Support available for people impacted by the Bondi Junction tragedy

The team at Central and Eastern Sydney PHN (CESPHN) acknowledges the effect the Bondi Junction tragedy is having on our community and and extends heartfelt condolences to the families and friends of the victims. In times of crisis, it is essential that we unite as a community to provide support and comfort to one another.

Hearing about events like this or seeing footage can be distressing. You don’t need to have been present for this to impact you.

Head to Health Bondi Incident Response

A Bondi Junction Incident Response service has been developed to provide additional mental health support to those affected by the tragedy at Bondi Junction. Referrals, including self-referrals, are through the Head to Health phone line. This is a free service which is delivered by professional mental health practitioners and is for individuals who live within the CESPHN region and are experiencing low income or financial hardship.

Phone 1800 595 212: This phone line operates Monday to Friday, 8.30 am to 5.00 pm, except public holidays.

More information about Head to Health can be found at www.headtohealth.gov.au.

You might want to call if you have been thinking about the incident a lot, replaying it in your mind, or feeling stressed, anxious, exhausted or tearful.

Community information:

Head to Health 1800 595 212 

Monday to Friday from 8.30am to 5pm, except public holidays.  

Mental Health Line 1800 011 511 

Mental health support  

headspace

for young people 12-25 years

https://headspace.org.au/welcome-to-headspace-centres

Victims Services 1800 019 123

Phone line for victims of the Bondi Junction incident

Monday to Friday from 9:00am to 5pm

https://victimsservices.justice.nsw.gov.au/victims-services/how-can-we-help-you/victims-support-scheme.html

Lifeline 13 11 14  

Crisis support 

Kids Helpline 1800 55 1800 

For young people aged 5-25 

Beyond Blue 1300 22 4636 

Mental health support  

SANE 1800 187 263

Sane provides support for people with complex mental health issues.

https://www.sane.org

Counsellors are available via phone, web chat or email from 10am to 8pm Monday to Friday AEST/AEDT

PANDA 1300 726 306

Perinatal Anxiety & Depression Australia – supports the mental health of parents and families during pregnancy and in their first year of parenthood.

https://panda.org.au

Helpline Monday to Saturday

13 Yarn 13 92 76 

Crisis support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples 

MensLine Australia 1300 79 99 78 

Counselling support for men 

1800RESPECT  1800 737 732 

Support for people impacted by domestic, family or sexual violence 

Q Life: 1800 184 527

Anonymous and free peer support for the LGBTIQ+ community.

Resources

Emerging Minds

Emerging Minds has a range of information for parents and healthcare professionals about supporting children around traumatic events.

Here is information on what parents and caregivers can expect during and immediately after a disaster or community trauma: https://emergingminds.com.au/resources/what-parents-and-caregivers-can-expect-during-and-immediately-after-a-disaster-or-community-trauma/

Here is information on talking to children about violent events: https://emergingminds.com.au/resources/talking-to-children-about-violent-events/

The Essential Network (TEN)
Designed by health professionals, for health professionals, The Essential Network (TEN) makes accessing support quick, easy and confidential. https://www.blackdoginstitute.org.au/the-essential-network/

Phoenix Australia
Phoenix Australia provides training and resources for communities and health practitioners responding to trauma and traumatic events.
https://www.phoenixaustralia.org/

Important messages for health providers to promote are:

• Reach out to one of the crisis lines if you become worried about yourself or someone else.
• We should all seek help from others when we feel down or vulnerable
• We may never make sense of this event or know the reasons for why this happened.
• Today and over the coming weeks, you may be affected in many ways, as each person will react differently.
• Some may become very emotional some may want to talk whilst others will not.
• Reactions may change over time, which is a normal reaction to such an incident.
• After a large scale incident it’s easy to over expose yourself to media and distressing content or information. It may be helpful to limit this intake of information and be aware of your response to distressing content.
• Often in the first hours and days of a large-scale distressing incident people want to reach out to others or come together. There will be spaces available over the coming days for community and please access these if you need.

Key messages for families and community

• It is still very important to reassure children that they are safe.
• Children need to tell a trusted adult if they are worried about a friend or themselves.
• During school holidays children and young people may experience a range of emotions and responses.
• Its important to focus on help seeking, understanding grief and loss, and supporting each other.
• Today and over the coming weeks, you and your child may be affected in many ways, as each person will react differently.
• Some may become very emotional some may want to talk whilst others will not.

Some typical reactions following a large scale incident may include:

• Feeling stressed, anxious, exhausted or confused • Feeling sad, down or tearful • Shock, denial or feeling “numb” (like you can’t feel anything)
• Watch out for signs of stress in yourself and others and seek extra support if things become overwhelming. This includes talking about your feelings.
• Exposure to stressful events and trauma can result in children being unable to control their emotions and behaviour.

• Provide school-age children with simple, concrete answers to their questions.
• Don’t unnecessarily expose children and young people, use age-appropriate conversations when required and when exposure has happened.
• Validate the sadness or other feelings your child expresses, encouraging them to come to you.
• Give the child the facts as simply as possible. Do not go into too much detail; the child will ask more questions if they come to mind.
• If you cannot answer the child’s questions, it is okay to say, “I don’t know how to answer that”, “we may never know the answer to that”, “perhaps we can find someone to help us”.
• When talking to a child use helpful and appropriate language. Understand your child’s level of comprehension and speak at that level (age and stage appropriate).
• Discuss your feelings with the child. This gives the child permission to cry too. Adults are children’s role models, and it is good for children to see our sadness and to share mutual feelings of sadness.
• Talk about a variety of feelings, e.g., sadness, anger, fear, loss, anxious, worried.
• Allow the child many opportunities to clarify information, facts, what’s they have heard, seen, or experienced.
• Again, remember clear and appropriately honest language can help children to create a narrative about the experience or event.
• Tell the child they can talk whenever they are ready, ask any question they have, and that the door to talking is always open. Children will move at their own pace through grief just like adults do.