Disaster relief and community recovery

Disaster relief and community recovery

In the wake of a crisis or natural disaster in Queensland, Lifeline is there to help people deal with trauma and cope with grief and loss.

At the request of authorities, the Lifeline Community Recovery team will visit a community to provide counselling and ‘psychological first-aid’ in the weeks and months after bushfires, floods, drought, cyclones, pandemics and tragedy. We support people as they work through shock and begin to come to grips with their experiences.

This process takes time. We often continue to support communities in the years following a crisis. For anyone who requires ongoing support, we will put them in touch with the right services to ensure they get the help they need.

People we support

We engage and support people who are directly and indirectly affected by an event. This includes:

• Extended families.
• Business operators.
• People from support organisations who have experienced vicarious trauma.

The Community Recovery team

The Community Recovery team has been supporting Queensland communities since the Townsville Black Hawk helicopter disaster in 1996. We continue to respond through our trained staff and network of services across the state.

You will be supported by professionals from a range of fields, including, social work, psychology, counselling, psychotherapy, specialist volunteers. We also develop relationships with local partner agencies and local governments who manage evacuation centres during events to ensure we provide co-ordinated community support services.

Team activation

The Community Recovery team is activated at the request of state or local government authorities, or local community leaders after such events as:

• Floods.
• Cyclones.
• Bushfires.
• Acts of terrorism.
• Major health emergencies.
• Road accidents.
• Other community crises.

Become a Community Recovery volunteer

If you’d like to get involved in Community Recovery work, the first step is to complete our Lifeline Crisis Supporter training.

In this video, Matt from Lifeline Queensland discusses how Lifeline Community Recovery supports those in need.

Resources

The following resources provide practical information on how to prepare for and cope with the effects and experiences brought on by crisis or natural disasters.

Training

Lifeline Queensland offers in-depth training to equip you with the skills to support yourself and your community in times of crisis.