Louise Murphy is on a mission to raise awareness of the mental health and wellbeing challenges faced by our emergency first responder volunteers.
Louise holds a Master of Nursing (University of Newcastle), a Graduate Certificate in Health Sciences (University of Newcastle) a Graduate Certificate of Leadership and Health Management (University of Wollongong) and a Bachelor of Nursing (University of Western Sydney).
In 2018 Louise was awarded a Churchill Fellowship to research international best practice in peer support programs. Louise is using her research findings to help educate our community, government and volunteer agencies about how important it is for us to care for the volunteer first responders who care for us, and is sharing strategies on how best to maintain a mentally fit volunteer work force.
Louise has recently founded the Australian first Responder Foundation, a charitable organisation that looks after the mental health and wellbeing of emergency first responders through residential weekend educational programs based on peer support principles.
Louise is an experienced Mental Health Nurse and is currently a Nurse Practitioner in Drug and Alcohol Medicine at South West Sydney Local Health District. She has over 30 years nursing experience in the public health system, corrections and the Australian Defence Force.
A committed volunteer since the age of 16, Louise has volunteered with St John’s Ambulance since 2004 is the NSW Peer Support Program Lead for St John Ambulance (NSW).
Project
To examine peer support programs to reduce mental health issues in emergency service volunteers
Louise Murphy
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