Australian Resources and Energy Group AREEA has proudly launched an industry-first online training program to support psychological health and safety across resources and energy workplaces.

The interactive, group-based training will provide resources and energy industry-specific awareness and practical tools to support workplace mental health.

It will support resources and energy employers as they remain dedicated to their shared commitment of physical and psychological safety across their workplaces during the challenges of COVID-19.

The AREEA facilitated program includes the expertise of a workplace mental health and wellbeing specialist, who has delivered workplace mental health training at Beyond Blue for 15 years.

This unique program provides participants key insights, applications and practical activities as they relate to important mental health workplace concepts and frameworks.

AREEA Director Operations Tara Diamond said the training was the Group’s latest and most comprehensive initiative to assist employers in their commitment to their employees’ psychological wellbeing.

“We are proud to deliver to industry a program giving employers the tools they need to ensure a mentally healthy and safe workplace for all employees,” Ms Diamond said.

“The program includes key insights, applications, practical activities, as well as providing participants the opportunity to role-play what can typically be difficult mental health-based conversations with employees.

“By putting key mental health concepts into action through practical activities and case studies, participants will learn how they relate and apply to resources and energy industry workplaces and situations.”

It also includes a module specific to the physical and psychological workplace changes arising from the COVID-19 pandemic to support mentally healthy and safe workplaces.

Ms Diamond said the program is especially topical as employers continue to navigate the mental health impacts and challenges posed by COVID-19.

“This is an immensely valuable program under any circumstances, but even more urgent and applicable for workplaces confronting the effects of the COVID-19 crisis,” she said.

“The workplace disruption from the health pandemic has been challenging but has certainly galvanised the shared commitment of resources and energy employers to mental health and psychological safety across their workplaces.

“This period is a crucial time for the whole industry to band together and be proactive with mental health, continue to break down stigmas of having regular conversations and sharpen our tools to identify and assist anyone who may be struggling.”

Participants will cover a wide range of content and activities, including:

• Contextualise personal and workplace mental health in the resources and energy industry;
• Review and practice having a mental health-based conversation;
• Reflect on support strategies that address COVID-19 workplace impacts;
• Identify workplace behaviours, practices, and policies that can positively and negatively impact a workplace and team members; and
• Identify and implement self-care practices to support personal mental health.

This program has been developed under the direction and guidance of AREEA’s Resources and Energy Industry Mental Health Advisory Board. It was originally developed as a one-day course but has been fine-tuned for delivery as a facilitated online, three hour interactive program to cater for site and workplace restrictions.