Support Act is committed to improving the mental health and safety of workplaces in the Australian music industry. We have a multidisciplinary team of specialists that can work with your business to ensure that your workplace is a productive, safe and supportive environment.

Working in music can be hard on your mental health. Our 2022 survey revealed what many of us working in or connected to the industry had been feeling or hearing for a while – that levels of psychological distress and poor mental health outcomes were rife amongst the Australian music community. 

In fact, 66% of people working in the music industry are experiencing high or very high levels of psychological distress, leaving people feeling hopeless, worthless, nervous, exhausted, restless and stressed-out. These levels are more than four times that those of the general population. 

These issues extend right across the industry, reported by creative and performance workers, production and technical crew, as well as those in administration and management.

While accessible and affordable treatment and support are the best ways to reduce these numbers, stigma-reduction is also essential in encouraging people to reach out for help when needed. Psycho-education can additionally provide people with a greater understanding of their own mental health and wellbeing, and what they can do to support team mates, colleagues and friends.

A great way music industry teams and organisations can reduce stigma and boost psycho-education is by booking in a Workplace Wellbeing Check-In with us at Support Act.

A CLOSER LOOK AT OUR PROGRAM

Educating teams about mental health in music helps to create a work environment where people understand the unique challenges inherent to this industry, whilst also de-stigmatising open and honest chats about mental health and empowering folks to take better care of themselves and one another.

At Support Act, we offer two unique Workplace Wellbeing Check-In sessions, designed to serve employees and management exclusively:

The employee check-in (90min, in-person or online):

  • Understanding mental health and wellbeing in music
  • How to look out for your body, your mind and each other
  • Signs that someone is in crisis and how to kick off important mental health convos
    This is for: General staff & team members of music-based organisations

The manager check-in (120min, in-person or online):

  • Employee workshop material +
  • Understanding psychosocial hazards in the workplace
  • Promoting open dialogue around mental health
  • The role of managers in team mental wellbeing
  • Supporting employees experiencing stress
    This is for: Team leaders and managers

WHY BOTHER?

According to research undertaken by the Black Dog Institute, mental illness is now the leading cause of sickness-absence and long-term work incapacity in most developed countries. Given it’s such a huge issue, all states of Australia now require workplaces to reduce the risk and impact of psychosocial hazards, in accordance with relevant WHS Acts and Regulations.

Here at Support Act, we’re passionate about taking steps to address the disproportionately high rates of mental ill health in music. That’s why we have launched a set of Minimum Standards of Psychological Safety, in consultation with leading music business leaders. These standards seek to increase the protective factors within music-centric workplaces and organisations, and increase the chance of early intervention and prevention of mental illness.

A mentally healthy workplace creates more engaged and productive team members, helping you attract and keep great staff.

THE PRACTICAL STUFF

  1. Think about who should attend. If it’s a manager and team leaders’ check-in, are managers at all levels expected to attend?
  2. Think about whether the check-in should be compulsory. If the check-in is part of your mental health policy, it should perhaps be obligatory that all staff attend.
  3. If you are booking a wellbeing check-in for specific groups of employees, for example your artists, crew or management team, be sure to check their diaries to ensure that all those who need to be present are available.
  4. What kind of space have you got? Have you got a room big enough to comfortably seat attendees and the Support Act facilitator? Have you got a projector or television? Would your workplace do better with a virtual, Zoom-delivered check-in?

OK, WHAT’S NEXT?

What you do after your Workplace Wellbeing Check-In is as important as booking one in in the first place. There are three important things to consider when following up on an event like this:

Continued Growth and Learning
Our check-in’s are a great way to kick-start conversations, but improving mental health in workplaces requires more than a one-off workshop. That’s why, at Support Act, we offer a range of continued growth and learning programs, allowing your staff to deepen their understanding of mental health issues and psychosocial hazards specifically impacting those working in music. These include:

  • Mental Health First Aid
  • Suicide Prevention Training
  • Access All Areas: Bystander Intervention & Sexual Harassment Training
  • Diversity and Inclusion (coming soon)
  • Managing With Empathy (coming soon)

    Tell Us What You Thought
    It’s important to get feedback to understand what works best for your workplace and to inform future events and training. On our end, we’ll be sending out a short feedback survey after the check-in to learn more about what attendees thought of the workshop. Any feedback will enable us to continually improve our mental health education and training programs.

    Spread The Word
    Share some info and staff feedback from workshops such as this, company-wide, regardless of who was in attendance. It’s important in showing all employees that you are committed not only to workplace mental health, but also to listening to feedback. This is a great first step in encouraging employees to start the conversation about mental health with one another. It’s also important to reinforce any mentions of support readily available to employees (e.g. our Wellbeing Helpline), reminding them that there is no shame in reaching out for help.

    Keep Up The Good Work
    It’s essential to keep reinforcing the things learned in the check-in through ongoing and strategic internal communications. This is an important way to ensure that the information received in the check-in is not forgotten. That’s why, following our Workplace Wellbeing Check-In’s you’ll receive a conversation menu from us to keep these important workplace wellbeing chats happening into the future.