Victoria’s Department of Health and Human Services is beefing up its counselling for staff, with an average of one worker a day assaulted, threatened or suffering stress. Tender documents reveal the department recorded about 420 “critical incidents” – including assaults, threats and the deaths of clients – last financial year. It prompted the push for a new support system with “Psychological First Aid” counselling and group “self-care” sessions. Opposition health spokeswoman Mary Wooldridge said there had been “significant decline” in morale and wellbeing among health department workers.
