Welcome to our Makuru (Winter) eNews
With Makuru well under way the Road Trauma Support WA service has been busy providing support to individuals and communities impacted by road trauma across Western Australia. Unfortunately, WA is experiencing the highest number of fatal crashes for this time of the year in the past decade. As the roads become wetter, bringing more unpredictable road conditions, we encourage everyone to think about what they can do to make each journey a safe one.
We were honoured to deliver Trauma Responsive Training to members of the RAC Ignite and CoLAB teams. The workshop explored how to recognise and respond to distress, and integrate trauma-informed principles into key projects- including RAC’s upcoming Leadership Program for young people in the South West. It was a privilege to learn more about RAC’s ongoing projects and we thank them for the opportunity to collaborate.
As part of ongoing professional development for Lionheart Camp for Kids, we had the pleasure of delivering a webinar on the impact of compassion fatigue and strategies to support wellbeing for staff and volunteers. Lionheart Camp For Kids are a not-for-profit organisation providing dedicated support to bereaved families and children in Western Australia. We’d like to thank Lionheart Camp For Kids for choosing Injury Matters to support this opportunity.
In other key highlights for this quarter, we were invited to present to Dunsborough Volunteer Fire & Rescue Services, facilitated a half-day workshop for the Insurance Commission of Western Australia and presented to nursing staff at Royal Perth Hospital Trauma Unit. The team also attended the opening night of Marloo Theatre’s production of Shrine and are incredibly grateful for their generous donation to the program.
Road Trauma Support WA in the Kimberley
In late May, the team travelled to Kununurra to connect with key stakeholders and raise awareness post-crash care support available through RTSWA. We met with local Police, DFES and staff at the Emergency Department to better understand road related trends and needs in the region.
Whilst visiting, we delivered a presentation to hospital staff on the RTSWA program and how to refer patients and families impacted by road trauma. We’d like to express our gratitude to everyone we met for making us feel incredibly welcome during our stay and sharing with us key insights into the Kununurra community.
New Recovery Support Counsellor
Natasia Leclercq
Natasia is a Provisional Psychologist registered with AHPRA, holding a Master of Applied Psychology (Professional) degree. During her studies, Natasia was part of a broader research team, with recent work published in the Cerebral Cortex.
In addition to her research, Natasia has experience working as a Positive Behaviour Support Practitioner, supporting individuals and families living with disability. Natasia is passionate about helping members of the community who are struggling with their mental health, particularly following trauma. By offering empathy and evidence-based therapies, Natasia aims to support individuals affected by road accidents, facilitating the journey of self-discovery, healing, and growth.
Responsible Reporting of Road Trauma Lecture
RTSWA recently delivered a lecture to UWA Communications and Media Studies on the Responsible Reporting of Road Trauma. The lecture provided students with an understanding of how to ethically report on road trauma incidents through pertinent examples from our counselling service alongside research from the Reporting Road Traffic Incidents Resource.
If your university or organisation is interested in this topic, please reach out to our team.
New Workshops Now Available
RTSWA has two new workshops available to support those impacted by road trauma:
- Navigating Grief and Loss: For organisations and/or communities that have been impacted by and/or bereaved by road trauma.
- Trauma Responsive Training: For organisations seeking to develop an understanding of the impact of trauma through implementing trauma-informed principles into service delivery.
To enquire about workshop opportunities for your community or workplace please contact us.
Upcoming Planned Regional Travel
The team will be travelling to Brookton and Broome in the second half of the year. If you are curious about opportunities for the Road Trauma Support Team to visit your region in 2025-26, please contact us directly.
Brookton Community Resource Centre is hosting a Road Trauma Support WA information Session. This 1-hour community presentation is on Thursday, 31st of July and is a free event for anyone in the region. Register your attendance by contacting the Brookton CRC on (08) 9642 1377 or [email protected]
Have something to share?
Let us know if you have an event or item you would like to include in our next quarterly eNews due out next year in September. Please email [email protected] with your request.