Hear2Talk: Free mental health phone helpline for NSW workers now available

With one in three Australian workers suffering burnout and mental ill-health costing $2.8 billion per year in New South Wales alone, a new peer-to-peer phone support line, Hear2Talk, has launched to support the mental health of NSW workers.

With current mental health support services stretched to their limits in the aftermath of the pandemic, and ongoing local natural disasters and the rising cost of living putting pressure on consumers and businesses alike, Hear2Talk is a welcome solution for the many small businesses that don’t have an HR department or system in place to manage employee wellness.

Providing free, confidential and independent phone-based support between 12pm and 8pm daily, Hear2Talk is available for employees and employers across New South Wales, offering them a safe and confidential space to discuss all issues with skilled Mental Health Peer Workers.

The NSW Government’s State Insurance Regulatory Authority (SIRA) has funded the free support line, which is run by Neami National, a community-based organisation providing mental health, homelessness and suicide prevention services in local communities.

“SIRA is boosting support for NSW workplaces as well as preventing the emergence of more serious mental health issues in the future,” says Adam Dent, Chief Executive from NSW Government State Insurance Regulatory Authority (SIRA).

“The Service is run by people who bring understanding and empathy from their own experiences to help those who need it. They do this by sharing their learned wisdom in a peer-to-peer environment and supporting others to figure out their own pathway through their challenging situation.”

Peer-to-peer support

Hear2Talk’s Peer Workers have their own lived experience of managing stress in the workplace and life stress impacting their work, as well as other wellbeing challenges. Combined with expert training using coaching methodologies, this lived experience makes Hear2Talk staff uniquely equipped to understand the challenges faced by callers, and to offer practical support to help people develop strategies to manage their current and future wellbeing.

“We know that challenging experiences and emotions can impact many different aspects of peoples’ lives, including their relationships, their wellbeing and their work”, says Helen Piper, Hear2Talk Service Manager. “Hear2Talk Peer Support Workers coach callers to develop strategies to cope, build resilience, and support them to make positive changes to improve their mental health and wellbeing.

“So far, we are seeing wonderful improvements in our callers’ wellbeing once they have had the opportunity to be heard and make sense of what is going on for them,” she says.

If you’re a worker based anywhere in NSW, Hear2Talk is a free service. Call 1300 428 255 between 12 noon – 8pm, 7 days per week for independent phone-based support. 

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