BOTTERN CONSULTING EMPLOYEE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM
FOR BUSINESSES
The Greater Dandenong Chamber of Commerce is aware of how much pressure businesses are under. Rising interest rates, understaffing issues and hard to find and keep talent.
Sometimes there may also be a pivotal event in a colleague’s life, for example:
- A death in the family
- A traumatic event
- Mental health impacting wellbeing
- Immense work pressures faced by business owners and leaders
The Chamber are offering a service from a qualified practitioner and trainer in mental health, who has significant networks (for suicide response and critical response services) and connections across the South East and Gippsland regions.
Use of this Employee Assistance Program (EAP) is completely confidential. So, how does it work?
- You can make a brief call or send an email for further information
- You can book a 1hr zoom appointment, direct with Sonja Bottern, through Calendly (Please use buttons below)
- Payment is made online via PayPal and you will receive a tax receipt
- After booking you will be emailed Registration, Consent and Privacy Forms to be returned prior to your appointment
- This is a direct appointment between you - the business person, and the trained professional (the Chamber is not involved and will not know you have made an appointment)
- The chamber is permanently excluded from any details such as your name, your business, and any other identifying information
What information is collected by the Chamber and why?
The only information the Chamber needs to collect is the size of the business (sole trader, micro, mid cap), the nature of the issue (i.e., death in family, workplace resourcing pressures), and the number of sessions required. This small amount of general information is required so we can understand how we can best help businesses with future services.
Why this EAP and why now?
- Other services are very busy and there is a 3-4 month wait time on doctor referrals to psychologists
- Lead up to significant events like Christmas can cause distress
- Increasing interest rates, and rising cost of living are causing additional stress to businesses
- Lifeline has higher than usual wait times at this time of the year, it is staffed by volunteers with up to 6-month part-time training
- Not all businesses (especially smaller) have an Employee Assistance Program for staff and require an external program.
Cost and services available
- Crisis response phone / digital meeting (per hour):
- $130 for Members of the Chamber
- $150 for Non-members
Other services
- Workplace visit and support – assessment after critical incident, i.e., post suicide support
- Mental Health Training and Suicide Prevention Training – half day, full day or 2-day workshops (face-to-face and online options)
Use the buttons below to book your appointment with Sonja Bottern now
Sonja Bottern, founder of Bottern Consulting:
Sonja Bottern has both a Social Worker and Teaching qualification and is a highly experienced trainer with over 20 years of experience delivering mental health services. She has worked in senior positions at several headspace centres leading mental health clinicians. As a brief therapy counsellor trained in Bouverie Single Session Therapy, Sonja has a genuine interest in supporting the mental health of people who are facing complex business pressures, anxiety, depression, COVID-related impacts, suicidal ideation and interpersonal relationships or difficult decision-making.
As the Founder of Bottern Consulting, Sonja has a particular interest in providing support to workplaces, consulting in the area of mental health compliance and safety/wellbeing for employees. She provides secondary consultations to businesses by helping clients facing emotional difficulties through trauma, grief and loss, separations and divorces. She is a proud Platinum Member of the Dandenong Chamber of Commerce.
For many years Sonja advocated, trained and supported communities impacted by suicide. Her part time role in JSS Support After Suicide is about supporting communities impacted by suicide and she has her own lived experience of losing a family member to suicide. She is an accredited ASIST and safeTALK trainer (Livingworks – Suicide Prevention Training) as well as a trainer in several Mental Health First Aid Courses (MHFA Australia - delivered F2F or online).
