Lifeline Community Care Queensland provides counselling and support to victims of disasters and other significant events through its community recovery program.
Lifeline Community Care provides its community recovery service in the period immediately following these events and for such length of time as is considered appropriate to effect successful recovery.
Under the current State Disaster Management Plan, the Department of Communities has, within the context of a Community Recovery Plan, delegated Lifeline Community Care to be the lead agency in the provision of these services.
Counselling and support consists of:
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Provision of outreach services by trained staff and volunteers to communities affected by the disaster or event.
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Provision of information as to the psychological impact of disasters or events on victims and strategies that may be used to assist those victims in the process of recovery.
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Provision of immediate counselling (psychological first aid) to victims of disasters who have been overwhelmed by their experience and who are unable to commence the process of recovery.
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Assessment and appropriate referral of those victims requiring longer term or more specialised counselling to assist them in the process of recovery.
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Liaison with other agencies involved in the Community Recovery to ensure that victims are able to receive a coordinated response to their particular needs following a disaster or event.
The purpose of this approach is to assist in mitigating the possible effects of the disaster on individuals and the community and, in particular, to reduce the potential for the development of post traumatic stress disorder.
Recent examples of disasters or events where Lifeline Community Care was activated under the various regional Community Recovery Plans include Childers Backpacker Hostel Fire; Bundaberg Tilt Train Derailment; Darling Downs Bushfires; Brisbane Flash Floods; Cyclone Larry; Hamilton Island Plane crash; and Gold Coast Hail Storms.
Additionally, Lifeline Community Care has been activated to provide a local response following multiple murders, significant deaths by suicide or accident, significant motor vehicle accidents involving children, threats to safety such as gas leaks plus a number of other less dramatic events.
The most recent disaster where an extended response by Lifeline Community Care was needed was the recovery period following Cyclone Larry.
Lifeline provided qualified counsellors on the ground at three locations in far north Queensland (Babinda, Innisfail and Malanda).
In all, some 40 counsellors have spent periods of up to two weeks in those locations.
Most of the counsellors have been drawn from Lifeline Community Care centres in the south east. It is estimated that some 1000 to 1500 individuals have received professional counselling support from Lifeline Community Care counsellors in the area with an uncounted number receiving simple support or information.
For more information or sponsorship opportunities contact Lifeline Community Care Community Recovery manager Paul Scully on 4122 2144.
Please click HERE to read the Media Release January 2008.
Please click HERE to read the Media Release February 2008.
Please click HERE to read the Media Release February 2008 - 2.
Please click HERE to read the Media Release February 2008 - 3.
The following documents may be helpful:
When Terrible Things Happen (81.88 KB)
Connecting with others - Giving Support (83.3 KB)
Connecting with others - Seeking Support (81.09 KB)
Self Care for Providers (84.71 KB)
Tips for Helping Adolescents (133.9 KB)
Tips for Helping School-Age Children (136.33 KB)
Tips for Helping Pre-School Children (137.87 KB)
Tips for Relaxation (87.95 KB)
Community Recovery 
