Connecting with other Secondary Teachers whom suffer from MI Injury due to work

@Zoe7 Do you think it is an individual issue or a departmental issue? If you had one who was great and another not, is it the individual not following process or that they know they don't have to cos th edepartment don't really care?

How coiild this be changed?

I went on a mental health awareness in the workplace workshop end of 2015 just to see what they said, wanted my supervisor to come with me and in the end they didn't. Not sure why. Not even sure if the school paid for them to come.

it was an interesting experience listening to people from other department in the government sector. Some of the things they said were truly horrid. Completely not listening to people and thinking cos someone looks ok is ok and thus they are taking the system for a ride. When in fact the person is struggling and needs to go home early but holding to together till they get home (mostly in my case).

I think that unless people have experienced this many do not have enough compassion and understanding to think of other people's mental health and what their experiences are, even if they directly tell them!

We were very luck I feel to have the Principal that we did - she was by far the best Principal I have ever had - she knew how to manage people as well as run the school. She was very tuogh but very fair and along with that came compassion and caring for her staff. I don't think this new Principal knew me or my circumstances at all and that probably made a huge difference on how she has been dealing with the situation. I also think the department let me down in not continuing te contact or any check-ins. They also had staff changed at the top and it seems that things that were transferred between those involved - with all the changes also - were miscommunicated. It is part the system and part these changes that have meant I have been left feeling very unsupported by the workplace.

As for how this could be changed - I am not sure - it could be that regular contact is made with the person on leave as well as their GP - even a monthly form that is filled in instead of simply a medical certificate from the GP (this is done for income protection claims so it wouldn't be much extra that is needed from the gp) and then a follow up email or call from HR. In my circumstances I have been on sick leave without pay but I presume it is different when you are on Worker's Comp. @4FS

@Zoe7 I don't think it makes a difference if it is compensation or not. I have been off from work with and without (initially and last year fighting to get it reinstated) compensation with this over a decade and the school, nor department sections communicated with me. There was no monthly check up from the school or department. When at work it wasn't really talked about and I would have to continually raise issues. Initial school when I had to leave never communicated with me, in fact they didn't tell tthe department it had even happened for two months and then took five months to get the accident report paper work to department!

My running best was a year I was not contacted. I tested injury management section to see how long it would be for me to be contacted, as I was told that my new case manager would get in touch with me and I waited for them to do so, never happened.

Other thing I have learned is that they won't give you information about what is happening unless you pester them and directly ask them. For example if you are sent to a psychiatrist for your work Injury or an illness you are entitled to recieve the same information and cover letter sent to the psychiatrist before the appointment. Good to know and good to ensure you get it so you know what they have read. You are also entitled to take a support person with you.

It has actually been a completly soul destroying process and I am looking forward to the day I can live my life without this hanging over my head.

I think the reason we are treated so poorly is due to the societal stigma associated with work injuries as a general.

I had hoped that what I went thru in 09 would not repeat its self however my staffroom colleague had the same circumstances leading up to a mental health injury and it all repeated. It shouldn't be so hard.

Do you have any work colleagues who keep in contact?

The whole system really is very flawed @4FS.

I don't have any contact with anyone from work. There was one person who I was the closest to that left for another job and one that I did have regular contact with for a while but not lately. How about you do you keep in contact with anyone?

@Zoe7 I think it is a similar things I had work colleagues whom I would connect with regularly and ai contacted them a bit, but I haven't heard from them for ages. Not sure if they are too busy work too much. But I think it becomes too hard for some to maintain contact. I have non work friends but not. A huge amount.

I don't even have that @4FS I have basically isolated myself for a long time and I threw myself into work for 15 years. I did a lot of extra stuff for the kids outside of school hours and that didn't leave any time for me. That is definitely something that needs to change when I go back otherwise I will end up back where I started a couple of years ago.

Can you see yourself working in any other area?

Oh @Zoe7 that is easy to do with schools to put so much of yourself into it. Do you have other interests you can connect with people, like a craft or reading group etc?

I'm being medically retired cos I can't work with other people anymore and can't walk into a school and pretty much fkd mentally to sustain any workload, I'm exhausted all the time and little things set me off.

I do miss my work friends and working but not much I can do cos I don't have a time machine! Just functioning every day, I'm focusing on slow living to make up for the crazy that 17 yrs of teaching has done it my body and mind, is pretty much all I have capacity for.

I honestly didn't think a year ago that I would ever get back to work let alone teaching @4FS. It must be so hard knowing that you cannot work. What do you do when you have the energy? I love Art - I paint and love all kinds of craft. I also love gardening and renovating my home. I have never even thought about joining any groups - I do like being on my own - it is my safe place. There is a lot about being around other people that I find difficult. I can manage it in the classroom but even PD with groups I often struggled with.