A psychological support program for justice system employees is being discontinued in Tasmania
In the state of Tasmania, Australia, a specialized safety and mental well-being program for Department of Justice employees is being discontinued. The decision was made following a departmental review as part of efforts to achieve budget savings in the civil service, according to ABC News Australia.
The program provided case-specific guidance and psychological support to employees working in challenging or traumatic conditions, particularly correctional officers and lawyers. According to available data, approximately 200 employees utilized the program. It will be replaced by an expansion of the existing Employee Assistance Program (EAP).
Tasmanian Attorney General Guy Barnett, responding to questions from Labor members in parliament, stated that the revised model “will better meet the needs of employees” while maintaining a strong commitment to their well-being. However, employees surveyed by the Community and Public Sector Union consider the EAP an inadequate and significantly less effective replacement for the specialized service.
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An employee of the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions stated that closing the service could lead to the dismissal of more prosecutors and attorneys due to burnout and unresolved psychological trauma. An employee of WorkSafe Tasmania, the occupational safety and health regulator, noted that the program helped him cope with workplace issues and psychosocial risks in prison. According to him, justice system employees regularly face traumatic situations, conflicts, and aggression, and the elimination of this support could increase levels of stress, burnout, absenteeism, staff turnover, and psychological trauma.
The Department of Justice must find nearly 7.5 million Australian dollars in savings in the current fiscal year and 67.6 million dollars over the next four years. Overall, the Tasmanian public service must achieve 1.5 billion dollars in budget savings, which includes cutting 1,700 jobs. The state’s latest budget projects that debt will rise to 9.5 billion dollars by the end of the decade.
CPSU Secretary Tirza White called the eliminated service valuable and said it helped save money. Labor Party representative Ella Haddad criticized the decision. In her view, a lack of adequate support could lead to more cases of stress and anxiety, as well as potential compensation claims due to psychological trauma in the workplace.
