Concern about the mental health of some advisers has seen the AFA develop a partnership with beyondblue, the national depression and anxiety initiative, to encourage AFA members to seek help if required.
These changes have the potential to impact profoundly on the way our members operate
“The environment our members operate in is changing, highlighted most recently by the FoFA reforms announced by government,” said AFA CEO, Richard Klipin.
“These changes have the potential to impact profoundly on the way our members operate. The AFA recognises the relationship between changes in the workplace and people’s mental health and would like to take a proactive step towards helping members become more aware of depression and anxiety.”
beyondblue Deputy CEO, Clare Shann, said the organisation was pleased to be working with the AFA to communicate its message of early intervention. “Periods of substantial change and stress can put people at risk of developing depression and anxiety. It’s critical that employers take a proactive approach to managing mental health in the workplace,” Ms Shann said.
Mr Klipin added that because advisers generally operate small businesses they do not have the same access to resources as those employed by large corporations. “These do not, for example, have access to specialised employee assistance programs. Therefore, we will be offering our members access to forums from accredited beyondblue facilitators. We are also offering a beyondblue workshop at our annual conference,” he said.
