PPIMS Network brings lived experience to improve the emotional responsiveness of emergency services

Earlier this year, the Peer Participation in Mental Health Services (PPIMS) Network participated in a co-design workshop with Nat Scott, Brisbane North Safe Space Network Coordinator, to explore the ways that emergency service first responders respond to people experiencing emotional distress.

Representing the spectrum of lived experience as carers and/or consumers, 13 PPIMS network members were able to express their concern about the type of training undertaken by Queensland Rail, Queensland Police Service (QPS) and Queensland Ambulance employees. By the same token, the workshop was also a forum for sharing good news stories and anecdotes of when emergency services had responded appropriately and successfully.

The outcome of the workshop was to conclude that authentic mental health training needs to be undertaken by these services, peer lived and living experience consumers and carers need to be a part of this process, and greater mental health awareness needs to be embedded into the culture of our first responders.