Margo's Notes - December

If you’re anything like me then you’re probably wondering where the year has gone and how December came around so quickly. It has been a big year for SuperFriend so before we take a short break for the festive season I wanted to share with you some highlights from 2011.

We’ve grown!

SuperFriend started the year with three staff (one full time and two part time). We now have five staff members (two of whom are part time). In March we welcomed Chris to the team in the position of Marketing Coordinator, followed a few months later in June by Deborah, our Program Development Manager. Sadly, we farewelled Marnie in June when she left to embark on new adventures but in August we welcomed Lorraine to take care of our Finance & Administration. These three new team members joined Kelly, our Research & Projects Officer and, of course, me.

It’s wonderful to have a full, talented and highly energetic team at SuperFriend!

SuperFriend Training

Our Mental Health Connected and Train the Champion courses have been delivered to just over 800 staff from industry super funds, group life insurers and administrators. These two courses help those who participate to develop skills around identifying common warning signs of mental illness and suicidal behaviour in fund members. Building upon this, they also learn best practice approaches for communicating with those members who may be affected. It also provides them with simple and effective ways to take care of themselves when dealing with sensitive and often confronting information and situations.

In 2012 we’ll be expanding our range of training courses for industry fund staff, insurance claims staff and other sector staff and I’m looking forward to telling you more about this soon.

The SuperMIND Project

In July we commenced the SuperMIND project. The aim of this industry-first project is to collect, analyse and understand superannuation insurance claims data relating to mental illness and suicide. The SuperMIND project will then influence and affect industry change in the way member and claims data is collected, maintained and reported. Subsequently, SuperFriend and its supporting industry funds and group life insurers will be better informed to develop further initiatives to improve member experience and work towards reducing the incidence and impact of mental illness and suicide on members and employers.

It’s early days for the SuperMIND project but I’m excited by the expected outcomes and the influence these may have on members and the sector as a whole. Early in the new year I’ll be telling you more about SuperMIND but if you have questions in the meantime then please contact me.

The NEW SuperFriend website

It was a mammoth project but in September we launched a brand new version of our website. I’m extremely pleased with how it looks and feels and the information it has on it. It has also been very pleasing to hear feedback about it from you and others. If you haven’t visited the new SuperFriend website then please do so at www.superfriend.com.au. If you’ve got feedback or thoughts on how we can improve it then please email marketing@superfriend.com.au.

R  U OK? Day and other events

Thursday 15th September was R U OK? Day, an annual national day of action that aims to prevent suicide by encouraging Australians to connect with work colleagues, friends and loved ones and ask them “R U OK?” We were really proud to take part in this great awareness campaign and felt it was really important that we encourage people to take some time out and ask their colleagues how they’re going. It was a HUGE day and it is estimated that over 58% of Australians knew about it and 32% participated. You can read more about our activities on R U OK? Day here.

Other events that we were involved in were CMSF 2011 (and we’ll be attending CMSF 2012 too) and an Employer Luncheon in conjunction with AIST. Over the coming months I’ll be sharing details about other events we’ll be involved with in 2012 so please stay tuned.

And most importantly - a BIG thank-you to you!

It has been a big year in which SuperFriend has grown, served and benefited from the support of our participating industry super funds, group life insurers and other supporters. Your involvement and support, both financially and in other ways, is greatly valued as it has helped SuperFriend deliver benefits to members and staff in the industry fund sector. I’m excited by the many opportunities to collaborate with you in 2012 to develop a mentally healthier workforce in Australia.

Finally, I’d like to wish you a very happy, healthy and safe festive season and truly hope that you are able to recharge, energise and enter into 2012 with renewed vitality.