INSIGHTS / FROM RESEARCH TO PRACTICE
Research that makes
sense in practice.
Accessible research, policy and practice insights on disaster recovery, workplace mental health and community wellbeing.
Each insight explains its evidence or official source, suggests questions for practice and makes its limitations visible. Practical applications are editorial interpretations rather than tested recommendations from the original authors.
EMERGENCY SERVICE PERSONNEL
The people behind
the response.
Explore how trauma exposure, everyday work pressures and organisational responses shape the context for personnel wellbeing.
Support needs continue after the fire response
Lessons from After the Fires for the wellbeing of employees and volunteers.
Read the insight →COMPOUNDING STRESS · 2 MIN READTrauma exposure happens within a workplace
Workload, fairness and relationships help explain the conditions around traumatic exposure.
Read the insight →CUMULATIVE PRESSURE · 2 MIN READThe pressure between incidents matters too
Repeated demands and limited recovery time deserve attention alongside critical incidents.
Read the insight →TRUST & HELP-SEEKING · 2 MIN READAvailable support needs to feel safe to use
Culture, time and confidence in support can shape whether personnel seek help.
Read the insight →SERVICE TRANSITIONS · 2 MIN READLeaving service changes more than a job
Connection, identity and recognition can matter when an emergency service career ends.
Read the insight →BUSINESS RESILIENCE
Supporting businesses.
Strengthening regions.
Research on business recovery, owner wellbeing and the systems that support regional resilience.
Business recovery involves more than reopening
Victoria’s advisory service connects practical recovery issues with longer-term planning.
Read the insight →BUSINESS RESILIENCE · 2026 RESEARCH · 2 MIN READBusiness recovery depends on connections beyond the business
A systems perspective on regional businesses recovering from Black Summer and COVID-19.
Read the insight →BUSINESS RECOVERY · 3 MIN READBehind every recovering business is a person
Why business owners’ mental health deserves a place in community recovery planning.
Read the insight →WORKPLACE MENTAL HEALTH
Workplace mental health.
WorkSafe news, claims data and practice resources translated for councils, emergency organisations and other workplaces.
Psychological health at work requires prevention
Victoria’s regulations make psychosocial risk management an explicit workplace responsibility.
Read the insight →WORKSAFE · CLAIMS DATA · 2025–26 STRATEGYWhat mental injury claims data can tell us
Administrative data can guide prevention priorities when its limits remain visible.
Read the insight →WORKSAFE · PRACTICE RESOURCE · REVIEWED MARCH 2026Do leaders and workers see the same workplace?
The WorkWell Survey offers a way to compare workplace perspectives.
Read the insight →POLICY UPDATES
Policy and practice updates.
Recent announcements and funding priorities explained with their dates and implementation status.
Disaster recovery funding reform: what changed for councils
The latest Commonwealth announcement revises the proposed funding framework.
Read the insight →VICTORIAN FUNDING PROGRAM · UPDATED AUGUST 2026What recovery funding priorities tell us about community recovery
Local participation and social connection are explicit priorities in Victoria’s community recovery program.
Read the insight →RESEARCH IN FOCUS
New evidence.
Practical perspectives.
Recent Australian studies translated for community recovery and regional resilience practice.
Community connection needs support over time
How relationships and ongoing hardships shape recovery after repeated disruption.
Read the insight →REGIONAL RESILIENCE · 2026 RESEARCH · 2 MIN READCommunity groups connect households and government
A systems perspective on local knowledge, coordination and shared responsibility.
Read the insight →COMMUNITIES & RECOVERY
Understanding recovery.
Reconnecting with nature after Black Summer
A Victorian study of nature-based community recovery after the 2019–20 bushfires.
Read the insight →REGIONAL RESILIENCE · 3 MIN READWhy regional disaster resilience needs systems thinking
Understanding the connections between people, places and services can strengthen recovery planning.
Read the insight →RECOVERY · 2 MIN READRecovery needs can change long after the emergency
Why recovery planning needs room for changing needs and renewed support.
Read the insight →PSYCHOSOCIAL RESILIENCE · 2 MIN READSocial connection matters, but its quality matters too
Looking beyond attendance numbers to the relationships people can rely on.
Read the insight →COMMUNITY RESILIENCE · 2 MIN READCommunity networks are part of recovery infrastructure
Understanding the practical value of relationships within communities and with institutions.
Read the insight →PSYCHOSOCIAL SUPPORT · 2 MIN READFive principles for thoughtful psychosocial support
A useful framework for thinking about the experience of receiving support.
Read the insight →How these insights are prepared
These focused explainers distinguish peer-reviewed research, sector reports and discussion papers. Each article identifies the source material used and links to the original publication. They provide a starting point for understanding research rather than a comprehensive evidence review. Original papers are linked so readers can explore methods and findings in detail.
Prepared 11 October 2026. Publication years and evidence types are shown on each article.
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