NewAccess for Small Business Owners
Beyond Blue’s NewAccess for Small Business Owners (NASBO) is a guided self-help mental health coaching program.
It’s free, confidential and convenient. Available nationally by phone or video call, no GP referral is required.
Over 6 sessions, your mental health coach will work with you to manage stress and overwhelm using straightforward problem-solving approaches.
All mental health coaches are specially trained and have a small business background so they understand your unique challenges.
Who can enquire?
NewAccess might be right for you if you:
are 18 years or older
own a small business, or are a sole trader, with 20 employees or fewer
aren't currently seeing a psychologist or psychiatrist.
How do I enquire?
Richmond Fellowship Queensland (RFQ) delivers the NewAccess for Small Business Owners program. To enquire about NewAccess you can:
submit an online enquiry
by email at newaccess.smallbusiness@rfq.com.au
- by phone on 1300 945 301
RFQ is available:
Intake hours
8.30 am to 8.00 pm AEST (QLD time) Monday to Thursday
8.30 am to 5.00 pm AEST (QLD time) FridayAssessment hours
8.00 am to 8.00 pm AEST (QLD time) Monday to Thursday
8.00 am to 5.00 pm AEST (QLD time) FridayServices may not be available during national and QLD public holidays
The sessions were tailored to my specific challenges, and the weekly activities and coaching strategies were practical and realistic."
NewAccess for Small Business Owners participant
Tailored mental health support for small business owners
Running a small business can be exciting and empowering. It can also involve stress and pressure coming from many directions. Without healthy coping strategies, these demands can put you at risk of developing more severe mental health challenges.
NewAccess for Small Business Owners is a guided self-help program designed to support the mental health of small business owners like you. It can help you reduce stress and overwhelm from everyday life stressors like running a small business, relationships, health or loneliness.
The program uses Low-intensity Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (LiCBT) that helps you break unhelpful thoughts by recognising the way you think, act and feel.
Program structure
You'll work with a mental health coach with a small business background. They’ll guide you through a tailored, personal program, including:
- initial session – 60 minutes
5 weekly sessions - 30 minutes each
follow up check-ins after you finish the program.
What to expect from NewAccess for Small Business Owners
After you submit an enquiry you’ll be contacted to talk about the program and booking in your first session.
At your first session you and your mental health coach will:
Talk through your challenges
Develop a problem statement
Create a plan based on your needs.
If your symptoms are too severe or complex for this program, your coach will help you find a more appropriate service.
After your initial assessment you’ll have up to 5 sessions with your coach. In these weekly 30-minute sessions you’ll:
walk through your plan
learn practical skills
review your progress.
Online and phone delivery because we know you’re busy
You can complete the program remotely from anywhere in Australia by phone or video call. Sessions with your coach can be booked between Monday to Thursday 8am to 8pm AEST and Friday 8am to 5pm (AEST). The program is closed on public holidays.
Measurable results
At each session you’ll review your progress with your mental health coach so you can see how you’re tracking. 7 out of 10 people who participate in NewAccess report a significant reduction in symptoms of anxiety and depression.NewAccess for Small Business Owners participant
Specialist mental health coaches who understand small business
- a small business background - allowing them to better understand the challenges you face.
- twelve months specialised training – including practical learning under specialist clinical supervision.
Low-intensity Cognitive Based Therapy is a structured, evidence-based psychological treatment. Put simply, it allows you to recognise the way you think, act and feel.
Not a small business owner or sole trader?
Find out if there’s a general NewAccess program offered in your area:
Learn more about NewAccess for individuals
More information about NewAccess for Small Business Owners
The program is a joint initiative by Beyond Blue and the Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman. It’s a response to rising calls for a dedicated mental health support service for small business owners.NewAccess mental health coaching is based on the United Kingdom’s successful Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) model.
NewAccess for Small Business Owners is funded by The Treasury and delivered by Richmond Fellowship Queensland.
A government agency called the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in HealthCare wrote the Digital Mental Health Standards to help people identify high quality digital mental health services. They worked with people who use digital mental health, mental health experts and industry to make sure that accredited services pay attention to the things that keep services safe.An accredited service keeps your information private and they will ask for your feedback to make the service better. They also make sure their services are based on strong evidence.
A service gets accredited by an approved agency that has been trained to check for safety and quality issues. They check evidence to show the service meets the Digital MentalHealth Standards so you can know that the service keeps people safe. The Commission has more information on the Digital Mental Health Standards and what accreditation means.
