CENTURION COMMITS TO STEERING HEALTHY MINDS PROGRAM FOR EMPLOYEE MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT
Centurion is ramping up its Stay Safe Think Safe workplace culture by joining the Steering Healthy Minds mental health initiative.
Steering Healthy Minds was founded in Queensland, recently expanding nationally. Member organisations include the Transport Education Audit Compliance Health Organisation, Kitney, Transport Workers’ Union, WorkCover Queensland, EML,and TWUSUPER.
A key component of the program is to train Mental Health First Aiders to learn how to identify and assist people who are developing or experiencing a mental health problem until the person can be seen by an appropriately trained mental health professional.
Centurion CEO Justin Cardaci said the mental health of transport workers, including the company’s own employees, was just as important as their physical health.
“Being part of the Steering Healthy Minds makes absolute sense to me. It is driven by the industry, for the industry and led by the industry. And I’m keen to use our growing national presence to advocate the program throughout the industry,” Mr Cardaci said.
“Whether our people are behind a wheel or behind a desk, we need to place the same emphasis on how they’re managing their own mental journey as we do to ensure they are physically safe from harm.”
Mr Cardaci said community understanding around mental health was improving rapidly and the available support and understanding was in place, but more needed to be done and could be done.
“The challenge we face as employers and members of the community is to normalise the discussion around mental health, point people in the right direction for support, and have people in our organisation trained to provide on the ground support in the first instance.”
Mr Cardaci said the fact that Steering Healthy Minds was initiated by the transport industry would give it greater meaning to Centurion’s employees and across the sector.
“A long-haul driver is more likely to be open to support from a Mental Health First Aider who’s also completed the long haul and understands what’s involved, compared with someone from outside the industry. The same goes for a scheduler or a loader,” he said.
“The ‘are you okay’ question comes from a different place entirely if you have an idea of someone else’s journey.”
Centurion will be launching Steering Healthy Minds across the business in early August, beginning with introducing employees to the opportunity to become trained as Mental Health First Aiders. Training will begin in September.
To promote Steering Healthy Minds Centurion has also adorned one of its trailers with the movement’s logo and message.
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