Steering Healthy Minds (SHM) is a collaboration between key organisations with interests in the transport industry who recognise that mental health issues in the industry are on the rise and want to offer meaningful support for workers and establish programs and support for employers.
Founding organisations of SHM include Transport Education Audit Compliance Health Organisation (TEACHO), Transport Workers Union QLD (TWU), Queensland Trucking Association (QTA), Queensland Council of Unions (QCU), WorkCover Queensland and TWU Super. The collaboration currently includes Kitney, a thought leader in health, safety, quality and environmental services.
A collaborative partnership
In September 2022, EML Group announced a partnership with SHM through our Mutual Benefits program, providing funding to expand the offering nationally to deliver industry-leading preventative mental health solutions for the transport industry.
Building on the partnership, in February 2023, EML committed a Program Coordinator to help SHM continue this mission. Our participation in the SHM initiative is intended to be a long-term partnership and we are delighted to be working with a group of stakeholders that share the same values and commitment to achieving better outcomes in the transport sector.
The objective of this industry initiative is to improve attitudes towards psychosocial wellbeing and enable ‘on the ground’ upskilling of frontline workers to recognise and address mental health concerns. SHM’s mission is to upskill employers by engaging workplaces directly to provide an improved working environment in which people are safe and mentally healthy. This is accomplished by normalising discussion on mental health issues in the same manner as physical injuries and promoting on-the-ground support for workers who may experience mental health concerns.
This partnership marks a significant step towards building a more resilient and supportive transport industry in Australia and has achieved recognition by being selected as a finalist for the Collaboration in Injury & Disability Management Award at the 2023 Excellence in Personal Injury and Disability Management Awards.
Click here to read more about the nomination and our partnership. For more information about SHM, click here.