Wellness Wings™ Workshop

The Program 1 workshop is designed to empower primary healthcare professionals with practical tools and evidence-based strategies to enhance their own well-being, that of their colleagues and workplaces, as well as patients, and patients' families.

These tools enhance resilience and foster psychological flexibility and have been shown to address trauma-related issues, including PTSD in a meaningful way. They will also address areas such as stress management, emotional regulation and compassion, essential for mitigating bullying and harassment in the workplace. These issues are highlighted as significant concerns in the Safe Work Australia Data Report published in February 2024.

The workshop aims to cultivate a culture of holistic care and mutual support within a psychologically safe and trauma-sensitive environment. By adopting a trauma-informed approach grounded in the following core principles, we can create a supportive and inclusive space:

The primary aim is to equip health practitioners with the knowledge, tools, and strategies to support themselves and others, emphasising the importance of taking responsibility for their own mental health and well-being.

By acquiring these tools and skills, practitioners can cultivate psychologically safer and healthier work environments, environments, which in turn benefit patients and their families.

Additionally, this approach also addresses challenges related to holistic well-being, trauma, mental health stability, employee retention and resilience.

The target audience includes health professionals and practitioners from various fields involved in patient care, such as GPs, nurses, midwives, physicians, and AHPRA allied health professionals, particularly - Resident Medical Officers.

Learning Outcomes

Participants will gain essential evidence-based skills and insights to enhance mental well-being for both self and patients, fostering collaborative peer connections and shared learning within healthcare settings.

By the end of this workshop learners should be able to do the following:

• Demonstrate enhanced psychological flexibility
• Develop self-awareness
• Utilise resilience skills
• Apply a variety of coping strategies
• Cultivate self-compassion and integrate self-care practices
• Employ evidence-based wellness strategies
• Conduct brief wellness screenings
• Foster peer connections and support networks

This comprehensive approach aims to create healthier practitioners, more supportive work environments and a positive ripple effect that enhances the well-being of patients and their families.

The benefits of completing Wellness Wings Programs 1 & 2 encompass a three-pronged approach:

1. Personal Level: Participants will develop self-awareness and learn to recognise unhelpful thinking patterns, as well as identify triggers, blocks, fears and resistances. The tools and strategies provided by these programs will support individuals in addressing these challenges as they arise, profoundly impacting their personal lives.
2. Professional Level: By taking personal responsibility for their mental health, individuals will contribute to creating psychologically safer, healthier and more positive workplaces.
3. Community Level: Participants can teach these tools and skills to their patients, clients, family, and friends, creating a positive ripple effect in the community.

The overarching goal of the Wellness Wings programs is to create a positive impact by nurturing mental health among healthcare practitioners, their colleagues, patients, and patients' families, while fostering psychologically safe communities.