Beyond Blue mental health coaching program available for small business owners
NewAccess for Small Business Owners (NASBO) is a six-week coaching program that offers support by trained mental health coaches who have a background in small business themselves.
Beyond Blue
September, 2021
In March this year, Beyond Blue launched a mental health coaching program to support small business owners across Australia. The program was developed based on research that showed a marked increase in small business owners experiencing a high level of mental distress due to the pandemic. Pre COVID-19, one third of small business owners were feeling high levels of mental distress. This figure has since increased to two thirds as the small business community continues to struggle under the substantial pressure of the pandemic which first began 20 months ago.
NewAccess for Small Business Owners (NASBO)) is a six-week coaching program that offers support by trained mental health coaches who have a background in small business themselves. They understand the challenges small business owners face and are reassuringly relatable. The program is free, confidential and no doctor’s referral is required. Coaching can be delivered via phone or video call to small business owners experiencing stress or worries and can be accessed between the hours of 8am to 8pm Monday to Friday.
Advertisement
As lockdowns and restrictions have been imposed across the country, Beyond Blue have seen enquiries coming into the program increase and demand for the service has continued to grow. Many who are accessing the service are experiencing challenges for the first time. Work related stress, depression and anxiety amongst other things are key reasons why people are reaching out for help. Some people are worried about looking after their teams during times of uncertainty. Others are sole traders struggling with periods of isolation and lack of connection. Small business owners in Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland have participated more heavily however, the program has seen participants apply Australia wide.
NASBO offers participants 6 structured sessions with a clinically supervised coach to provide practical tools to help overcome issues such as self-doubt and build coping strategies such as resilience. Upon completion of the program and providing feedback, over 90% of participants stated that they would recommend the program to another small business owner and found that they had learnt skills and strategies to manage should a similar challenge arise in the future. Overall, the program has achieved great success with a year-to-date recovery rate of 71% and a growing number of positive testimonials.
“Taking part in the NASBO Program has helped me to develop valuable skills which I have implemented into my daily life. This in turn has assisted me to manage stress, helped in my family relationships and given me a more positive outlook on life. I felt comfortable speaking with my coach and liked the fact it was confidential and not being recorded on my medical records with my family doctor. My coach provided many strategies and ideas which I will continue to use now and in the future. I am very appreciative of both my coach and his professional coaching, along with the NASBO Program being available to small business owners who need assistance in this challenging time”.
To find out more or enquire today visit https://www.beyondblue.org.au/get-support/newaccess/newaccess-for-small-business-owners, or if you know a small business owner or sole trader, let them know about the new program.
Beyond Blue
Beyond Blue provides information and support to help everyone in Australia achieve their best possible mental health, whatever their age and wherever they live.
www.beyondblue.org.au