About 80 people who have lost a loved one on NSW roads shared a vision for reform and the future of support for families at the official launch of the Road Trauma Support Group NSW at Parliament House on November 21, 2022.
The launch event also included key stakeholders from government, grief and counselling organisations, NSW Police, and Quest programs development manager Esther Mckay, with about 150 attendees in total.
Esther – who attended after Quest for Life recently partnered with the grassroots and peer-to-peer support group – said the launch event included heartfelt speeches from a number of people bereaved by road trauma incidents.
“It was a beautiful and positive evening to honour people’s loved ones that have been lost and to create positive change,” Esther said.
The Road Trauma Support Group NSW (RTSG) was founded by people who have suffered the death of loved ones in road trauma incidents and aims to be the voice of families impacted by road trauma. The group provides counselling, education and advocacy for families and campaigns for more effective and connected support systems.
Quest’s partnership with RTSG came about after the tragic Buxton car crash, which saw multiple families in need of simultaneous support.
“After the Buxton tragedy, the RTSG discovered there was an immediate need for multiple counsellors. It was the first time they’d had multiple deaths where they needed to provide multiple support systems. At the time, the police called the RTSG to assist with family liaison and support, and the RTSG then contacted Quest for help locating counsellors.”
After making initial contact, Quest CEO and Founder Petrea King contacted all Quest psychologists, psychotherapists and counsellors requesting their support which let to ten clinicians offering their services to families in need as part of the RTSG set of services.
“When they’re ready, the RTSG will also assist families to engage in Quest 5-day immersive programs like Moving Beyond Trauma,” Esther said.
“Trauma really is the basis of what we do – so we can support people throughout their journey. We have the ability to support not only the families but also the group itself. Because it’s a peer-to-peer model – everybody that’s intrinsically involved in this organisation has lost a loved one themselves, so we can support them in looking after their mental health so that they can then support others.”
The Macquarie Street event was also attended by Metropolitan Roads Minister Natalie Ward, Shadow Transport Minister Chris Minns and the NSW Shadow Attorney-General Mike Daley.
An RTSG event organiser said about half of the attendees of last night’s event were family members of people killed in road trauma incidents, with the other stakeholders including government and shadow government ministers, representatives from community organisations, insurance companies, and NSW Police.
About 300 people die and 10,800 people are seriously injured every year on NSW roads. The Road Trauma Support Group NSW is the voice of families of road trauma when a loved one is killed by an illegal act of a road user and provides support and education to victims, campaigns for reform, and works toward ensuring there are more effective connected support systems in place.
Further Resources – Road Trauma Support Group NSW
Road Trauma Support Group NSW – website
Road Trauma Support Group NSW – Facebook page
Road Trauma Support Group – Twitter page
Further Resources – Quest for Life programs
Moving Beyond Trauma – a program designed to assist people with post-trauma stress symptoms to reclaim their lives and create greater control over their emotional equilibrium and their lifestyle choices. It is based on the latest research into neuroplasticity and epigenetics and provides you with a clear pathway towards full recovery from post-trauma injuries.
Healing Your Life – We call them life’s Ds – whether it’s a divorce, death, depression, disease, or disaster, everyone faces a significant challenge or trauma at some point. If you are finding it difficult to cope after a loss, this program can make a profound and positive difference in your life.
