Tailored mental health coaching scheme for NSW businesses launched

healthy

Business owners and leaders across NSW will have access to free coaching on mental health at work through an initiative funded by the NSW Government and delivered by Transitioning Well. The Direct Practical Coaching program is available to any private business with fewer than 200 staff or not-for-profits of any size and provides owners or leaders one-on-one business coaching to help them promote, manage, and support workplace mental health.

The NSW Government is providing each business with up to four hours of free coaching on topics such as strategies to manage work-related issues including bullying and stress and how to act early, communicate effectively and reduce mental health stigma at work. Coaching is available at a time that suits them, six days a week, and can be delivered online or over the phone.

Transitioning Well’s Co-Director Dr. Sarah Cotton stated that the pandemic is creating an appetite and demand for business leaders to create a mentally healthy workplace.

“Never has there been a time where businesses need more help on managing mental health at work, and are more open to receiving it,” Dr Cotton said. “Business owners are so stretched for time that if they reach out for help on mental health at work topics they need to make sure that their needs can be met, and that they have the confidence in the provider to support them.

“At Transitioning Well, we know our methodologies work and we feel we are a really great fit to the NSW Government’s vision for this innovative and timely program,” Dr Cotton added. “We’re going to be in the trenches with business leaders delivering support and working with them side by side to address their challenges with practical and easy to implement actions.”

Jim Kelly, Director of Health and Safe Design at SafeWork NSW is encouraging small-business owners to take advantage of the service,

“The mental health toll on many workplaces has been high as businesses have had to change during the COVID pandemic,” Kelly said. “Business and job uncertainty, increased pressure on workers, dramatic change to where we work and how we work all impact on our mental health in the workplace.

“We are offering a suite of programs to help businesses provide a safe workplace that is mentally healthy. We have trained over 19,000 people through our Blackdog training programs, and the new Direct Practical Coaching service has already supported over 900 businesses through the successful pilot phase,” Kelly added. “We are pleased to be working with Transitioning Well to continue to expand this support to more NSW businesses to create mentally healthy workplaces.”