James Elsing of Bowral said he had been on a pension since 2002 due to mental health reasons. He has been diagnosed with bipolar with Schizoid effective disorder.

James said the stress of not working had put pressure on his illness, but he "masked the pressure with heavy drinking".

"I didn't realise how bad I was until I stopped drinking when my father passed away in 2004," he said.

"Since that time I'd had jobs here and there, but nothing long term.

However it wasn't until a turn in 2019, when his condition resulted in him being hospitalised, that James took proactive steps to truly turn his life around.

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He said that while in hospital he had more time on his hands, he began to reinvigorate and renew his faith.

"I'd always had a faith in God, but this time in hospital gave me the time to truly connect with a stronger devotion," he said.

"It woke me up to how meaningless my life had been as far as my faith was concerned.

"I realised through reading the bible that mental illness is a rebuke, not a punishment from God. I recognised other people in the bible who had been rebuked, not punished.

"But I also realised that it could be a punishment if I didn't repent."

It was at this point that James understood he needed to take control of his life and be proactive in the outcomes.

That proactive approach included establishing his own business while also providing work opportunities for others with mental health challenges.

That business, Greater Employment, aims to source work opportunities in areas such as lawn care and garden maintenance.

James said he had gained the support of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) for the employment initiative.

He said he had been supported with an NDIS program and anyone else to be employed through his business needed an NDIS program.

James said he was also connecting with New Horizons and the Disability Trust where they can help with the working needs of people.

And he is running with the catch phrase "you have the ability to overcome disability."

"With this in mind I have developed a business to support people, from an employment point of view, with a positive outlook on life," he said.

"I want this business to help those who have recently had a mental health concern, but are now ready to re-enter the workforce.

"There is a lot of stereotyping with mental illness and that in itself is a challenge.

"People need to understand that mental illness is not a one-size-fits-all situation. With employment support for those already on an NDIS program I think a lot of people could benefit."

A sidebar of James' new business will be to conduct art activities with the aim to strengthen relationships between those employed through his business.

He said the art activities were also a great way to encourage and strengthen a work ethic.

To learn more about Greater Employment go to the website https://Greater-Employment.com.au