Medical and Welfare
NZALPA is more than just your Union. In particular, the Medical and Welfare team is very much concerned with your welfare. To this end, we have developed many benefits and services that may be of assistance to you as a member over the years to come. Hopefully you won’t need them right now but it is good to know what is available should the need arise. Many of these programmes are modelled from USALPA and adapted to suit NZ circumstances
Member Assistance Programme MAP
The Member Assistance Programme (MAP) is broken into the following areas of activity, overseen by the Medical and Welfare Director (MWD):
Peer Assistance Network (PAN)
There are many complexities in life that can affect us all at different times in our lives. Personal matters including a death in the family, relationship issues, a teenager off the rails right through to failing a check ride or redundancy. Whilst many of these aren’t specific to the aviation profession, what is unique is how it can affect our ability to work and often our reluctance to seek help even through Company/Employer provided EAP or, even worse, seeking alternate remedies to try avoid seeing a doctor.
PAN has volunteers who maintain an ethic of absolute confidentiality in all PAN contacts. These volunteers are trained and supervised by an aviation psychologist to have enhanced listening skills and to provide a referral if a situation requires.
Correct early assistance is proven to either avoid time off work or vastly reduce the period through recovery and return to work (late intervention or bad advice has been career ending for some).
To find out more please visit the PAN website www.pan.org.nz or email support@pan.org.nz.
Critical Incident Response Programme (CIRP).
An important and well respected asset for NZALPA, CIRP aims to respond to any known incident involving members that could impact on their health and wellbeing. This could include an incident, near miss or accident at work. A team of trained peer support volunteers are available to offer practical advice on dealing with the stress caused by such events. This service is strictly confidential and has been proven to assist in getting members back to work quicker after a critical incident has occurred in their life.
Co-ordinator for CIRP: Mark Mehlhopt 0274 751 709
Aeromedical
Due to its confidential nature this role is usually undertaken by MWD alone. It generally consists of providing direct and administrative advice and support to members who have had their medical certificate suspended or disqualified. It also involves liaising with CAA and providing input to various employer programmes such as alcohol and drug. NZALPA also contracts a Consultant Aviation Medical Professional to advocate for members dealing with CAA around issues with getting back to work.
MWD Dave Church: 021 900 769; medical@nzalpa.org.nz
Member Benefits
On our website under ‘Members’ - ‘Medical Offers’ you will find a full list of what benefits are available from discounted petrol and car rental to prescription glasses and financial planning. Sometimes these discounts can be obtained over the telephone or by booking on the internet, but some require you to produce your NZALPA membership card. We also develop other one-off benefits such as annual diaries, NZALPA apparel, NZALPA pens, 'Planning for the Future' seminars, ID cards, lanyards, baggage labels and lapel badges.
Professional Standards Programme
The Professional Standards Programme aims to set and maintain professional standards amongst NZALPA's pilots and air traffic controllers. It also assists in helping members resolve conflicts of a professional standards nature. This is done primarily through the provision of Professional Standards Volunteers, who help members address issues that have been historically left unresolved, which could lead to an undesirable pattern of behaviour developing. This behaviour does not meet NZALPA's standard of professional behaviour and could later result in more serious events and/or consequences for our members.
It is absolutely confidential, assigns no blame or punishment and is entered into voluntarily by the members involved. Matters can be referred to the Professional Standards Volunteer Group for possible resolution directly, either by one of the members involved or by a third party, who is concerned about reported or observed behaviour that falls short of our professional standards. Note that anonymous reporting is not allowed.
The programme is about pilots and controllers helping each other to achieve and maintain our Professional Standards.
Pilot Professional Standards Booklet | Air Traffic Controller Professional Standards Booklet
HIMS Substance Dependency Help
This programme is for members of the aviation community, aimed at helping anyone whose use of alcohol or other drugs is of concern. A cornerstone of HIMS is the understanding that substance dependence is a treatable medical condition. HIMS is modelled on well-established overseas programmes which have assisted thousands of pilots return to work. It is an industry wide effort in which employers, unions and the CAA work together and preserve careers and further flight safety.
For further information go to: www.hims.org.nz
NZALPA Member Insurances
One of the many benefits pilots and controllers gain through NZALPA membership is access to quality insurance plans (entitlement is in accordance with the terms of those schemes). While we promote and in some cases administer these policies, NZALPA avoids providing advice to members about their individual levels of cover. Professionals who have expertise in this area are available and we urge members to seek assistance in determining appropriate levels of insurance.
Insurance information along with these contacts can be found separately on this website under member insurances.