What is Harness?
Harness is a program that operates under Men & Co. Services and The Centre for Women & Co., the regional domestic and family violence support services across Logan and the Redlands.
We are passionate about supporting workers on their journey in becoming the best versions of themselves – for the sake of their families and themselves. Harness does this through by:
Supporting workers with their mental-health and wellbeing.
Sharing information around how their wellbeing not only impacts themselves, but also the people around them.
Creating awareness around domestic violence, sexual violence, and gendered violence.
Information around how we can support our community and prevent violence from happening.
Empowering workers in making the right choice for themselves and their families.
Information around the supports available to them
Providing one-on-one support sessions.
Toolbox Talks
Harness facilitators are able to deliver toolbox talks to workers on sites, typically during pre-starts. Toolbox Talks usually take about 20 minutes and aim to get the conversation started around domestic violence prevention for your workers.
Toolbox Talks support construction workers and apprentices to:
Provide information about supports available to them
Create awareness and education around domestic and family violence and its impacts on the community
the importance of prioritising our personal wellbeing and how it can help prevent issues of domestic violence happening for us.
Our toolbox talks focusses on general wellbeing and its relevance to domestic violence prevention, but if required, Harness also has capacity to deliver Toolbox talks specific to issues observed on site that relate to improving family wellbeing, such as: Drugs or Alcohol use, Communication and Conflict resolution, Gender equality, or being a supportive mate etc.
Harness Training
Harness also provides training to workers on site. Harness training sessions aim to provide more in depth information and opportunity to discuss issues of domestic violence more thoroughly. Harness training sessions will take up to two hours and will require the facilities to do so (Meeting room, power point etc.).
Harness training sessions cover:
Understanding domestic violence, what it is and how it impacts our community
Why does domestic violence happen? The role gender inequality plays, generational trauma, and personal wellbeing.
How can we stop it? Community effort to stop domestic violence
What can we do to support our mates and ourselves?
If your site is out of our catchment areas, scroll down to the bottom of the page to learn more about how we can visit your workers. Additionally, if these times or talks don’t fit your schedules, contact a Harness worker now for flexible options.
Want to chat to us about supporting your team?
FAQs
Does Harness offer counselling?
No, Harness does not offer counselling. Harness offers a specialist one on one space to help you better understand the problem, plan how to tackle it, what things you’ve got in your corner, what else you might need and who else can help you. All so you can start taking more confident steps towards a beneficial resolution for the problem/your goals.
Do you offer couples counselling?
No. Harness provides a space to talk with people one on one to process what they want, what they need to work on and how to get there. This can involve us linking you with services such as couples counselling if that suits you and your partners needs.
Is Harness about mental health?
Whilst Harness does not focus on suicide prevention or extreme mental health, we do offer brief support for people struggling to cope day to day with their thoughts, feelings or circumstances and to get a start in managing these and be their best selves. However, we do not offer counselling.
What’s the difference between Mates in Construction and Harness?
MATES focus on preventing suicide in the construction, mining and energy sectors, and supporting workers and their families with advice, information and support to tackle a range of severe mental health concerns.
Harness focuses on preventing domestic violence perpetration and victimisation in the construction industry by supporting people in their lives and relationships to know how to tackle problems both before and after they come up. For more information about what Harness can do, go back to the top of this webpage.
Is Harness for family members or friends of construction workers?
No, but there are a number of other services in the community that exist to support people. And whilst we can’t work directly with people who don’t work in construction, we can directly help guide construction workers to find the right services and get the right support for their loved ones.
How much does it cost?
Nothing 😊. Harness is a free service fully funded by Construction Skills Queensland.
Does Harness only give support for Men?
Harness supports men, women and non-binary persons to harness their best selves.
Does Harness support young people?
Harness offer our brief intervention support for any construction workers/apprentices aged 18 and over. Our toolbox talks, however, are for any age group in the construction industry.
Where do you offer Harness?
Harness is for any people in construction working OR living OR undertaking training in our catchment area, which covers some Brisbane Inner City Suburbs, Brisbane South, Logan, Redlands or Gold Coast areas.
Outside of Catchment?
No worries! If your company wants to invest in wellbeing and safety, we can offer customised quotes to deliver our services outside of our catchment area. This can also include our brief intervention service and tailored resources to your area. This can be Queensland or interstate.
Funded by
Get in touch.
07 3439 8640 – 9am to 4pm
harness@menandcoservices.org.au
For crisis or immediate support outside business hours, please contact Lifeline (13 11 14) and for emergencies please contact 000, otherwise, submit a contact request form.