About us
The Road Trauma Support Team (Tasmania) is a non-profit community based organisation partially funded through Motor Accident Insurance Board (Tasmania) - MAIB (Tasmania) and funded in kind by the Department of Health and Human Services. It is however, an independent organisation.
The service provides the benefit of a counsellor who specifically works with those affected by road trauma who is familiar with common reactions to trauma and loss. The RTST (Tasmania) counsellor represents someone from outside the person's close circle of family and friends who is able to listen without the constraints of having been personally impacted by the situation. Due to their training and experience the counsellor is also able to provide strategies for dealing with the incident and its impact.
Free counselling and support is available to anyone impacted by road trauma, irrespective of when the accident occurred, or the person's actual level of involvement, be it direct or indirect.Our office hours are from 9am until 4pm Monday to Friday
The Road Trauma Support Team also provides out of business hours back-up support to the Department of Social Work when needed or required.The history of our organisation:
The Road Trauma Support Team (Tasmania), was birthed in Launceston in 1989 as a result of a perceived gap in the support available to those affected by road trauma. The service was established by Mrs. Colleen Hall, who had experienced the loss of a number of family members due to road accidents, and who understood the need for support and assistance following such trauma and loss.
Based on the Launceston RTST (Tasmania) a number of other teams were established in the North West of Tasmania, Canberra, Victoria and South Australia. Although each of the existing teams are different in structure, they have as their primary goal the support of those affected by road trauma.
Initially the organisation relied on donations and fund raising. However in recognition of the valuable work undertaken and in an effort to ensure that such needs are met the Motor Accident Insurance Board (MAIB) currently provide partial funding to the RTST (Tasmania), allowing for the position of paid office coordinator/counsellor. The service also receives support from the Department of Health and Human Services.
It is with a sense of purpose that the Road Trauma Support Team (Tasmania) moves towards the future, acknowledging the ever present need within the community and strives to meet the needs of all those impacted by the tragedy that is road trauma.