The attached document prepared by DFAT's Staff and Family Support Office is a good place to start when planning on your move to your next post. It addresses issues of culture shock, moving with children, care for elderly parents, common issues for accompanying spouses or single officers, and stress management. Take some time to have a read and incorporate some tips into your preparation to move.
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For DFAT staff and their accompanying spouses/partners, it is important to remember that in many ways a posting doesn’t actually finish until at least six months after returning to Australia.
For the DFAT officer, these final six months of settling back into Australia and your next DFAT role, as well as re-establishing your personal life and connections, can be challenging. Equally, for the accompanying spouse/partner, resettling your own career, and re-establishing your own life back in Australia will bring with it a range of challenges and demands that many may not have thought of. In order to help our staff and families in this next phase of their life, DFAT offers a half-day workshop that provides a range of tools to assist in the re-entry process. Access requirements Please advise if you have any special access requirements by emailing [email protected]. How to enrol Interested staff can enrol in the session, upon your return to Australia, via PeopleSoft. The program is listed under ‘Re-entry (Return to Australia) Workshop’. Thehelp link can show or guide you through enrolling in a program. For external spouses/partners, please send a request to enrol to [email protected]. Once enrolled in a course, officers should view this as a firm, professional commitment to attend. Any request to withdraw must be provided to[email protected] at least one week prior to the course commencement, and must be accompanied by endorsement from your supervisor. This will allow us to offer the opportunity to others on the waitlist. Please also withdraw from the course in PeopleSoft to enable others to enrol. For further details, please contact [email protected] Click on the attached document below for information on counselling and support services [Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs)] for non-DFAT staff at post.
Click below on the attached document for information on DFAT's Staff & Family Office support and Employee Assistance Program.
While I'm on the subject of apps, there are also apps to help with stress, anxiety and sleep. Living and working in another country is tough and every bit of help counts.
While there are skepticism about whether mental health apps work, some research has shown that they can and they are accessible (some a free), efficient (10mins everyday) and portable. You can use these apps anywhere, anytime. https://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2017/01/stress-test-try-these-9-anxiety-apps-between-thera.html There are a number of general counselling services in Australia which may be able to assist you:
Here are a number of resources provided by the CLO in Bangkok which may be of assistance to families with children.
acpmh_-_helping_children_after_trauma.pdf Download File acpmh_child_storybook_joel_and_the_storm.pdf Download File acpmh_parents_guide_helping_my_child_after_trauma.pdf Download File acpmh_teenager_guide_-_trauma_stress_and_teenagers.pdf Download File acpmh_-_trauma_and_children.pdf Download File Tips for parents with pre-school children Tips for parents with primary school aged children http://linkis.com/www.abc.net.au/news/p29TB (dealing with trauma) There are a number of various useful guides on what to do and mitigating measures you can take in the event of crises as follows:
https://smartraveller.gov.au/bulletins/terrorist_threat (advice on mitigating measures) http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-34844518 (what to do in an attack) https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/national-counter-terrorism-security-office (advice on what to do in the event of a terrorist attack) Preparing for natural disasters and crises (provided by the SFO) Helping yourself after a traumatic event Dealing with a traumatic event Tips for stress relief Staff and families from other agencies can access the following counselling services at their agencies:
AFP Wellbeing Services +61 2 6131 3743 [email protected] Defence DPG DCO Defence Family Helpline 1800 624 608 ADF All Hours Support Line 1800 628 036 DIBP Employee Assistance Program +61 2 8295 2292 With the recent tragic attacks in Turkey, DFAT staff and families may wish to access the following counselling services.
By email You can email the Staff and Family Support Office at [email protected]. The FLO may be contacted at [email protected] (or by phone on +61 2 6178 4847 ) 24-hour Crisis Support In the case of after-hours emergencies, the SFO monitors a duty phone: +61 421 588 468. Due to the level of SFO staffing, this option should only be used for genuine and urgent concerns. Employee Assistance Program Face-to-face counselling for staff and their immediate families at most posts is available through an external counselling provider, known as the Employee Assistance Program. It can be arranged via a SFO Program Manager; including Locally Engaged Staff for work-related issues. The EAP can provide up to four sessions of counselling in a 12-month period. To organise a counselling session with a local provider in Ankara, please contact the SFO at [email protected]. |