committed to confidentiality and inclusivity by helping you in any way they can, no matter what your beliefs may be. The organisation well-being team are CFA employees. This includes a member well-being advisor in each region. We work to support the psychological health and safety of CFA members across a range of programs. This includes a delivery of education, short-term support and referral and coaching for leaders. Working with teams and individuals, our goal is to support a great place to volunteer and work. These support services are available to you and your immediate family. They are free, confidential and available 24-7. Our web-based app called CFA Thrive is a confidential online self-assessment tool. It can help our members and their families monitor their well-being and recommends further resources and support. As you move along your CFA journey, we encourage you to build your mental health literacy. Training is available, such as e-learning on the CFA Learning Hub and also instructor-led training. You can find more information and resources on the CFA Well-Being Hub found on the CFA intranet. We know that it can be hard sometimes for people to reach out and talk to someone about how they're feeling and to share their lived experience with others. At CFA, we're committed to supporting your mental health by providing the opportunities and services that you may need and empowering you to use the services that are right for you because we recognise that sometimes the helper needs help. As first responders, our communities rely on us for help. Every role at CFA plays a part in our mission to protect lives and property. Sometimes the work we do in emergency services can be challenging. Sometimes our personal lives can be challenging. We bring our whole selves to the work that we do and at times these challenges can test or even overwhelm our ability to cope. If you ever find yourself in this position, please remember that it is normal and you're not alone. We have a variety of services and programs available to provide you with the knowledge and support needed to help you be the best you can be for yourself, your family and fellow CFA members and importantly, the community. Please take advantage of our wellbeing services for you, for your immediate family and for your fellow members. As a member, we want you to feel truly supported to be the best that you can be in a CFA role and in your everyday lives because when the uniform comes off, you have a life, a job and a family and we're here to help you. Contact us for free, confidential 24-7 wellbeing support.