A small business making a significant impact on mental health awareness: OBE Organic 

Dalene Wray AM is Managing Director of OBE Organic, a premium organic meat producer and exporter. She spearheaded a deliberate effort to prioritise mental health in her business, after attending a ‘lunch and learn’ on suicide prevention.   

“I wanted to make sure people in my workplace could recognise the signs of distress and know how to intervene.” Dalene Wray AM, Managing Director   

Although a small business with limited internal resources, OBE Organic implemented mental health training and support programs for their 8 staff. First, all staff completed free training offered by the Queensland Government. Then, workers completed a Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) course with Mental Health First Aid Australia. Initially, 2 staff members completed the training, followed by Ms Wray and then others.   

Ms Wray states she uses her MHFA training every week, usually with men in her professional network. “I might get an email from someone having a ‘hectic week’, or someone misses a deadline. These are subtle cues that people may be struggling or feeling pressure. That’s the time to reach out and open a conversation about mental health,” she explains.   

OBE Organic established a Mental Health Committee to focus on increasing mental health awareness, reducing stigma, and creating a supportive workplace environment. For example, they prepared resources for staff meetings, creating opportunities to normalise talking about feelings in the workplace—something that had been taboo in the industry. Growing up in an Indigenous community, Ms Wray prides herself on being able to refer First Nations people in her industry to culturally appropriate mental health resources that they often do not know are available.   

While many Australians have first-hand mental health experience, many do not have experience accessing mental health resources.  

“I aim to encourage the people working with me to know the signs [of mental ill-health] for themselves, their family, and broader networks and feel comfortable accessing resources when needed,” she says.   

Ms Wray has herself accessed mental health resources so she can speak authentically about them, and let peers and colleagues know what to expect. For example, she has spoken with counsellors via OBE Organic’s Employee Assistance Program for the purpose of staying mentally well, as opposed to only using the program during times of distress, and she encourages workers to use the service when they need it. She feels that lived experience with accessing mental health services is invaluable when encouraging team members and peers in agriculture to feel more comfortable about using these services, when they need them.    

“The biggest takeaway from the MHFA training is understanding and empathy, training to recognise the signs that someone may be struggling and being armed with the resources and information to help them access support services.” Dalene Wray, Managing Director