2025 Wellbeing Summit for Current and Former First Responders, Defence Personnel and Their Families.

Beyond the Role: Finding Purpose After the Uniform

Leaving a uniformed role can feel like losing part of your identity — but it can also be the start of something deeply meaningful. In this keynote, our speaker reflects on the challenges of transition, the fear of losing connection and purpose and the responsibility of agencies to support people through change.

With wisdom, warmth and lived experience, they’ll explore how service doesn’t end when the role does — it simply evolves. Whether through community, leadership, mentoring or new forms of contribution, this session is a powerful reminder that your value endures, and your next chapter can be just as purposeful as the last.

Before It Hurts: Proactive Wellbeing for First Responders, Veterans and Families

What does real support for first responders, defence personnel and veterans look like — at work and at home?

In this session, Dr Erin Smith draws on years of research and lived experience to explore what it takes to stay well in high-risk, high-stress frontline roles. She’ll focus on early warning signs, the role of family and loved ones in recognising and responding to distress and the crucial part workplaces must play in creating environments where people can recover, grow and thrive — not just survive — through trauma and transition.

Coming Back from the Brink

In this powerful and deeply personal presentation, Steve shares his journey of recovery from PTSD — a path that not only reshaped his life but also ignited a passion for mental health advocacy.

Drawing from his experience as a paramedic and survivor of psychological injury, Steve will explore how major life transitions, when combined with personal and professional stressors, can profoundly impact our wellbeing. He’ll discuss how these turning points ultimately led him to found No More Neglect, an organisation dedicated to raising awareness of workplace safety and vicarious trauma.

Through his story, Steve offers hope to first responders and others navigating recovery and highlights the vital role of community, connection and support in healing.

She Is Ready: Supporting Women to Thrive in Frontline Roles

After nearly 13 years as a firefighter, peer counsellor and founder of SIREN, Alison brings powerful insights into the unique pressures women face in uniformed and emergency roles.

This session explores:

●      What helps women lead through life and career transitions

●      How to overcome self-doubt and build resilience

●      How to move through career and life transitions with confidence

●      The role peers, leaders, and partners can play in helping women succeed

Whether you’re a woman in service, a manager or a mate, you’ll take away tools to strengthen confidence, connection and support.

Moral Injury - What It Is and How We Can Prevent It

While many people are aware of PTSD and its impact on our wellbeing, research is increasingly recognising a related concept called “moral injury”. 

Moral injury recognises that negative impacts on our wellbeing are more likely to arise from the morally complex nature of emergency work, or from organisational and leadership betrayal.

We will explore some details about the nature of moral injury and then tactics for individuals and organisations to prevent moral injury. 

The Lighthouse - a Focus on Purpose

In this closing summary, Rosemary reflects on the themes and key learnings from this week’s sessions, including stories and solutions shared through the week.

Through the transitions within and out of first response and defence force roles, Rosemary discusses that the beacon of hope is our sense of purpose that lights the way forward.

A heartfelt thank you to all our speakers for sharing your wisdom, stories and lived experience — and to every participant who joined us.

Your contributions made the 2025 Wellbeing Summit a powerful and inspiring space for connection, reflection and growth.