Supporting those who support others – Mindarma Rolls Out to Rural Lifestyle Options Australia

Today Mindarma has been rolled out to all workers within Rural Lifestyle Options Australia (RLOA) as part of our Do Good, Be Kind initiative. Based in South-East Queensland and Northern NSW, RLOA exists to enrich the lives of people with a disability by creating choice, opportunities and skills for life. Founded by a group of families 36 years ago as a self-help group, the not for profit organisation now employs over 100 workers and delivers a wide range of services as part of the NDIS.

As part of Mental Health Month, Mindarma is being provided to equip RLOA’s workers with a range of essential psychological skills, to support them in carrying out roles that can be highly rewarding, but also quite challenging. During the ten-session program, workers will discover all about mindfulness and what to do when faced with difficult thoughts, uncomfortable emotions and times of high stress. In roles heavily focused on looking after others, they will also learn the importance of self-care and develop personal plans of action to help them manage particularly tough days on the job.

“One of our major goals in developing Mindarma is to support those who support others. We are very proud that we are able to bring the program to those who often go to extraordinary lengths to do good and make a real difference in the community,” says Mindarma co-founder Dr Sadhbh Joyce.

Mindarma is now being used thousands of workers in service to others roles. Initially developed based on research with firefighters, the program is now also being utilised in a wide range of other community-focused roles, including paramedics, doctors, nurses and aged care workers.

“RLOA has a wonderfully diverse group of employees who contribute so much to our organisation and our amazing participants. For many, it is far more than just a job that pays the bills, and we are proud to be taking a proactive approach to support our employees’ mental health in partnership with Mindarma,” says Fiona Gazzard, RLOA’s People and Culture Coordinator.