Case Study: KCCI
Key initiatives by KCCI:
1.Reach out to local providers to identify specialised support for businesses.
2.Social connections and mental health focus events
3.Promotion of mental on local media channels.
Kingaroy Chamber of Commerce – SMILE4Biz Program
About the program: Kingaroy Chamber of Commerce (KCCI) delivers their Mental Health & Wellbeing initiative SMILE – Supporting Mental Health through Information – Leadership – Education.
Partners: KCCI have engaged Bunyarra Counselling & Mediation to assist with education through their N.I.C.L program.
We are offering Business owners and one additional staff member, who are members of the KCCI, a free N.I.C.L group training session.
This program has been designed by Michael Sanford, from Bunyarra Counselling as an early intervention technique of Noticing, Inquiring, Connecting and Linking with people and will teach valuable skills to start a conversation with your staff or family, and gauge if there could be any problems that are causing concern. We then encourage you to reach out to Bunyarra Counselling or any of our local providers which are conveniently listed on our website.
Comment from Damien Martoo, President Kingaroy Chamber of Commerce
The secret to reducing the impact of Mental illness is early intervention, encouragement and support. We are devoted to making sure our SMILE program reduces the impact that Mental illness can lead to. We are also very aware that we are not professionals in this field and that we are simply providing you with a proactive first step as well as a professional connection to assistance should you need it.
Further contact
Should you wish to engage Bunyarra Counselling & Mediation's services in your workplace please feel free to contact Michael Sanford directly at [email protected] or 0402 155 901 to arrange an appointment. All costs and further sessions will become the responsibility of the Individual person or business.
The story of the program:
The SMILE initiative was developed after a conversation at a KCCI executive meeting revealed that wone of our executive members staff had suicided in late 2020. The next morning this executive member called our President to ask if we could hold a meeting with key stakeholders in the community including service providers, emergency services, service groups and the father of the young staff member who had died. Only a few days before this conversation had taken place our President had watched a video on social media from a guy, he knew from the gym about a thing called NICL. It was suggested this guy attend as he seemed to be quite proactive in the mental health space.
Within two months of that initial meeting in February/March 2021 our executive with the guidance of that guy on the video, Bunyarra Wellbeing Co. had developed and initiative focused on business and their staff, with a focus on face to face engagement when ever possible that was locally lead with a focus on using local service providers when the need arose.
Funding:
In April, Tim Sayre our Business Chamber Queensland Regional Stakeholder Manager at the time arranged a meeting with Department of Employment, Small Business and Training at the 2021 Small Business Friendly Councils Conference. We were able to secure $4000 in funding to use to hold a Launch event which we did in June with guest speakers including David Schillington. Matt Ballin and Berrick Barnes. Ivan Frkovic, Mental Health Commissioner also spoke at the event and on our local radio station CROW M 90.7 who were broadcasting LIVE on the morning.
Growing the program:
The KCCI invested some of our own finances along with the Department of Employment, Small Business and Training funding to design and purchase SMILE4BIZ TShirts which we are still selling today.
Our next Phase was to get as many members and their staff to attend NICL Training. A really important part of recognising when your staff and our workmates may not be their usual self.
This program was delivered by service provider Bunyarra Wellbeing Co. for free to the KCCI executive firstly. The Chamber was the successful in obtaining an FRRR Grant for $12500 which allowed us to deliver this program to ……. Members and their staff.
The rest of the funds was to develop an information card for our members about SMILE4BIZ and the other benefits of being a member of the KCCI.
The next phase was to launch the Critical Response Counselling Fund. We all know that money is the biggest barrier when it comes to quality counselling.
A donation of $6000 was given by a business for us to pay for their initial counselling session with our partner Bunyarra Wellbeing Co. The members simply arrange a session with the provider and we are billed for that session. We will source further money for this fund in the future.
“Growing these programs is like planting a seed in your community. You give it a good start, keep putting feelers out there, and it will keep growing day after day!”
Purpose-driven program:
Our number one priority of the program is always about connecting locally wherever you can. This is where the real change happens. It is about establishing that constant and readily available support for your community.
The program helps us engage with businesses and grow our membership as well. It gives us meaningful reasons to connect with people.
For us, within the first six months, everyone wants us to be at every event. However, we had to be strategic. We want to be solely businesse based in order to focus on what we want to achieve. Your role as a chamber is to add the business experience, and values for your chambers.
Key outcome:
KCCI’s Smile4Biz program is one of the key catalysts for the mental health and wellness support package for small business owners.
After the first round of the program, Bunyarra reported that 235 counselling sessions were conducted, 163 phone calls from owners, managers, team leaders and community members seeking information around supports were made. Finally, eight critical responses were made. This is where a business or a KCCI member has had an individual present with suicidal ideation and was able to seek immediate support.
“The continuous conversations and NICL training being delivered has empowered our members to seek the help needed. This initiative is saving lives”
Key learnings:
- Don’t be discouraged! We were told why you working in this space this is not a chamber lead idea. But we believe it is our place and responsibility to use our membership and connection to deliver for our people. You have the right to and ability to push these programs!
- Make use of your connections! Get a professional to help establish the program, but make sure as part of your engagement, reach out to:
- Key essential services providers in your region: police, fire services, social workers
- Other community influencers: social sports clubs, community activities
- Start small and simple, connect through coffee catchups, small conversations if needed.
- Keep it simple! We believe the simplest things in life are usually the best. Keeping things simple is why our program has been so successful!
"While I don’t feel we hit any hurdles during the development of the SMILE4BIZ, we were questioned why a business body was developing a mental health initiative. The simple answer was and always will be, we saw a need, a whole in the system for business and staff so we had to fill it. There were plenty of ambulances at the bottom of the cliff, our initiative is the safety net at the top."
Summary of activities:
- Establishing support program:
Using their connections and community support, KCCI establishes the support program through Bunyarra Wellbeing Co.
- Social connections and events
To leverage and promote the SMILE4Biz programs, KCCI engages in various connection events, including breakfast events, coffee catchup, door-knock connections
- Education and training
As part of raising awareness and conversation in the community, KCCI helps organising workshops with service providers to help educating businesses on mental health and wellness.