Our guest speaker last week was Louise Murphy, founder of the Australian First Responder Foundation, a charity committed to reducing mental ill-health and suicide in volunteer emergency first responders. Louise is currently a Nurse Practitioner in drug and alcohol medicine with South West Sydney Local Health District.
Louise has been responsible for the development and implementation of the State Peer Support Program for St John Ambulance (NSW) and a National Education Program for the Australian Department of Defence. She volunteers as a St John Ambulance Officer first responder and trainer.
In 2018, Louise was awarded a Churchill Fellowship to investigate peer support programs in volunteer first responders to reduce mental health issues and suicide.
Louise spoke passionately about the unmet mental health needs of first responders and how the Australian First Responder Foundation was making a difference in their lives.