The Code 9 Foundation: Recent Episodes
The Code 9 Foundation
In the latest episode of Conversations with The Code 9 Foundation, we welcomed back the brilliant Deb Richardson. Deb was a guest (episode 31) where Deb recounted her days as a member of Victoria Police and being caught up in the Russell Street bombing, however we also learnt about Yuri, the young 11 year old Ukrainian boy who Deb hosted in 1993. Well it is fair to say that a pretty special bond was created between Deb and Yuri before Yuri went home. There is much more to this story, so please check out Deb’s first episode. Deb and Yuri lost contact until 2017 where they reconnected and this contacted accelerated after Yuri saw Russian tanks roll into the Ukraine. What transpired was Deb asking what she could do for Yuri and the idea that Deb could knit some teddy bears for the young children who have been displaced, well Deb managed to get 14,000 “Yuri bears” knitted, yes that is correct, 14,000 “Yuri bears”, obviously a quite remarkable achievement. What is more remarkable is the earlier this year, Deb travelled to the Ukraine to deliver the “Yuri bears”. This is her story.
Bret has been through what very few go through. The effects of being diagnosed with the extremely rare Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS) is truly confronting and for those that go through it, horrifying. GBS is a rare condition in which a person’s immune system attacks the peripheral nerves.For an active and healthy man, Bret was admitted to hospital on a number of occasions, whilst medical practitioners tried to work out what was happening to Bret. His symptoms escalated significantly where he lost the use of his arms and legs and felt that he was burning from the inside. Eventually Bret got the diagnoses of GBS and the recovery period began. Bret had to essentially teach his brain to use his arms and legs again, to the point where he had to learn how to hold a cup again. It is very difficult to imagine what this would be like. It is a remarkable story of horrifying circumstances and the pure resilience of Bret, his wife Lisa and all of Bret's loved ones and what is absolutely brilliant, Bret is now back at work full time and is continuing his recovery with a great big smile. #GuillainBarrésyndrome #gbs #code9ptsd #youreneveralone #rollwiththepunches
In this episode, Tiff has a chat to Sarah U'Brien. Sarah is the partner of Matt, a police veteran and former fire fighter who was seriously mentally injured as a result of his service to the community. In this episode, Sarah details with incredible clarity what it is like for the partner of a member who is seriously injured. It is confronting as Sarah articulates so clearly what she went through, and to an extent, still goes through, whilst looking after Matt, protecting and educating her two young daughter and also having to maintain her own health, both mental and physical.What is outrageously brilliant though, is the sheer resilience of Sarah and how she is now a trusted and sought after voice in this area. (Please check out and give a like and follow for "Living alongside PTSD" on Facebook and "Living_alongside_ptsd on Instagram). We are so proud that we have focused on the partners and carers of our members since our inception and this is the reason why. Sarah's cohort are often forgotten about when the member is injured, but this cohort plays an extremely critical part in the members recovery. Thank you so much Sarah for being so open, so honest and showing the world, via your voice, what it is like to care for a person who is severely mentally injured.#youreneveralone
Episode 41 of Conversations with The Code 9 Foundation sees Tiff have a chat to Tim Peck. Tim is former member of Victoria Police whose mental health declined to such a low state that he had an intention to complete suicide. Fortunately for Tim and everyone that knows him, Tim survived this period of time and is now dedicating his working life to help those that live with mental health conditions, particularly first responders. After leaving Victoria Police and a recovery period, Tim worked at Beyond Blue, the Police Association of Victoria as Manager of Welfare and is now working for Phoenix Australia, the Australian National Centre of Excellence in Posttraumatic Mental Health as Director of Responder Assist, a program dedicated to the mental health of first responders.Tim talks very clearly about his suicidality so this episode does carry a trigger warning but what is equally evident and a critical aspect of this conservation is that even when you are in the darkest of places, recovery is possible and you can still thrive after the darkness.Throughout all the journaling that Tim did in his recovery, he was able to convert it into a book, which promises to be a brilliant read. You can find his book here - blackincbooks.com.au/books/invisible-obvious.
This is a cross post from Roll With The Punches, episode 771. In this episode, Kelly Humphries shares her powerful and deeply personal journey. Opening up about her experiences as a survivor of child sexual abuse, she reflects on the challenges she faced and overcame.The unfortunate reality is that in Australia, almost 30% of people experience sexual abuse by the age of 18. The conversation delves into the complexities of building friendships and maintaining relationships while grappling with past trauma. Kelly also discusses her former career in the Queensland Police Service, highlighting the impact of her work on her mental health and her eventual transition into advocacy and support for other abuse survivors. The episode touches on important topics such as creating safe spaces for conversation, understanding the nuances of trauma response, and the importance of self-compassion and healing.Kelly's story is a testament to resilience and the transformative power of speaking one's truth. Tiff chimes in with some of my insights and experiences and aim to ask Kelly questions that can empower survivors, allies, and parents not to feel like they need to grapple with these experiences swamped in shame, silence, or isolation.
Rachel Berger is one of Australia's leading comedians, and being the daughter of holocaust survivors, she has an acute awareness of trauma, both in a physical sense and a mental sense. In this episode, Rachel talks about the use of humour to help people cope with their adversities and touches on her parents and what it was like for her growing up. Rachel further talks about what she does to help people, using her over 40 years of stand up comedy to guide people in workshops. Such a beautiful and caring thing to do.
Mick Cummins is the Godfather of police veteran peer support. A very humble man who had a policing career spanning several decades and a wide range of work units, including a few stints in Iraq training the locals.Mick started to dip his toes into the support of his colleagues pretty early on and then once he was done with policing, this accelerated. Along with brilliant Vicky Key, he founded the first peer support network for police veterans.Mick met with former Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton on multiple occasions and with Vicki, created the program, that is now known as Police Veterans Victoria. Mick has touched the lives of countless first responders and would have no doubt saved many many lives with his empathy and ability to help in times of need. Mick is vulnerable and honest in this chat, and it is a ripper.
14 September 2018 at 2.18 pm, a moment in time that changed the course of so many other innocent lives. Victoria Police Detective Senior Sergeant Vic Kostiuk was taking part in the Wall to Wall ride, a charity ride to raise funds for Police Legacy. Riding with Vic was his son, Felix, who is also a Victoria Police member. What was meant to be a joyful experience, turned into complete tragedy, when a drug and alcohol affected driver caused his car to collide with Vic, killing Vic. This was all witnessed by Felix.Felix talks to the events of that day, how he handles situations now and what is ahead for him with remarkable clarity and awareness of his self. It is, a remarkable chat.
This episode is a cross post from Tiff's pod, "Roll With The Punches".Brandon Griffith not only got a second chance at life, but also a second chance at being a guest on Tiff's podcast. Last time Tiff spoke to Brandon we heard about his 16.5-minute brush with mortality as he lingered in the space between life and death after experiencing a sudden cardiac arrest at home. Thanks to great CPR and access to a defib he's here to tell his story and to make a difference in the world. In this episode, Tiff and Brandon delve into various facets of Brandon's life, both as a police officer before his near-death encounter and the transformation he underwent afterward. They explore how Brandon (and law enforcement in general) navigates and equips themselves to handle high-stress critical incidents better than ever before. Moreover, they discover the purpose Brandon is pursuing with this second chance he's been granted – oh and not to mention the moment he intentionally subjected himself to a taser, just to ensure it wouldn't pose a risk to his life while on duty. This is a great listen.Website: www.griffithblueheart.com Website: www.rollwiththepunches.com.auLinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/tiffaneecook/Facebook: www.facebook.com/rollwiththepunchespodcast/Instagram: www.instagram.com/rollwiththepunches_podcast/Instagram: www.instagram.com/tiffaneeandco
On 23 September 2014, Officer B, and his colleague, Officer A, attended outside of the Endeavour Hills Police Station to speak to Numan Haider. A young man who was influenced by radical Islam.
What happened next, literally in a matter of seconds, resulted in both Officer B and Officer A receiving serious stab wound injuries and Haider deceased, shot and killed by Officer A.
Officer B takes us through the events of that day.
Louise Lowe, husband of John and mother to two young boys was tragically taken from this world in 2014. This is her story, as told by John.
John takes us through the sudden and unexpected death of Louise and the days after where organ donorship was discussed and agreed to, because that what Louise wanted.
Whatever we write here will not do this episode justice, it is just an incredible conversation.
This episode is cross share from Tiff’s “Roll With The Punches” podcast. Dr Sandy MacQuarrie offered up a hearty conversation on his PhD research into the physiological health status of paramedics and the correlation between health status, job performance and of course mental health. A subject that is very close to our hearts here at the foundation. A career paramedic (ground and flight) since 1992 along with senior management positions in EMS in Canada, Sandy's research stemmed from his own lived experience and a challenging decline in his own wellbeing. Once he got on top of that he has spent six years stepping into the world of academia (not his natural habitat, but thank #%@$ he did because this area of research is crucial to us first responders) researching the cause and effect of a paramedic's health status on their job performance and likewise, the effect of the job itself on a paramedic's health status. Sandy's findings are crucial to understanding, supporting and creating a better system for paramedics and first responders. And likely the rest of us too. Thanks for an awesome chat Tiff and Sandy.
In this episode of the series, Tiff chats to police veteran Cam Hardiman. Cam authored the book, "Ten foot tall and not quite bulletproof" where he talks of his experiences in Victoria Police and the Australian Federal Police. Cam is diagnosed PTSD which largely stemmed from his time spent at the Victoria Police Air Wing over several years. Cam talks in incredible detail about his experiences when PTSD really set in and the effects it had on him.
In the latest episode of the podcast series, Tiff chats to Victoria Police veteran, Deb Richardson. It is difficult to fully explain the incredible life Deb has had so far but a few points:- Deb was in the Russell Street Police Building when on 27 March 1986 a bomb was detonated that tragically took the life of Constable Angela Taylor. Deb was incredibly lucky to not lose her life in this event as well.- Deb played an integral role in the changing of legislation that ensured that the person responsible for that act will never be released from prison. - Years ago, Deb fostered a young Ukrainian lad, Yuri, which in short has now resulted Deb organising (as in getting them all knitted) a boat load of "Yuri Bears" being shipped to Poland and Ukraine to be given to Ukrainian children. What a brilliant effort and thing to do. What's more, Deb is heading over there to help distribute and to again, meet up with Yuri. Deb is so more than this though and is just one remarkable human being who defied the odds and refused to be a victim. This is an amazing listen.
Lisa Hardeman is a Commander with Victoria Police and a pioneer and leader in women's football, as in a significant leader. Lisa has challenged and succeeded in two male dominated industries and in the process has influenced and caused significant positive change. Some of Lisa's achievements:- Victoria Police Sporting Hall of Fame in 2017- Australia Police Medal in 2018- Victorian Honour Role of Women in 2019- AFL Life Member in 2023 (one of only four women to do so)- A swag of football premierships
22 April 2020. It is a day that Victoria Police suffered their greatest ever single day loss of life from a single incident in their history. Senior Constable Lynette Taylor, Constable Glen Humphris, Senior Constable Kevin King and Constable Josh Prestney were all taken from us in an instant on the Eastern Freeway.The grief was substantial, the families of Lynette, Glen, Kevin and Josh faced a circumstance they should never have had to face and the blue family was hurt. In this pod, Tiff chat to Alex Prestney, the brother of Josh. Alex is also a member of Victoria Police but this conversation is not about his police career, it is about the loss that he felt and how he has handled it since. It is quite the remarkable conversation and one that we are deeply appreciative of. Incredibly proud of Alex and how he talked Tiff through his life after Josh was taken from him. Alex has also written songs about Josh, check them out at Spotify (search Alex Prestney).
In the latest episode of Conversations with The Code 9 Foundation, Tiff has a chat to Pat Stuart and Jas Whiting. Both Pat and Jas were members of the Australian Defence Force and both suffered physical injuries that saw their ADF careers cut short. What is traditionally a very dangerous period of time, transitioning out of the military, (same with first responders), Pat and Jas transformed themselves into elite dog trainers. The chat covers a whole stack of information including a fair bit about our passion, assistance dogs. Well worth a listen to these two awesome people and their passion for our four legged friends is clear. To find out more about Pat and Jas, see the links below. Pat: Website - https://www.operantcanine.com.au/Podcast - https://thecanineparadigm.com/YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@PatStuartFacebook - https://www.facebook.com/pat.stuart.33Instagram - @patstuart_ Jas: Website - https://www.prime-canine.com/Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/PrimeCanineTrainingYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@primecanine8683Insta - @primecaninetraining
Dean Yates is a no-nonsense old journalist. He’s just finished writing a book about healing from PTSD and moral injury. It’s set around Ward 17, a Melbourne psych unit that treats veterans and first responders. Pan Macmillan Australia will publish the book in mid-2023.
In the meantime, Dean has launched the next stage of his New Narrative: putting into practice what he’s learnt from six years writing the book; three Ward 17 admissions; three years as head of mental health at Reuters, the international news agency, and two decades as a foreign correspondent for the company.
Before the mental health role, Dean was a journalist, bureau chief and senior editor at Reuters for 23 years, covering the Bali bombings and the Boxing Day tsunami in Indonesia’s Aceh province. He was bureau chief in Iraq when a U.S. Apache gunship killed two Reuters journalists in Baghdad on July 12, 2007. WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange published footage of that attack in April 2010, shocking millions around the world.
Dean lives in the village of Evandale in Tasmania with his amazing life partner Mary and their three children Patrick, Belle and Harry and a motley bunch of pets: three dogs, three cats, seven sheep and 10 chooks.
Childless not by choice.
More and more couples these days are turning to IVF and fertility clinics in order to have a family. It's a tough, expensive and an emotional roller coaster. But what happens when couples play in that space for a decade more, never to get the outcome they desire. Russell and Suzanne know this experience all too well. They've invested their time, money, emotions and energy in doing everything in their power to overcome their own fertility challenges. They made decisions for their children's futures, prepared their home and planned their lives that were essentially put on hold and pulled from pillar to post only to be spat out the other side 'childless not by choice'. How does this effect the relationship between a couple, the mental (and physical) health of the individuals and the relationships with those around them... family, colleagues and friends. How do we support those who grieve on multiple levels for a loss of something others simply don't recognise existed in the first place? This is a great chat about a tough and likely not widely recognised topic.
Carmen is a Detective Sergeant from the Northern Territory Police, however this is not what this episode is about.
Carmen was involved in a horrific accident in Egypt in 2006 where she received equally horrific injuries. After being told shortly thereafter that she would never walk again, Carmen went on to represent Australia in rugby and play several other sports.
In June this year, she trekked the Overland Trek in Tasmania and at times, being knee deep in snow. Not bad for a woman who was never meant to walk again.
This is a story of incredible resilience and as you will hear, has never lost her sense of humor.
In this pod, A/Commissioner Weir has a chat to Tiff about policing and how Glenn has navigated his way through 41 years of policing.
In this episode, Tiff chats to David Buttifant. Dave was Collingwood FC's sport science director for 13 years, which included the 2010 AFL Premiership season. Dave went on to fulfill the same role at Carlton FC before starting "The Resilience Builders" with Nick Farr. (Ep 21).
Incredibly though, David and his wife responded to the tragic loss of their son, Nicholas who took his own life, by creating the N.I.C.K Foundation (http://nickfoundation.org.au) where they promote positive action in young people.
The Resilience Builders (https://resiliencebuilders.com.au)offer webinars, workshops and outdoor experiences that helps people build resilience.
Episode 22 features Dean Mighell. Dean is the brains behind Path of the Horse, an equine therapy registered charity that runs out of Trentham, Victoria.
For those that have ventured out to POTH, it is nothing short of an extraordinary experience. Dean's knowledge and experience in mental health and the use of horses in treatment is just brilliant.
Tiff and Dean have an all around discussion surrounding equine therapy but also take a dive into their own mental health experiences.
Find Dean and POTH at:
facebook.com/pathofthehorse & pathofthehorse.com.au
Find more of Tiff's pods at:
facebook.com/rollwiththepunchespodcast & https://linktr.ee/rollwiththepunches
In the latest episode of Conversations with the Code 9 Foundation, our new host, Tiff Cook hosted Nick Farr.
Nick is a former member of Victoria Police who later co-founded "The Resilience Builders".
Nick is a highly accomplished mountaineer having completed ascents of Mount Everest and other prominent mountains across the world.
For more information on Nick:
https://resiliencebuilders.com.au/
http://www.nickfarrleadership.com.au/
In this episode, Vanessa joined us to have a chat about what it is like to live with dwarfism. From her early childhood memories to the present, what is really clear is that Ness has excelled and lives life without any regrets.
Matt Ross, ill health retired Victoria Police veteran joins us to talk about his alcohol addiction. Matt is very open about his addiction journey and details ups and downs throughout this process.
Trigger warning, there are parts of this pod that can be confronting.
Ron Fenton. Victoria Police veteran who on 22 November 1984 was shot in the back of the head. Doctors gave him no chance to live, but those that know Ron will attest to the fact that you do not tell Ron these sort of things. He not only survived but got back to operational policing for near on two decades. He rolls around with 37 fragments of that bullet lodged in his head. Ron is now living with terminal cancer however that has not stopped him at all. His bucket list is being ticked off one by one and is completely at peace and has not been this happy for a long time. He is one remarkable person.
In this episode, Phil talks about his experiences of discovering that he was gay. From being at an all boys Catholic School in Ireland where he was surrounded by alpha boys, to being in San Francisco on a gap year, to telling his mum that he was gay, and everything in between.
The concept behind this episode is to show that like those that live with mental health conditions, those that are having their sexuality challenged, you are not alone. You will never be alone.
Phil's words on how he got through that period and the advice he would give a 13, 16 and 19 year old Phil are awesome.
Sergeant Brent Macintyre has been a police officer for 23 years both in Ottawa and Niagara. Brent has been the face of the Ottawa Wellness Unit since it first commenced operating in 2017 and he is the Peer Support Coordinator. In this podcast he talks about what wellbeing support was available to Ottawa Police officers before this, what he has learnt about the Ottawa Police Service and officer wellness, his views on why mental health wellness has come a long way in Ottawa over the past 3 years and what the hardest part of his role has been. He also talks about how he is currently taking some proactive psychological time-off after dealing with a recent officer suicide.
Nick was a police officer for 25 years with the Anitoch Police Department in California. For 17 of those years he worked night shift in a town that was well known for its high crime rate, drugs and gang violence. Nick was exposed surely to the worst possible critical incident possible when he had to shoot his own brother who was threatening to kill his parents. He was responsible for establishing Anitoch PD's first ever peer support unit. Nick is now the peer support director at the West Coast Post Trauma Retreat that provides a one week residential program for first responders struggling with PTSD.
Sergeant Stuart Charlesworth is a sergeant with the Greater Manchester police and in 2012 was exposed to one of the worst critical incidents a police officer could attend. He was a supervising sergeant on the 18th September 2012 when two of his constables were ambushed and murdered. It took Stuart 4 years to seek help for his mental health and he tells us his story along with how stigma contributed to this delay in help-seeking and the importance of early intervention. He is also a Churchill Fellow and is waiting to come to Victoria Police as part of his research.
Julie Werhnyak is a 20 year veteran member of Tempe Police Department in Phoenix, Arizona before her retirement in 2016. Her retirement came after she was stabbed in the neck when responding to a welfare check where she found a male stabbing his partner before he turned on Julie. Julie fatally shot the offender and has since recovered to be a sought after speaker and runs her own defensive tactics business educating many police departments across the USA.
Sergeant Martin Lally from Greater Manchester Police (GMP) was at the forefront of the wellbeing response after the deadly 2017 Manchester Arena bombing. He has worked through his own mental health injury and outlines how and why he now considers himself in better health. He is also a recipient of a Sir Winston Churchill Fellowship in the UK, which saw him travel to Australia and spend sometime researching Victoria Police's Wellbeing Services in May 2019.
In this episode of "Conversations with The Code 9 Foundation" Erin chats with Mark Dobson. Mark is an operational firefighter with FRNNSW and spent seven years as the Wellbeing Coordinator in Work, Health and Safety. He also wrote the first mental health policy for any NSW Government Agency, which led to the Beyond Blue Framework, which has been used by First Responder organisations to modernise workplace mental health programs. Mark was also awarded an Australian Fire Service Medal (AFSM) in this years Queens Birthday Awards. He joins us to reflect on how we can best support the mental health and well-being of those involved in emergency and disaster response.
In this tenth episode of "Conversations with The Code 9 Foundation" we are joined by one of the original - and much-respected - members of the Code 9 Family - Rob Atkins. This episode comes with a content warning as we discuss aspects of the Black Saturday bushfires, so if that event is difficult for you, or you are having a tough day today, perhaps come back and listen some other time, or skip over this episode. If you do listen, Rob provides an honest, real, raw and emotional reflection on his personal experience with PTSD. And stories like this are so important to share, as this is how we continue to break down stigma and normalise conversations around mental health.
In this ninth episode of "Conversations with The Code 9 Foundation", CEO of Beyond Blue Georgie Harman joins us to discuss why it is so important for us to look at how the country deals with mental health, how can support the well-being of those in the emergency services and on the frontline protecting the community, and her reflections on the importance of "self-replenishment" and "nothing about us without us".
In this eighth episode of "Conversations with The Code 9 Foundation" we are joined by CEO of Ambulance Victoria, Tony Walker. Tony joins us to reflect on the journey AV has taken to change the culture around well-being and to break down stigma and normalise conversations around mental health.
In this seventh episode of "Conversations with The Code 9 Foundation", we are joined by former Victorian Premier, Liberal Leader, and founder of not-for-profit organisation Beyond Blue. Jeff joins us to reflect on his passion for promoting the importance of good mental health and we discuss his motivation for starting Beyond Blue, how he helped it grow into the world-leading mental health support organisation that it is today, and why he might just have been the right person to open up a dialogue about depression,
In this sixth episode of "Conversations with The Code 9 Foundation" we are joined by outgoing Chief Commissioner of Victoria Police, Graham Ashton. Graham joins us to reflect on his 40-year career in law enforcement, breaking down the stigma associated with mental health, and why he wishes he had of acted sooner to normalise the conversation around mental health and well-being within Victoria Police.
In this fifth episode of "Conversations with The Code 9 Foundation" we are joined by Andrew Crisp, Victoria's Emergency Management Commissioner. During his career, which includes experience in senior emergency management and policing leadership positions, Andrew has been involved in responses to a number of major incidents, such as the Ash Wednesday Bushfires, the 2009 Victorian Bushfires, Christchurch earthquake, Queensland floods, the 2017 Bourke Street Tragedy and more recently the 2020 bushfires and COVID-19 pandemic. Andrew joins us to discuss how he protects his mental health and well-being.
In this fourth episode of "Conversations with The Code 9 Foundation" former AFL footballer, three-time premiership player, and captain of the Geelong Cats, Cameron Ling joins us to reflect on the unique mental health challenges of playing - and retiring from - sport at the elite level.
youareneveralone
In this third episode of "Conversations with The Code 9 Foundation" we are joined by one of the Code 9 Family - Don Gillies. Don needs no introduction, a long career in both police and ambulance, and now a formidable voice for advancing the conversation around first responder mental health and well-being. Don joins us to discuss his passion for supporting well-being through mindfulness and yoga.
youareneveralone
In this second episode of "Conversations with The Code 9 Foundation" Greg Dean, former Senior Sergeant of Welfare Services at Victoria Police, joins us to discuss his reflections on how we can best support well-being within the emergency services.
In this first episode of The Code 9 Foundation's new podcast series it seemed fitting to kick things off with Founder and President Mark Thomas. Mark joins us to reflect on his experiences with PTSD, why he established the Foundation, and the importance of the tagline #youareneveralone