New Projects

Occupational wellbeing refers to the extent to which AOD and other workers perceive that their lives are going well. It incorporates the degree to which they enjoy good physical and mental health and are resilient.

Occupational wellbeing is associated with job satisfaction, organisational commitment and a lack of stress and burnout. Research indicates that worker wellbeing is also predictive of positive client outcomes. Understanding the wellbeing of the workforce is important for providing opportunities to promote health and wellbeing.

There is currently no data on the wellbeing of the AOD workforce in New South Wales (NSW) and New Zealand. To address this, NCETA, NADA and Matua Raki (NZ) are working in partnership to examine the wellbeing of the AOD workforce in NSW and New Zealand by conducting an online survey.

The online survey will target workers employed by NSW-based non-government AOD organisations and government and non-government AOD workers in New Zealand.

The objectives of the current project are to:

1. Measure the wellbeing of the AOD workforce in NSW and New Zealand

2. Establish the demographic profile of the NSW and New Zealand AOD workforces

3. Assess the working conditions of the NSW and New Zealand AOD workforces

4. Establish the predictors of worker wellbeing and retention.

This project builds upon a previous collaboration between the three organisations which examined and evaluated the literature related to the health and wellbeing of AOD workforces in Australasia.

The collaborative project is also an extension of NCETA’s ongoing focus on and approach to workforce development broadly and its specific examination of AOD worker wellbeing, stress and burnout.

Non-government organisation-based AOD workers in NSW and paid and voluntary government and non-government employees working for addiction service providers in New Zealand will be provided with a link in due course inviting them to participate in the survey.