The government will fund a $2.2 million program delivering targeted mental health first aid training for small-business advisers.
Counting on U is an Australian-wide, workplace mental health, and relationship-building intervention, that aims to provide training to business advisors to better support the needs of small-to-medium (SME) business owners.
A recent study commissioned by the Federal Department of Industry, Science, Energy, and Resources, reports that nearly 1 in 3 SME owners had experienced stress, depression, or anxiety in the past 12 months.
Members from Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand (CA ANZ), CPA Australia, the Institute of Public Accountants (IPA), and the Institute of Certified Bookkeepers (ICB) will be eligible to undertake the training for free, with a view to train 5,000 advisers by the end of the year.
Expressions of interest can be placed with the relevant professional body, with places based on a first-come, first-served basis.
Find out more on the Counting on U program here.
