ABC podcast helping people recover from disaster

So, you’ve been through a disaster. What should you expect to feel? What support is out there to help you get through everything? What can you do now to build emotional resilience for future disasters? These questions are being addressed by After the Disaster, a new podcast series produced by the ABC that draws on Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC expertise.

The purpose of After the Disaster is to provide trustworthy information in a safe and companiable format, so that anyone can access support for disaster recovery. From managing insurance to supporting kids, the series offers practical research-based guidance and commonly shared experiences of disaster recovery.

The series is hosted by Dr Kate Brady, a disaster recovery researcher from the Centre for Health Equity at the University of Melbourne and National Disaster Recovery Adviser at Australian Red Cross. It draws on research funded by the CRC through the Recovery Capitals project, and is supported by the Australian Red Cross and Bushfire Recovery Victoria.

Throughout the series, Dr Brady interviews people with lived experience of disaster, including community members across Australia and New Zealand, and experts who support people during disasters or are experienced with disaster management. Experts featured include mental health professionals, such as Dr Rob Gordon; disaster resilience researchers, such as the CRC’s Prof Lisa Gibbs (University of Melbourne) and Bhiamie Williamson (Australian National University); representatives from recovery-related organisations, including the Australian Red Cross and the Insurance Council of Australia; and Australian authors with recovery insights, such as Scott Pape (Barefoot Investor) and Leigh Sales (ABC).

The series covers many topics, including:

• what to expect after a disaster
• what recovery is and when to know you’ve recovered
• helping children recover
• navigating insurance, legal and financial needs during recovery
• what recovery looks like for different communities, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
• how to talk to someone who has survived a disaster.

A new episode will be released each Monday until 1 November, with a collection of shorter episodes released together on 8 November.

The series is a comprehensive and accessible resource for anyone who has been through a disaster, whether that be a natural hazard, terrorist attack or personal trauma. It provides a rich and diverse starting point for those working in the disaster management sector, or anyone wanting to learn about disasters and how to support those recovering from them.

You can access all the episodes of After the Disaster on the ABC website, ABC Listen app or wherever you get your podcasts.