TAL partners with world-leading PTSD expert in education push

TAL, Australia’s leading life insurance specialist, has partnered with Professor Neil Greenberg, the Professor of Defence Mental Health at King’s College London, to foster best practice management of traumatic stress among claims consultant, other associated partners and medical professionals.

TAL’s work with Professor Greenberg will include claims management workshops, the production of a video pack for doctors and events with partners such as First State Super, the New South Wales Police and EML.

This will result in more widespread understanding and up-to-date research regarding traumatic stress. It will also lead to the adoption of associated policies, reflecting the success of exposure therapy in the treatment of PTSD and the proven ineffectiveness of pre-emptive screening in identifying susceptibility to the disorder.

Partnership approach
TAL’s General Manager of Group Insurance, Jenny Oliver, said traumatic stress is often an unfortunate side effect of working life for many Australians, especially those working in emergency services. 

“That is why we’re pleased to be working with Professor Greenberg. Ultimately, we hope to generate a lasting and positive impact on the health of our members,” Ms Oliver added.

Commander of Workforce Safety at New South Wales Police, Superintendent Robert Redfern APM, said: “Our various organisations are focussed on enhancing support for injured officers.  Coming together across our organisations to learn from the expertise and experience of experts like Professor Greenberg can only increase our level of consistency and collaboration and further assist in ensuring we help injured officers achieve the best possible outcomes as effectively as we can.” 

“Professor Greenberg highlights that with the right evidence based support and treatment officers  can return to meaningful work or, if that is impossible, a successful transition into a long and rewarding  life,” said Mr Redfern.

Head of Insurance at First State Super, Sarina Aarons, added that hearing from experts like Professor Greenberg provides meaningful insights into best practice claims management.

“Professor Greenberg has helped us to identify ways we can work collaboratively with our key partners to improve the levels of support we are able to offer to members,” Ms Aarons said.

Professor Greenberg: a world-leading expert in PTSD and traumatic stress
After 23 years in the British military, Professor Greenberg established a career in academia as an expert in traumatic stress, with a particular interest in trauma-exposed workers. His work has since broadened into an advisory role with a range of trauma-exposed organisations, including British government institutions following bombings in London and Bali.

Professor Greenberg said he is pleased to discuss some of the latest advances in the treatment of traumatic stress-related disorders with TAL and its partners.

“For trauma-exposed organisations like the New South Wales Police, effective peer support programs have been proven to reliably identify people suffering from traumatic stress – often the first barrier to treatment and the most difficult to overcome,” said Professor Greenberg. 

TAL’s health strategy
This initiative forms part of TAL’s wider health strategy, which aims to understand, manage and support the mental, physical and financial health of our customers. 

Alongside the regular engagement of external experts like Professor Greenberg, TAL has a dedicated Health Services team who support our claims, underwriting, product and sales teams deliver a focus on health.

Sally Phillips, General Manager of Health Services at TAL, said: “Health is at the heart of what we do – from physical and mental health, to social and financial wellbeing – helping Australians be the best they can be is our number one priority.”

“We want all Australians to live a life as healthy and full as possible, because that’s what living this Australian life is all is about,” said Ms Phillips.