A new mental health training course for hospitality staff has commenced in Wollongong, with the aim of equipping employees in the hospitality industry with the skills to identify and address mental health issues among both customers and themselves.
The initiative, known as The Barstool Project, was founded by Lachlan Stevens, a Wollongong bar owner, and his colleague Daniel Chin. The training program is designed to tackle the often-stigmatized topic of mental health in a sector where staff frequently interact with customers and may find themselves in a unique position to offer support.
While the atmosphere in the training room at the Novotel hotel in North Wollongong was upbeat and sunny, the course delves into serious topics related to mental health. Lachlan Stevens, one of the facilitators of the program, emphasized the importance of addressing mental health openly and creating a culture where individuals feel comfortable discussing it.
“Mental health is such a cagey subject that people don’t feel comfortable talking about it, but working behind a bar and talking with customers, you almost fall into the role of an accidental counselor,” Stevens stated. “It’s great to acknowledge that anyone can have these conversations about mental health and anyone can ask if someone is OK or not OK, and everyone has the power to change lives.”
The training course is still in its early stages and has been rolled out to a limited number of hospitality venues in Wollongong. Its objectives include educating participants on how to identify signs of mental health issues in customers, how to provide appropriate assistance, and how to recognize when the demands of working in the hospitality industry are impacting their own mental health.
One of the program’s strengths is its relevance to the hospitality sector, as it is delivered by professionals who understand the industry’s specific challenges and can effectively communicate with hospitality employees.
The Barstool Project is a not-for-profit initiative, and its introduction has been met with enthusiasm from the hospitality industry, demonstrating the need for addressing mental health within this sector.
