May 26, 2026 · 42 min · 11 segments
This banger of a question came from our end of year survey, “How do I retain my faith while being a first responder (i.e., frontline mental health, health, child protection) when the workplace culture…
Kiah ThompsonGuestBecHostSo question one, to help the audience understand where we are coming from, where are some of the places you've worked, and what have been some of the temptations you've faced in frontline mental health? Is there anything that makes you look back and cringe at what you've said or did? Um, I'm gonna throw it to Kiah first 'cause you're the guest.
Ha ha ha.
So I have worked as a social worker for, what, since 2010, so s- nearly 16 years.
Yeah.
Um, I've worked in community and inpatient mental health, child protection, although I didn't last very long in that role, disabilities, and now in a, in an acute hospital setting.
So I started out, so I did my last prac at uni doing mental health, and I moved straight into community mental health, so I was very young, very green.
Yeah.
Some of the biggest temptations, I'd have to say working in mental health and health, biggest one for me is probably detachment, like wanting to-
Yeah
Preach
Yeah.
You know, part of the role is, yeah, putting yourself in people's shoes, trying to have an understanding of their, their situation, and helping to problem solve things within that, and to provide that emotional support as well.
So I think when you're in a very high-stress environment, it's, it's very t- like tempting to detach.
And whether it's from, you know, you're bordering on burnout, whether it's protecting yourself from burnout, I know that's something that I have to be mindful of probably on a daily basis, is making sure that I'm, I'm not doing that.
Mm.
Mm.
What about you, Bec?
Um-
Oh, sorry.
So question one, to help the audience understand where we are coming from, where are some of the places you've worked, and what have been some of the temptations you've faced in frontline mental health? Is there anything that makes you look back and cringe at what you've said or did? Um, I'm gonna throw it to Kiah first 'cause you're the guest.
Ha ha ha.
So I have worked as a social worker for, what, since 2010, so s- nearly 16 years.
Yeah.
Um, I've worked in community and inpatient mental health, child protection, although I didn't last very long in that role, disabilities, and now in a, in an acute hospital setting.
So I started out, so I did my last prac at uni doing mental health, and I moved straight into community mental health, so I was very young, very green.
Yeah.
Some of the biggest temptations, I'd have to say working in mental health and health, biggest one for me is probably detachment, like wanting to-
Yeah
Preach
Yeah.
You know, part of the role is, yeah, putting yourself in people's shoes, trying to have an understanding of their, their situation, and helping to problem solve things within that, and to provide that emotional support as well.
So I think when you're in a very high-stress environment, it's, it's very t- like tempting to detach.
And whether it's from, you know, you're bordering on burnout, whether it's protecting yourself from burnout, I know that's something that I have to be mindful of probably on a daily basis, is making sure that I'm, I'm not doing that.
Mm.
Mm.
What about you, Bec?
Um-
Oh, sorry.
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