Creating community and connection when The Job ends with Police Veterans Victoria CEO David McGowan
10/18/22 • 41 min
LISTENER NOTE: this episode contains some content that may be confronting and distressing to people – listener discretion is advised.
In this episode of GET REAL we meet DAVID MCGOWAN, a veteran Police officer who is the CEO of POLICE VETERANS VICTORIA, a not-for-profit organisation that supports Victoria Police Veterans and their families.
Police Veterans Victoria has Veteran Peer Support Officers - volunteers who provide support to other police veterans and their families who may be dealing with personal issues, need to talk, or are seeking someone to confide in.
Police Veterans Victoria has big ambitions... and it boils down to building community and purpose for police veterans after they leave the job. But like most not-for-profit organisations, this takes funding – and currently Police Veterans Victoria runs on community, corporate and individual support and contributions and a lot of goodwill, as well as support in a number of ways from Victoria Police. So, David and the team are busy raising awareness, encouraging membership and advocating for financial support from government.
David first joined Police Veterans Victoria as a veteran peer support officer before being asked to step into the CEO Role.
He was compelled to volunteer following a shocking traffic crash in 2020 tragedy when four Victoria Police were killed in the line of duty on Melbourne's Eastern Freeway.
For more info on POLICE VETERANS VICTORIA: https://policeveteransvic.org.au/
Follow Police Veterans Victoria on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/policeveteransvicLISTEN TO Police Veterans Victoria's podcast THE PLODCAST (available on Anchor, Apple Podcasts & Spotify)
If you have been affected by anything discussed in this episode you can contact:
- Lifeline on 13 11 14
- 13 YARN on 13 92 76 (24/7 crisis support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples)
Produced and hosted by Emily Webb, ermha365 A
ermha365 provides mental health and disability support for people in Victoria and the Northern Territory. Find out more about our services at our website.
Helplines (Australia):
Lifeline 13 11 14
QLIFE 1800 184 527
13 YARN 13 92 76
Suicide Callback Service 1300 659 467
ermha365 acknowledges that our work in the community takes place on the Traditional Lands of many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples and therefore respectfully recognise their Elders, past and present, and the ongoing Custodianship of the Land and Water by all Members of these Communities. We recognise people with lived experience who contribute to GET REAL podcast, and those who love, support and care for them. We recognise their strength, courage and unique perspective as a vital contribution so that we can learn, grow and achieve better outcomes together.
LISTENER NOTE: this episode contains some content that may be confronting and distressing to people – listener discretion is advised.
In this episode of GET REAL we meet DAVID MCGOWAN, a veteran Police officer who is the CEO of POLICE VETERANS VICTORIA, a not-for-profit organisation that supports Victoria Police Veterans and their families.
Police Veterans Victoria has Veteran Peer Support Officers - volunteers who provide support to other police veterans and their families who may be dealing with personal issues, need to talk, or are seeking someone to confide in.
Police Veterans Victoria has big ambitions... and it boils down to building community and purpose for police veterans after they leave the job. But like most not-for-profit organisations, this takes funding – and currently Police Veterans Victoria runs on community, corporate and individual support and contributions and a lot of goodwill, as well as support in a number of ways from Victoria Police. So, David and the team are busy raising awareness, encouraging membership and advocating for financial support from government.
David first joined Police Veterans Victoria as a veteran peer support officer before being asked to step into the CEO Role.
He was compelled to volunteer following a shocking traffic crash in 2020 tragedy when four Victoria Police were killed in the line of duty on Melbourne's Eastern Freeway.
For more info on POLICE VETERANS VICTORIA: https://policeveteransvic.org.au/
Follow Police Veterans Victoria on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/policeveteransvicLISTEN TO Police Veterans Victoria's podcast THE PLODCAST (available on Anchor, Apple Podcasts & Spotify)
If you have been affected by anything discussed in this episode you can contact:
- Lifeline on 13 11 14
- 13 YARN on 13 92 76 (24/7 crisis support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples)
Produced and hosted by Emily Webb, ermha365 A
ermha365 provides mental health and disability support for people in Victoria and the Northern Territory. Find out more about our services at our website.
Helplines (Australia):
Lifeline 13 11 14
QLIFE 1800 184 527
13 YARN 13 92 76
Suicide Callback Service 1300 659 467
ermha365 acknowledges that our work in the community takes place on the Traditional Lands of many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples and therefore respectfully recognise their Elders, past and present, and the ongoing Custodianship of the Land and Water by all Members of these Communities. We recognise people with lived experience who contribute to GET REAL podcast, and those who love, support and care for them. We recognise their strength, courage and unique perspective as a vital contribution so that we can learn, grow and achieve better outcomes together.
Previous Episode
The living experience workforce and governance training for mental health consumers
The Victorian Mental Illness Awareness Council, known as VMIAC is running a pilot project giving consumers of mental health services the opportunity to get education, training and practical learning experience to participate in leadership and governance arrangements across Victoria's transforming mental health system.
Our guests for this episode are Erandathie Jayakody and Jo Rasmussen.
Both Erandathie and Jo have living experience of being consumers of mental health services and are heavily involved in consumer leadership and elevating consumer perspective for the co-design, delivery and outcomes of these services.
Erandathie is VMIAC’s senior project lead for the Consumers Leading in Governance pilot program and has extensive experience in advocacy for mental health consumers, including as a board member at Mind Australia and a Tribunal member at the Mental Health Tribunal Victoria.
Jo is currently the Lived Experience Strategic Integration Consultant at Mildura Base Public Hospital in Regional Victoria. Much of Jo’s passion and work is driven by helping to reduce community stigma around mental health conditions. Jo is also a mental health consumer representative at the local, state and national level and is a participant in VMIAC’s Consumers Leading in Governance program. In 2019 Jo was named National Mental Health Advocate of the Year.
MORE INFO:
If you have been affected by anything discussed in this episode you can contact:
- Lifeline on 13 11 14
- 13 YARN on 13 92 76 (24/7 crisis support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples)
Produced and hosted by Emily Webb, ermha365 Advocacy and External Communications Advisor with Karenza Louis-Smith, CEO ermha365.
ermha365 provides support for people with complex mental health and disability in
ermha365 provides mental health and disability support for people in Victoria and the Northern Territory. Find out more about our services at our website.
Helplines (Australia):
Lifeline 13 11 14
QLIFE 1800 184 527
13 YARN 13 92 76
Suicide Callback Service 1300 659 467
ermha365 acknowledges that our work in the community takes place on the Traditional Lands of many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples and therefore respectfully recognise their Elders, past and present, and the ongoing Custodianship of the Land and Water by all Members of these Communities. We recognise people with lived experience who contribute to GET REAL podcast, and those who love, support and care for them. We recognise their strength, courage and unique perspective as a vital contribution so that we can learn, grow and achieve better outcomes together.
Next Episode
Being unapologetically me! with Heidi Anderson
Our guest for this episode is a dynamo! Heidi Anderson’s got influence and as she’s on her personal journey of confidence and being her authentic self, she’s bringing others along on the ride. Heidi’s had a successful career in radio, including the breakfast show in Perth on HIT 92.9, was a contestent in Big Brother and is a podcaster. When she spoke vulnerably on air to listeners about her battle with hating herself and her anxiety, it sparked a reaction she never imagined. it’s changed her life and revealed her purpose.
- Read Heidi's memoir Drunk on Confidence
- Listen to Heidi's poscasts Champagne Confidence and First Time Parents, which she hosts with her husband Griffo
- Follow Heidi on Instagram
If you have been affected by anything discussed in this episode you can contact:
- Lifeline on 13 11 14
- 13 YARN on 13 92 76 (24/7 crisis support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples)
Produced and hosted by Emily Webb, ermha365 Advocacy and External Communications Advisor with Karenza Louis-Smith, CEO ermha365.
ermha365 provides support for people with complex mental health and disability in Victoria and the Northern Territory.
Follow ermha365 on social media:
FACEBOOK - @ermhaorg
TWITTER - @ermha365
INSTAGRAM - @ermha365
ermha365 acknowledges that our work in the community takes place on the Traditional Lands of many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples and therefore respectfully recognise their Elders, past and present, and the ongoing Custodianship of the Land and Water by all Members of these Communities.
We recognise people with lived experience who contribute to GET REAL podcast,
ermha365 provides mental health and disability support for people in Victoria and the Northern Territory. Find out more about our services at our website.
Helplines (Australia):
Lifeline 13 11 14
QLIFE 1800 184 527
13 YARN 13 92 76
Suicide Callback Service 1300 659 467
ermha365 acknowledges that our work in the community takes place on the Traditional Lands of many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples and therefore respectfully recognise their Elders, past and present, and the ongoing Custodianship of the Land and Water by all Members of these Communities. We recognise people with lived experience who contribute to GET REAL podcast, and those who love, support and care for them. We recognise their strength, courage and unique perspective as a vital contribution so that we can learn, grow and achieve better outcomes together.
If you like this episode you’ll love
Episode Comments
Generate a badge
Get a badge for your website that links back to this episode
<a href="https://goodpods.com/podcasts/get-real-talking-mental-health-and-disability-173926/creating-community-and-connection-when-the-job-ends-with-police-vetera-24357540"> <img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/goodpods-images-bucket/badges/generic-badge-1.svg" alt="listen to creating community and connection when the job ends with police veterans victoria ceo david mcgowan on goodpods" style="width: 225px" /> </a>
Copy