COVID 19

On 19 March 2020 the Tasmanian government declared a state of emergency due to the rapidly increasing number of coronavirus (or COVID-19) diagnoses world-wide.

In the weeks and months that followed, the Tasmanian community landscape changed dramatically.

Social sporting rosters were put on-hold indefinitely, events (such as the annual Dark Mofo festival) were cancelled, and many businesses – including cafes and restaurants – were closed except for takeaway. Workplaces quickly adapted their business models to have their staff work remotely, and many parents taught their children from home.

Workplaces quickly adapted their business models to have their staff work remotely, and many parents taught their children from home.

At this point in time it became inevitable that the quality of Tasmanian’s mental health, and in turn our relationships, would be impacted on many levels. We deeply understood this at Relationships Australia Tasmania, and as such, we did – and are continuing to do – the best we can to help support Tasmanians through this crisis.

Due to our leadership and management teams working cohesively to provide the necessary communication, guidance, and decision-making, and our staff providing the willingness and dedication to support our clients and community, we were able to swiftly transition many of our services to telehealth formats and continue providing essential care to our clients.

In April we announced the decision to waive client fees for 3-months, and by mid-April, 85% of our staff were working remotely from their homes. We were particularly grateful to have the expertise of our Information Technology team, Andrew and Sladjan, who exceeded expectations in supporting staff through this transition.

We were also pleased to have received two Essential Technology grants, which helped to equip our practitioners with quality technology, ensuring clients continued to receive high levels of care and support throughout this time.

Looking forward, we are exploring what a ‘new normal’ should look like at RA Tas, with input being sought from clients across programs as well as our staff across all levels of the organisation.

Furthermore, the impact of the COVID-19 on rates of domestic violence is concerning. In June we received funding to be invested into our MENS behaviour change program in the form of a tailor-made ‘App’ for clients to use alongside the program, and informational flyers targeting perpetrators of mild to moderate domestic violence to be distributed around the state.

Looking forward, we are exploring what a ‘new normal’ should look like at RA Tas, with input being sought from clients across programs as well as our staff across all levels of the organisation.

All of this would not have been possible without every single one our staff whole-heartedly embracing what it truly means to be In it together.