StreetSmart Australia supports frontline staff wellbeing at Emerge
When people think about family violence services, they naturally think about the women and children seeking safety and support. Less visible are the dedicated practitioners who walk alongside families everyday, helping them navigate recovery, rebuild their lives and heal from trauma.
Through a generous $4,000 SmartCare CommunityGrant from StreetSmartAustralia, Emerge recently hosted a dedicated Staff Wellbeing Day designed to support the wellbeing, resilience and sustainability of our frontline workforce.
Emerge staff support women and children experiencing family violence, housing insecurity and complex trauma. While this work is deeply meaningful, it can also carry a significant emotional load. Supporting staff wellbeing is an important part of ensuring our team can continue providing safe, consistent and high-quality, trauma-informed support to the families who rely on our services.
Held at our Back on Track therapy rooms, the Wellbeing Day brought staff together to connect, reflect and recharge. The day featured a First Nations basket weaving workshop and yarning facilitated by Cassie Fisher Patterson from Wild Blak Arts, a sound healing experience with Romy Paltoglou from Sound Healing Melbourne, a workplace wellness station where staff created personalised wellbeing products using essential oils with MademoiselleOrganics, and a nourishing lunch generously catered by the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre Catering.
Staff reflected on the lasting impact of the day:
So grateful to have been provided a wellbeing day within an organisation that supports its colleagues' wellbeing, to enable best practice for our clients. Provides genuine care, respect and validation. Critically, it also prevents compassion fatigue and burnout!
Another team member shared:
I love that this was a priority of the organisation and that it was taken seriously. It makes me feel valued as an employee.
The day also created valuable opportunities for team connection and reflection, something that can be difficult to prioritise amid the demands of service delivery. Staff identified connecting with colleagues as one of the most meaningful aspects of the day, alongside the basket weaving, sound healing and shared lunch.
At Emerge, we know that investing in staff wellbeing is ultimately an investment in the women and children we support. Strong, supported and resilient practitioners are better equipped to provide the high-quality, trauma-informed support that helps families heal, recover and rebuild their lives.
We thank StreetSmart Australia for recognising that supporting frontline workers is an essential investment in stronger communities. Their generosity has helped us create space to care for the people who care for others, ensuring our team can continue supporting women and children with compassion, resilience and excellence.