PTSD: Call for State Government to recognise occupational stress as cause

TWENTY years of knocking on doors to tell families a loved one had died drove police officer Matt Ross to the brink — and now he’s calling on the government to recognise the effects of occupational stress.

Police officer Matt Ross, pictured with his dogs Kali and Polly, suffers from PTSD. Picture: Ian Currie

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EMERGENCY services personnel suffering post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are calling on the State Government to legally recognise occupational stress as a cause for the condition.

Niddrie man Matt Ross has spent the past year clawing his way back from the brink of darkness after years of exposure to trauma during a 20-plus-year career as a police officer.

Mr Ross has struggled with the weight of disturbing memories of knocking on the doors of families to tell them a loved one had died.

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“I needed to get some help,” Mr Ross said.

“My marriage was hanging by a thread. I was trying to deal with my symptoms with booze until that became a problem and I’m drinking a bottle of vodka a day and staying in bed until late in
the afternoon.”

A diagnosis of PTSD and several admissions to a psychiatric clinic helped Mr Ross with his struggles.

Mr Ross holds his service medals. Picture: Ian Currie

But many ex-emergency service workers are forced to seek support on their own while grappling with WorkCover and private insurance companies to prove they have a mental health condition as a result of their work experiences.

Ex-police officer Mick Cummins noticed the service gap and voluntarily established a peer support group two years ago.

“The program we do is a fairly basic model, where we make contact, ask if they’re aligned with a GP and psychologist, and just help them out,” Mr Cummins said.

“Sometimes it’s as simple as meeting up for a cup of tea or just making a phone call. It’s a way of dragging them back from isolation.

“A legislative change would be the greatest game-changer.”

Mr Ross and Mr Cummins say more support is needed for frontline emergency service workers with mental health issues, including recognition that PTSD is an occupational illness.

The Moonee Valley Leader asked Police Minister Lisa Neville if the State Government would legislate for change or allocate funding for mental health services and support systems for ex-emergency service workers.

“The men and women who serve in our police force have incredibly challenging jobs,”
Ms Neville said.

“In this year’s Budget we have invested an additional $2 million to support police mental health.”

The State Government is looking to bring in legislation to allow for specialised registered psychologists to assess whether a police officer is psychologically fit for duty.

They have also recently released the Victoria Police ‘equipt’ app, where Victoria Police personnel can access mental health and wellbeing services on their phone.