Northern Health has a new Wellbeing team that consists of three team members – Stephen Whittaker, Wellbeing Team Leader, Renee Camilleri, Wellbeing Advisor, and Casey O’Brien, Wellbeing Project Psychologist. The team will be working to implement initiatives throughout the organisation to Protect, Promote and Support our staff’s mental health and wellbeing, with the ultimate goal of giving our staff the best opportunity to THRIVE.

Many of you would have seen the story on Stephen Whittaker back in June. Right now, the team are very focused on supporting staff in the midst of the current Covid-19 situation across Melbourne, making ‘Wellbeing Check In’ calls to furloughed staff and ensuring ward staff working on Covid-19 Wards have what they need to feel safe, both physically and psychologically.

“We are here to support Northern Health staff – to strengthen our culture of care and ensure everyone feels safe, heard, appreciated and valued,” Stephen said.

Renee is working on the new wellbeing plan for our staff, and ensuring everyone is up to date on what is currently available.

“As someone who is a Criminology and Psychology graduate, this field of work is a passion of mine, so I am looking forward to having a hands on approach in the coming 12 months – I am very excited to be here,” Renee said.

She is currently in the process of re-branding the THRIVE program and updating Intranet pages, where staff will be able to find valuable resources, tools and invitations. One of them are our TREAT Rest and Recovery sessions, which “do wonders for relaxation and mindfulness”.

The third member of the team is Casey, a qualified Psychologist who is focused on developing tailored wellbeing supports for our staff, which include shared reflection sessions. These are designed to encourage staff to have respectful conversations about professional experiences in a safe and confidential open forum.

“We want staff to have as many avenues and platforms to share their experiences as possible,” Casey said.

“The Northern Health Wellbeing team is a wonderful addition to the People & Culture directorate. Supporting the health and wellbeing of our staff is more important than ever and having a team of qualified, passionate and dedicated wellbeing experts is a welcomed and exciting addition to Northern Health,” said Jade Ralston, Director, People and Culture.

All current wellbeing events and resources can be found on the THRIVE Intranet page, with much more to come over the coming 12 months.

Featured image: Renee Camilleri (left), Stephen Whittaker (middle) and Casey O’Brien (right).