Taking the program global
The Counting on U program has expanded to New Zealand, with plans to continue rolling out the training in partnership with peak bodies, increasing access for more finance professionals.
Deakin University joined forces with national accounting and finance bodies to offer Counting on U, a world-first mental health first-aid relationship program designed to support the mental health needs of small-to-medium (SME) business owners.
The Australia-wide program equips finance professionals (accountants, financial planners, bookkeepers and auditors) with critical mental health first aid information and strategies to identify and support the mental health outcomes of clients, colleagues or customers.
Responding to a growing mental health crisis
Nearly one in three SME owners have reported experiencing stress, depression, or anxiety in the past year, as highlighted by a Federal Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources study. The ongoing cost-of-living crisis and the effects of COVID-19 have further exacerbated these challenges, making owner distress a pressing issue.
Deakin’s research-driven program provides finance-related participants with high-level communication skills to navigate important, sensitive conversations and respond to the growing mental health challenges faced by SME owners and and finance professionals.
A collaborative approach to better outcomes
The Counting on U program was co-developed by professors Andrew Noblet and George Tanewski from the Deakin Business School (DBS) with support from the Institute for Mental and Physical Health and Clinical Translation (IMPACT). Key collaborators included peak accounting bodies, Beyond Blue, WorkSafe Victoria, Mental Health First Aid Australia and the Commonwealth Government.
The CPA program emerged from early discussions with Andrew Conway, CEO of the Institute for Public Accountants, who in late 2017 said: ‘the biggest issue facing public practice accountants today is the mental health of their SME owner clients. The second biggest is their own mental health.’
‘It became quickly apparent to us that there was a need coming from the accounting bodies to help their members better deal with clients experiencing acute distress, as well as supporting the mental health of accountants, financial planners and other business advisers,’ Professors Noblet and Tanewski say.
This has been echoed by CEOs across a range of other peak accounting and finance bodies who were seeking a sector-wide, collaborative approach to help members and their firms better deal with the issue.
[Counting on U] provided me with valuable insights into what challenges people with mental health issues face, and different ways to assist them. I will be able to identify both team members and clients that may be having some of these challenges in a more educated way, and hopefully be able to help them sooner
Michelle Collin, program participant
Chartered Accountants ANZ
Professional development with impact
To date, over 3,200 finance professionals have completed the Counting on U training. The data shows:
- 96% of participants believe they can recognise the signs that someone may be developing a mental health problem or experiencing a mental health crisis
- 93% felt they could ask clients whether they are having suicidal thoughts
- 99% percent would encourage clients to seek appropriate professional help where necessary
- skills gained have lasting benefits for the mental health of financial professionals themselves, not just their SME clients.
Expanding reach through grants and collaboration
This initiative was funded by the Commonwealth Government and Deakin partner organisations so could be offered as complimentary CPD to eligible peak body members.
Peak/professional accounting bodies, WorkSafe Victoria, Beyond Blue, Mental Health First Aid Australia, and a specialist mental health training company, MWW, worked with Deakin to develop content, case studies, role plays and video vignettes specifically for finance professionals.
Subsequently, the Institute of Public Accountants (IPA), Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand (CA ANZ), CPA Australia and the Institute of Certified Bookkeepers joined forces to deliver Counting on U as part of their CPD program to Australian members.
To find out more about this innovative research, visit the IPA-Deakin SME Research Centre webpage, or contact professors Andrew Noblet and George Tanewski.