Trauma and its toll on police

Another – one that has formed the basis of many disturbing flashbacks – is the horror of arriving at the scene of a car crash to find two of his colleagues dead. 

Other visions that have intruded Mr Wiseman’s thoughts when he’s gardening or undertaking anything equally routine are of Lebanon, where he served as a peacekeeper for the Australian Federal Police, and his hospitalisation as a young officer after a criminal struck him with his car.

Mr Wiseman hasn’t worked as a police officer since May. The Victoria Police employee – at one point an acting inspector – has post-traumatic stress disorder, he says, from what he has seen in the line of duty.

The flashbacks are part of a condition that drove him to the brink of suicide.

Mr Wiseman, 44, says he was treated in October – months after he went on leave – and believes it’s now time to talk. Many officers, he says, are struggling with PTSD and related illnesses and struggling to get support from their employer.

“This is not about me. It’s about getting some conversation going, making some changes about how we can treat it,” he said. 

“We’ve had five suicides already this year (in Victoria Police). There’s a mental health crisis. We go to everything that occurs. It can mount. About 30 members per month are going off with PTSD.”

In an industry where being macho has traditionally been key to survival, exposure to trauma is not something hugely dwelled upon, Mr Wiseman says. 

When Wade Noonan, Victoria’s police minister, took leave early this month due to exposure to “unspeakable crimes”, the community’s response was sympathetic, reflecting evolving attitudes towards mental health.

But officers on the “front line” suffering from conditions such as PTSD, Mr Wiseman says, often have a tougher time gaining support from superiors and colleagues. 

As well as battling illness, officers with PTSD face a fight for Victoria Police to help them to get treatment and return to work sooner, he maintains.

“I went off in May last year. Once I was off, I didn’t get contacted by management for 10 days. Then it was more than six months until I was contacted by employment wellbeing,” he claimed. 

“I just kept putting in the doctor’s certificates each month and that was it. There was no care or any help offered to me. I think the culture has to change. There needs to be support.”

If you or someone you know needs help, contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue on 1300 224 636.

The number of police officers taking sick leave in relation to mental illness and psychological injury is increasing, says Police Association Victoria secretary Ron Iddles.

Once off work, Mr Iddles says, many officers face a “brutal” journey trying to gain support from their employer and compensation for appropriate treatment needed for them to recover and return to their jobs.

“Some are off work for 12 months or two years – some don’t come back,” he said. “Some post-traumatic stress disorder, depression and anxiety cases are attributable to accumulation – what people have seen over a period of time – and others are related to an increase in workload.”

Insurance claims relating to mental illnesses or psychological injuries, Mr Iddles says, are dismissed far more often than those relating to physical injuries.

“If you have a broken arm … that claim will be accepted by the insurer. If you present with a psychological injury … 60 per cent are rejected,” he said. “It’s a continued fight to have it accepted, which could go on for 6-12 months.”

Mr Wiseman claims he has had to pay for his own treatment.

“The whole way you’re treated after you go off actually intensifies the PTSD. You’re not feeling valued or supported,” he said. “Victoria doesn’t channel you into programs like the PTSD program at the Austin Hospital. A lot of police go there off their own bat.”

Mr Wiseman is now preparing to go to court in an effort to have his PTSD claim recognised.

“It’s been a hard journey but an easier one because I had private health insurance.”

Mr Iddles describes the process for people in Mr Wiseman’s situation as “brutal”.

Both men agree that a better system would help officers return to work sooner. Prevention is also important, Mr Iddles says. 

“We teach officers to carry a gun, use capsicum spray and box, but we don’t teach them how to look after themselves emotionally and psychologically.”

Mr Iddles says more counselling, education and compulsory check-ups – to erode the stigma – would help.

Full statement from Victoria Police Commander Shane Cole:

Diagnosis of PTSD is a matter for the medical profession. Victoria Police provides every support it can within the confines of the legal framework, and determination as to whether an illness is worked related or not is a matter for the WorkCover Insurer.

Traumatic reactions are commonly experienced in response to traumatic incidents, and are a normal reaction to an abnormal event – so yes, many members experience trauma in some way. In some cases however, difficulties persist, and some people may go on to develop PTSD.

Many members will experience differing degrees of reactions to the events they experience in the course of their work, however PTSD is the formal diagnosis given to a specific set of symptoms under certain conditions. 

We know that with good support and appropriate diagnosis and treatment, recovery is possible, and individuals should be supported at each step to obtain the treatment that is right for them. However stigma can stop people from reaching out for help.

In order to identify and appropriately support people with trauma and PTSD, we need to provide education and training about identification and management, create safety and support in our workplaces to decrease stigma, encourage people to seek help, and connect them with appropriate support and treatment.

The provision of appropriate support ranges from prevention, early intervention, self-management and supportive culture, through to crisis response. The organisation acknowledges that some individuals prefer to seek help outside the organisation, while others prefer to seek help within. As a result, there are a range of avenues through which counselling and treatment can be accessed.

There are specific projects that are relevant to the enquiries: 

- a group treatment program for police officers experiencing trauma is being piloted with the aim of preventing the development of PTSD and improve psychological health outcomes. This pilot has been developed in consultation with the Australian Centre for Posttraumatic Mental Health (ACPMH); 

- the implementation of a tracking system (Safe-T-Net) to monitor the type and frequency of critical events and their impact, and encourage communication and conversations between managers and staff with the aim of early intervention and identification of issues; 

- a review of the way the organisational systems and processes impact mental health, which is a partnership project with Deakin University.

The Workcover claims process is independent of Victoria Police so I can’t comment on their statistics or assessments.

Victoria Police in support of our employees provides all material relevant to the employees circumstances to assist in a proper determination of a claim.

Where an employee has a mental health issue that is determined as not work related, this does not mean that Victoria Police withdraws support. Victoria Police works with the employee to explore other avenues of support including coverage of medical expenses, provision of access to service providers and granting of special leave when personal leave is exhausted.

We take the welfare of our employees very seriously and it is a top priority for Victoria Police. Our organisation comprises of over 17,000 employees and is representative of the community, but anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress are the significant conditions that we know can be triggered by the unique and graphic situations our members find themselves in.

The wellbeing of police members is the primary focus of the services provided by Victoria Police’s Police Psychology and Welfare Units. 

The Victoria Police Psychology Unit offers state-wide confidential counselling services to all employees, their partners and children under the age of 18.

The unit takes a multi-faceted approach to member’s wellbeing. This includes managing providing support to members following critical incidents, counselling and triaging of potential wellbeing issues. 

The PPU also provides training to help managers to identify the early indicators of trauma, giving them the skills to support members and assist them in accessing the appropriate services. 

The unit provides a 24-hour on call service, giving current and ex members access to support when they need it. 

Members also have the option to utilise external counselling services and PPU can recommend other services including the Police Association which offers counselling and legal services for members, along with mental health practitioners. 

Counselling is always available to members but compulsory counselling can be counterproductive and carry the risk of re-traumatising, consideration for compulsory health checks is being explored through the mental review. 

Victoria Police must consider medical advice when determining return to work options for PTSD.   This advice may include an opinion from the member’s medical professional as well as the opinion of an independent Medical Expert.  

Victoria Police has a team of Injury Management Co-ordinators whose responsibility it is to work with the employee, management and medical professionals to put together return to work plans and identify suitable locations for members to undertake suitable return to work duties.