Transport Assistance Package for Owner Drivers

OzHelp has received capacity building funding from the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator to work directly with owner drivers in the transport industry to research and develop a health and wellness program. Truck drivers have been identified as high-risk and are over-represented in ABS statistics relating to mental health and suicide. Owner drivers have limited resources to address the risks that lead to poor health, mental health issues and suicide. The transport industry is closely linked to rural communities and agriculture and it is expected that there will be a rise in the need to support this sector due to the impact on communities from droughts and bushfires.

For a reduction in suicide rates for Australians within high-risk industries and communities to occur, an investment in preventative mental health programs is essential. The lack of industry-specific data evaluating the social and economic benefits and effectiveness of investing in preventative mental health programs is a current barrier hindering positive outcomes in high-risk groups. This innovative program will integrate key data sets to delivery transport industry-specific insights that will inform the case for continued investment in truck driver health and wellbeing initiatives.

With over 18 years’ experience delivering preventative mental health programs in a variety of workplace settings, OzHelp is uniquely placed to conduct research and to evaluate the effectiveness of preventative mental and physical health interventions within high-risk industries whilst simultaneously identifying and supporting at-risk individuals.

This project aligns with OzHelp’s primary objective which is to reduce incidences of suicide of working-age Australians by:

• Building the capacity and culture of workplaces in psychological safety/mental health and suicide prevention.
• Providing solutions to workplaces and industry bodies to identify, engage and support individuals at risk of suicide (to take responsibility for their own health and wellbeing).
• Providing sector leadership through the development of an evidence base and supporting data for increased workplace investment in early intervention, mental health and suicide prevention training.
• Providing support for employers and industry bodies to inform activity, measure effectiveness of programs, and influence related policy outcomes.

 OzHelp is seeking

OzHelp endeavors to collaborate with the transport industry including the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) and other transport industry partners to deliver mental health education, awareness and early intervention programs to identified workplaces and develop relevant industry-specific data sets that can be accessed as part of the program scope and evaluation.

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