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NSW Rape Crisis Centre NSW Rape Crisis Centre was established in the early 1970s by a group of volunteer women. The Centre now is funded by the NSW Department of Health but remains a not-for-profit community group managed by a group of committed community-minded women. The centre employs counsellors who are professionally qualified and have extensive experience in the area of sexual assault. NSW Rape Crisis Centre is a statewide, 24-hour telephone and online crisis, support referral service for women who have experienced sexual violence. The centre is committed to upholding the rights of women to live in a socially just, equitable and non-violent society. Counsellors work in partnership with women to expand their choices, facilitate healing and encourage personal growth. Initiative Vicarious trauma is the psychological injury suffered by workers who, in the course of their work, hear traumatic stories. The NSW Rape Crisis Centre has recognised that their counsellors will experience vicarious trauma and require extensive and ongoing support. The Centre uses the occupational health and safety hierarchy of control to direct its multi-pronged approach to monitoring and managing the impact of vicarious trauma. This work is embedded in all aspects of counsellor support and quality assurance. Tools include employing qualified and experienced counsellors, providing extensive orientation and support, having clear guidelines and directions for counselling work and ensuring all counsellors participate in regular formal supervision. The Centre ensures that the levels and types of support are dynamic through ongoing professional development, determining vicarious trauma indicators and monitoring vicarious trauma levels against those indicators, and implementing a personalised self-care plan for each counsellor. The initiative has achieved tangible benefits since its introduction six years ago. Firstly, by confirming that vicarious trauma is a tangible injury, it can be acknowledged, diagnosed and treated before it impacts on the worker. Secondly, there have not been any compensation claims for vicarious trauma since its introduction. Judges’ Comments This is a systematic and best practice approach to controlling a known hazard, protecting the health and wellbeing of counselling staff and preventing psychological injuries. This solution is outstanding, with potentially broad application across large and small health and community services. This service demonstrates a very high level of awareness of and commitment to OHS in general. It sets an excellent example for other organisations.
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The
WorkCover NSW Safe Work Awards were held on the 25th October 2007
at the Homebush Convention Centre, where the NSW Rape Crisis Centre
was announced the Winner
for the Best Solution to an Identified Workplace Health and Safety
Issue (Category 2).
