travelBulletin

BY Tim Hoopmann

RUNNING a small business is a unique experience which can involve stress and pressure coming from many directions. If left unaddressed, these demands can sometimes place you at risk of severe or longer-lasting mental health challenges.

Taking care of you as a small business owner is therefore vital to your mental health and the overall success of your business. When you are mentally healthy and make wellness a key part of our small business, you ensure your teams, your customers and your suppliers are all supported as valuable participants to the success of your business.

In March 2021 Beyond Blue in Australia launched a mental health coaching program to support small business owners across Australia.

What is new Access for Small Business Owners?

NewAccess is a free and confidential mental health program, developed by Beyond Blue to give small business owners the support you need. Whether you’re just feeling stressed, or completely overwhelmed about everyday life issues like work, relationships, health or loneliness, NewAccess is there when you need it.

Who is it for?

NewAccess is for anyone aged 18 or over who owns a small business in Australia. For the purposes of program eligibility, a small business is defined as 20 employees. An initial assessment conducted by a clinically supervised Coach is used to identify if NewAccess is the most appropriate service to support your mental health needs.

The program avoids clinical language, does not require a doctor’s referral and is delivered by relatable coaches — making it an ideal service for small business owners.

What to expect from the program

NewAccess uses Low-intensity Cognitive Based Therapy (LiCBT) that allows the participant to recognise the way they think, act, and feel. Instead of a counsellor, they will have a Coach to help them work through an individual plan that they develop together.

Over six sessions your NewAccess Coach will work side by side with you to overcome difficult issues, providing you with practical skills to manage your stress and get you back to feeling like yourself.

Coaches of the NewAccess program all have a small business background, allowing them to better understand the challenges small business owners may face.

NewAccess is designed to appeal to people who might not otherwise seek support for their mental health and to provide support early, preventing symptoms from potentially getting worse.

Access the program

the NewAccess for Small Business Owners Coaches program can be accessed in Australia via:

Phone: 1300 945 301

Website: www.beyondblue.org.au/newaccess-SBO

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