Black Dog Institute

Dr Tara Lal AFSM is uniquely positioned at the intersection of lived experience, frontline service, and applied research. With twenty years' experience as a former firefighter and peer support officer with Fire and Rescue NSW, Tara brings invaluable insider knowledge of the challenges faced by first responders and the critical supports they need to provide trauma-informed care.

Awarded the Australian Fire Service Medal in 2022 for her work in mental health and suicide prevention, Tara completed her PhD in 2024, receiving the Chancellor's Medal for her doctoral research exploring the impact of suicide on firefighters. Her research focuses on integrating lived experience into translational approaches that drive meaningful change at individual, organisational, and systemic levels.

Currently serving as the Emergency Services Lived Experience and Strategic Engagement Lead at Black Dog Institute and holding an Adjunct Senior Lecturer position at the University of New England, Tara works at the forefront of developing trauma-informed, evidence-based interventions for emergency service workers. Her dual perspective - as someone who has both provided frontline emergency care and navigated her own journey through trauma - enables her to advocate powerfully for the systemic changes needed to support first responders, peer support networks, and emergency department staff.

As an internationally published author, researcher, and keynote speaker, Tara specialises in embedding the voices of those with lived experience into research and policy development, ensuring that solutions are grounded in the real-world needs of first responders and the communities they serve.