Fortem Australia responds to the Bondi shootings during the Jewish festival of Hanukkah
Fortem will next year expand its free clinical and social connection programs to former first responders who have left service within the past 10 years.
The change marks an important milestone for Fortem which will ensure more support for first responders who have dedicated their lives to being there for the community.
‘First responder work is incredibly rewarding, but it can also be confronting, dangerous, and traumatic, and that trauma does not always stop after the job ends,’ said Fortem CEO Mick Willing APM.
‘We know that the first few years out of service can be a particularly vulnerable time for some first responders, and we want to make sure we can be there to support them.’
From 1 January 2026, former first responders from eligible agencies who have left service within the past 10 years can register for free psychological sessions and for Fortem’s social connection and wellbeing activities.
It follows Fortem being awarded the Federal Government’s Mental Health Support for Emergency Services Workers grant, which will provide $3 million to Fortem in 2026 to deliver mental health and wellbeing services to first responders and their families, as well as former first responders.
Fortem thanks the National Emergency Management Agency for their continued support of first responders and their families. To find out more about Fortem’s services, visit the website at https://fortemaustralia.org.au