OzHelp Foundation Tasmania Evaluation Plan (Staff)

Project commencement date:

Project completion date:

The OzHelp Foundation is a work based suicide prevention, early intervention and social capacity building program, targeted at apprentices in the construction industry. The program originated in the ACT in 2002, and funding has been provided for an expansion of the program to the utility industries in ACT, to rural NSW, and for the establishment of an independent Foundation in Tasmania.

OzHelp conducts field visits and provides counselling support for on-site and off-site personal, family and work group sessions. It specialises in mental health promotion and outreach services particularly through social and Life-Skills building activities and training. The University of Tasmania, Department of Rural Health has agreed to provide an external evaluation role for the project.

The intended outcome of the evaluation will be that the OzHelp Foundation Tasmania is enabled to:

• intervene more effectively for positive outcomes for apprentices in the construction industry in Tasmania;

• improve attitudes to mental health issues and well-being in the construction industry in Tasmania generally;

• effectively compare data obtained within Tasmania with data obtained in OzHelp projects elsewhere in Australia