Latest update from Ruth Das, National Multicultural Mental Health Project Manager:
Dear friends and colleagues
I'm pleased to write to you all with an update on the National Multicultural Mental Health Project.
Priorities
In 2018 we were strongly focussed on bringing people together for this highly collaborative project, including mental health consumers and carers from multicultural backgrounds as well as key stakeholders from across the mental health and multicultural sectors.
Together, we have begun a significant program of work which builds on the achievements of previous national projects, and aims towards an equitable mental health system and improved mental health and wellbeing for Australia’s multicultural population.
In 2019 we will continue to work together to progress this important work, including:
- Providing support for organisations to evaluate and improve their cultural responsiveness through further development and promotion of the Framework for Mental Health in Multicultural Australia
- Establishing, maintaining and promoting a quality-assured knowledge exchange and repository platform on the project’s website
- Increasing mental health awareness, knowledge and capacity in CALD communities
- Mapping available evidence-based resources and tools and from these findings, identifying priorities and developing new resources and training
- Establishing a data collection and reporting strategy
Initial efforts will focus on the development of the Framework for Mental Health in Multicultural Australia into a series of modules. This includes reaching out to Primary Health Networks (PHNs) and mental health services across Australia, to help tailor the material to meet a range of service and community needs. Developing a new name, brand and website for the project will also be an early focus, and we look forward to launching the project’s new resources to you all in mid-2019.
Collaboration
I would like to take this opportunity to introduce you to the key groups and teams who will be driving this work program.
Project Alliance
The Project Alliance provides high level guidance and makes strategic decisions about the project's direction. The Project Alliance brings together senior representatives from three national peak bodies: Mental Health Australia, the Federation of Ethnic Communities' Councils of Australia (FECCA) and the National Ethnic Disability Alliance (NEDA). Importantly, it also includes a consumer and a carer representative, as nominated by the members of the CALD Mental Health Consumer and Carer Group.
Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) Mental Health Consumer & Carer Group
The CALD Mental Health Consumer and Carer Group is comprised of a consumer and a carer representative from each state and territory of Australia. The Group includes a passionate, energised and diverse mix of voices and will provide advice to the Alliance based on members' lived experience and connections to their communities.
Stakeholder Group
The Stakeholder Group includes senior representatives from across the multicultural, mental health and related sectors. The Group will provide advice to the Alliance based on members' expertise and links to multicultural communities and the mental health workforce.
Project Team
The Project Team is based at Mental Health Australia and includes myself as National Project Manager along with our Policy and Project Officer and Project and Administration Officer. Staff at FECCA and NEDA also provide support to the Project. Our team can be contacted on 02 6285 3100 or at multicultural@mhaustralia.org.
Thank you once again for your interest and support for the National Multicultural Mental Health Project. We look forward to keeping you updated with news and opportunities as the project progresses.
Warm regards
Ruth