12 firms needed for mental health focus groups

ACE New Zealand has launched a programme of work to raise awareness, empower and support members with their mental health kaupapa, and to grow a movement of mentally healthy workplaces.  

We’re working with the Business Leaders’ Health and Safety Forum to gain a better understanding of the current activities across our membership in mental health workplace design, and to identify the gaps and opportunities to collectively drive change.  

To help us with this part of our programme we’re looking for 12 member firms to join us on the journey.  

This working group, made up of a mixture of large, medium and small sized firms, would work with us on an in-depth mapping exercise to help us get an industry representative view on the current capability of our members, and help us identify what our members need. This work will be done under the leadership of Dr Hillary Bennett using the forum’s framework.  

What’s involved?  

We’ll ask each organisation to provide documents relating to the tools and initiatives they have in place, and these will be reviewed by our team.  

We will then run a series of half-day in-person focus groups, either in Auckland or Wellington between mid-July and mid-August.  

Each organisation in the working group will need to commit three to nine employees to take part – ideally, we’d like a mix of senior leaders, mid-level employees and junior-level employees to come along.  

(We know this will be difficult for smaller firms but don’t let it put you off – please contact us to discuss if you’re keen to be involved).  

Who’s running the focus groups?  

We’ve partnered with the Business Leaders’ Health and Safety Forum and Dr Hillary Bennett (health and safety leadership coach and mental wellbeing researcher) to help us deliver this part of the programme. 

What’s in it for my organisation?  

As well as helping us to understand the current environment and identify opportunities, this exercise will also be an opportunity for your organisation to: 

• Take an in-depth look at what your organisation is doing in regards to mental health  
• Hear what other organisations are doing, and learn what is and isn’t working for them 
• Create a roadmap for designing a mentally healthy workplace 
• Receive expert input and guideance throughout the process  

What’s next?  

We may need to bring all the focus groups together for further facilitated meetings, however these would likely be done virtually.   

How do I get involved?  

Keen to join us? Email ACE New Zealand’s Policy and Programme Manager Julia Byers at [email protected] by July 1.