Farmers and graziers need a considerate accountant to help them in financial distress (Image via: The Times)

Mental Health First Aid Training Provided For Rural Area Accountants

Kirana Chandra Mumpuni Budiana
Business & Industry
Agriculture& Livestock
Jul 30, 2019
1526
Chartered Accountants of Australia and New Zealand's (CA ANZ's) had decided to provide mental health first aid training for accountants who work in rural areas. Those accountants are usually have farmers and graziers as their clients. Just like in every big city, the workers in rural area have their own frustrating problems. Occasionally, farmers and graziers have to deal with nature problem, which is not easier than the city problems. The problem is including drought that destroys crops and makes them suffer big financial loss. Therefore, accountants in rural area are usually the people who notice first about the farmers’ mental health breakdown.

The mental health first aid training is designed not only for the accountants’ knowledge, but also for the well-being of the farmers. Chartered accountants already acknowledged a clear link between financial distress and mental health issue the farmers can have. It will be safer for them to have someone near on professional level that can help them handling their mental health struggle. So this training on their accountants feels like the right choice.

One of the rural area accountants, Andy Freeman, shared his view about the importance of being able to provide emotional support. Freeman said the working experience in rural areas is different with his experience in Brisbane. In rural area, the accountants become the one point of contact for a broader range of queries and life experiences. He also stated that he had seen many of his clients in their difficult times and he had to handle them. Freeman accepted the offer from CA ANZ to help him become his clients’ trusted advisers.

Freeman’s statements are supported by Catherine Kennedy from CA ANZ. She said that when the workers in rural area are having an emotional distress because of their financial problems, they want to meet the accountants instead of the doctors. So the training is expected to give the accountants knowledge in guiding their rural area clients. Accountants don’t have to be the psychologist, but at least they can have a financial conversation that doesn’t bring any harm. CA ANZ also have the downloadable "Guide for Chartered Accountants – Engaging with people experiencing mental health problems and financial difficulties", created by Mental Health First Aid Australia and Counties Manukau Health, on its website. This move in improving mental health may have great impact for the agriculture business.

Source: https://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/2019-07-30/accountants-get-mental-health-first-aid-training-for-farmers/11345564

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