South Australian small and family business owners will be able to access mental health and wellbeing support for themselves and their employees at low or no cost through a new Mental Health and Wellbeing Program.
The initiative derived from a $500K investment from the South Australian government is expected to become available to businesses in the coming months.
The supports aim to help businesses increase their resilience and capability to cope with mental health challenges and create a culture of wellbeing in their workplace.
According to SafeWorkSA, one in five Australians will experience a mental illness, and costs Australian businesses about $6 billion each year through absenteeism, reduced work performance, increased turnover rates and compensation claims.
The program will provide a range of activities at low or no cost, including masterclasses, education and training sessions, workshops, one-on-one support, psychologist-led skills sessions, webinars, e‑learning, and online tools and resources.
Four organisations with demonstrated experience delivering evidence-based mental health support have been selected as program partners Be Well Co, Mindarma, Ignite Wellbeing Co, and Regional Development Australia Murraylands and Riverland.
These organisations will design and deliver highly targeted offerings for small business owners.