Monday 1st March 2021

Welcome Address

Shane Fitzsimmons, Commissioner, Resilience NSW 

Donne Newbury, Chair, Wellbeing Australia

Living Well: Connection, Hope & Community

Shane Fitzsimmons, Commissioner, Resilience NSW 

Carlene York, Commissioner, NSW SES 

Spirituality & faith in managing wellbeing (Connection & Hope)

Rev. David Riethmuller, Principal Chaplain, NSW Police Force
Rev. Paul McFarlane, Senior Chaplain, NSW Ambulance
Rev. Gayl Mills, Principal Chaplain, Office of the Commissioner, AFP

Wellbeing for first responders – what is it? (Living Well)

Andrew Crisp, Commissioner, Emergency Management Victoria 

Georgeina Whelan, Commissioner, ACT Emergency Services Agency

Tuesday 2nd March 2021

My Why - When purpose, values and work collide (Connection)

Mark Crosweller, Former Head of National Resilience Taskforce & DG of Emergency Management Australia

Rev. Gayl Mills, Principal Chaplain, Office of the Commissioner, AFP

Valuing Volunteers - looking after those who look after us (Community)

Louise Murphy, Australian First Responder Foundation

Wade Norrie, Director of Nursing, NSW Health & Nursing Lead for St John Ambulance NSW

Helen Madell, Clinical Psychologist

Wednesday 3rd March 2021

Surviving PTSD – steps on the road to recovery (Hope)

Graeme Bint, Former army & paramedic 

Dion Jensen, The Lion Academy & Success for Soldiers

Building Resilience in Lifers (Connection)

Rosemary Hegner, Planning & Capacity Director, Resilience NSW

From Living Hell to Living Well (Hope)

Lisa Cox, Author, advocate & disability ambassador

Thursday 4th March 2021

A sense of belonging (Community)

Rima Nasr, Clinical & Forensic Psychologist, Fortem Australia

Solution-focussed thinking (Hope)

Lyn Worsley, Clinical Psychologist, Director of The Resilience Centre

Involving families, carers & loved ones (Community)

Steven Pearce, Chief Executive Officer at Surf Life Saving NSW

Friday 5th March 2021

What I need to support my wellbeing (Living Well)

Kathryn Taylor, Director, Wellbeing Australia 

Paul Lloyd, Regional Emergency Management Officer

Rev. Judy Heggart, Chaplain, NSW Police 

Kerry Howard, Principal Psychologist, PsychNEXUS

Closing session – reflections, learnings and where to next? (Living Well)

Kathryn Taylor, Director, Wellbeing Australia

Ken Moroney AO APM, Former Commissioner, NSW Police Force

Rosemary Hegnar, Director of Capability & Planning, Resilience NSW

firstresponderwellbeingsummit.com.au



Closing session – reflections, learnings and where to next?
Mar
5

Closing session – reflections, learnings and where to next?

Shane Fitzsimmons AFSM, Commissioner of Resilience NSW

Kathryn Taylor, Wellbeing Australia

Ken Moroney AO APM, Former NSW Police Commissioner


A summary of highlights from our week. We will discuss and invite attendees to share successes, key insights and their personal takeaways. We will discuss feedback from attendees and speakers and look forward to next steps and actions to support wellbeing in the breadth of our First Responder community and their families.

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What I need to support my wellbeing  (Connection)
Mar
5

What I need to support my wellbeing (Connection)

Paul Lloyd, NSW Regional Emergency Management Officer (REMO)

Kathryn Taylor, Director, Wellbeing Australia (facilitator)

Judy Heggart, Chaplain, NSW Police

Kerry Howard, PsychNexus

Bringing together the key themes of our summit, this interactive workshop discussion will provide attendees and speakers with the chance to share their wellbeing gaps or needs. We’ll discuss current resources and support strategies that have been tried and tested by our panel. Interaction is welcome to make sure attendees get what they need or share what we can do to support your journey.

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Involving families, carers and loved ones   (Community)
Mar
4

Involving families, carers and loved ones (Community)

Steven Pearce AFSM, Chief Executive Officer at Surf Life Saving NSW

Community is critical to our wellbeing - our sense of self, our careers and our relationships. This discussion with open Q&A, will focus on the needs of our community and loved ones in our wellbeing. It will showcase community as central to our purpose and managing our wellbeing as First Responders. Ideal for loved ones, First Responders or community volunteers.

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A sense of belonging (Community) and Solution-focussed thinking (Hope)
Mar
4

A sense of belonging (Community) and Solution-focussed thinking (Hope)

Rima Nasr, Clinical & Forensic Psychologist, Fortem Australia

We will hear how belonging is especially linked to the careers and wellbeing of First Responders. This session will discuss how to find that belonging and how to create it in our communities.

Lyn Worsley, Clinical Psychologist, Registered Nurse and Director of The Resilience Centre

Seeing life through solutions is key to thriving and not just surviving. This interactive discussion will help us to question our own thinking, reaction and approach to different challenges to create a more solution-driven response.

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From living hell to living well (Hope)
Mar
3

From living hell to living well (Hope)

Lisa Cox, Author, advocate & disability ambassador

Through storytelling, the speaker will share ways to find hope in extreme difficulty and motivate us to persist. Through her journey we will gain tips on surviving the worst of times and the role of family and friends in that journey.

Watch the live stream from 6.30pm AEDT 3 March 2021.

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Surviving PTSD – steps on the road to recovery (Hope)
Mar
3

Surviving PTSD – steps on the road to recovery (Hope)

Graeme Bint, Former Paratrooper (RAFR) & paramedic

Dion Jensen, The Lion Academy & Success For Soldiers

Our panel will share their own experiences in surviving PTSD and the strategies and key influences that have enabled them to thrive. They will discuss ways to support First Responders living with PTSD to find hope in their lives within or beyond service. This session is ideal for First Responders and their families, loved ones and communities.

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Valuing Volunteers - looking after those who look after us (Community)
Mar
2

Valuing Volunteers - looking after those who look after us (Community)

Louise Murphy, Churchill Fellow & Australian First Responder Foundation

Wade Norrie, Director of Nursing, NSW Health, Nursing Lead for St John Ambulance, NSW & Chair of the Board - Australian First Responder Foundation

Helen Madell, Clinical Psychologist

This presentation will provide a personal insight into the First Responder volunteer community and the important role they play. We will discuss how to support those that give back and ways to assist them through confronting or extreme situations.

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My Why - when purpose, values and work collide (Connection)
Mar
2

My Why - when purpose, values and work collide (Connection)

Mark Crosweller AFSM, Former Head of National Resilience Taskforce and DG of Emergency Management Australia

Rev. Gayl Mills, Principal Chaplain, Australian Federal Police

This session will highlight the importance of responding to and managing moral injury and ethical dilemmas during service. It will explore the strong sense of purpose and identity First Responders get from their job and how to proactively prepare to manage when they're no longer able to work. The discussion will enable attendees to consider the effect of their "Why" on their work and the effect of work on their wellbeing. This session will also be for those living with or supporting responders and working with the First Responder community.

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Wellbeing for First Responders – what is it? (Living Well)
Mar
1

Wellbeing for First Responders – what is it? (Living Well)

Andrew Crisp APM, Commissioner of Emergency Management Victoria

Georgeina Whelan AM CSC, Commissioner of ACT Emergency Services Agency

A discussion on the elements of wellbeing and their impact at various life and career stages of First Responders. You will hear the speakers stories intertwined with their wellbeing challenges and some solutions that have worked for them.

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Spirituality & faith in managing wellbeing (Connection & Hope)
Mar
1

Spirituality & faith in managing wellbeing (Connection & Hope)

Rev. David Riethmuller, Principal Chaplain, NSW Police Force

Rev. Gayl Mills, Principal Chaplain, Australian Federal Police

Rev. Paul McFarlane, Senior Chaplain, NSW Ambulance

This session will focus on the importance of Spirituality and Faith for First Responder wellbeing. Recognising the importance of spirituality and faith in our lives, we will discuss how different beliefs can support and guide us through difficulty to improved wellbeing and purpose, and a connection with something larger than ourselves.

This discussion will be non-denominational.

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Living Well - Connection, Hope & Community
Mar
1

Living Well - Connection, Hope & Community

Shane Fitzsimmons AFSM, Commissioner of Resilience NSW

Carlene York APM, Commissioner of NSW SES

A lively, interactive discussion where our panel will discuss the summit theme and share their personal experiences as First Responders. They will discuss their challenges and the solutions they’ve found to improve their own wellbeing. They’ll also discuss the impact of their wellbeing on their peers, family and friends.

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Welcome address
Mar
1

Welcome address

Shane Fitzsimmons AFSM, Commissioner of Resilience NSW & Ambassador of #FRWS2021

Donné Newbury, Chair of Wellbeing Australia

Wellbeing Australia and our Ambassador, Shane Fitzsimmons welcome you to the summit and share our themes of Living Well through connection with self and others, hope for a better future and coming together as a community.

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