News and Events

Looking for translated coronavirus (COVID-19) resources? The following links contain translated information about COVID-19 in a range of languages:   1) Translated coronavirus (COVID-19) resources- including vaccine information  The Australian Government Department of Health has produced translated fact sheets and other publications.   2) COVID-19 (Coronavirus) Translated Resources - Information in Your Language  Ethnolink Language Services provides translated information in 71 languages.  

The recent bushfires in Australia have impacted people in many different ways. Even those who are not in bushfire affected areas are experiencing the ongoing physical and mental health effects of smoke, changes in weather, the loss of the natural environment and many other issues.   During these times, it is important to look after your own mental health and to reach out to those in your community who may also be affected. Looking after your mental health and reaching out to your community is important for your wellbeing. If you are looking for further information on the impact of bushfires on mental health, the following resources are available in a number of languages to assist you and your community: Family help kit - post traumatic stress factsheet Revised in August of 2019, Transcultural Mental Health Centre

The Framework for Mental Health in Multicultural Australia (The Framework) Are you looking for ways to build the cultural responsiveness of your practice or service? Would you like to learn more about what tools and resources are available to support you? Mental health services, Primary Health Networks (PHNs) and individual practitioners are warmly invited to attend a workshop in your state/territory on the Framework for Mental Health in Multicultural Australia (the Framework).

Dear friends and stakeholders I am pleased to share this update with you following an exciting period for Embrace Multicultural Mental Health (the Embrace Project). We were delighted to be joined by many of you for the official launch of the Embrace Project at the Multicultural Hub in Melbourne on 16 August 2019. This was a significant milestone for the project, and we are deeply grateful to all presenters and attendees for making it such a meaningful event.

1 in 5 Australians are affected by mental illness, yet many don't seek help because of stigma. We can all do something to help shed a more positive light on mental health. World Mental Health Day – October 10 — is a day for global mental health education, awareness and advocacy. It is an initiative of the World Federation for Mental Health to raise public awareness of mental health issues worldwide. Mental Health Australia leads the World Mental Health Day campaign in Australia. This year, the Australian World Mental Health Day campaign is called Do You See What I See?. This campaign challenges perceptions about mental illness in Australia and encourages everyone to look at mental health in a more positive light, in an effort to reduce stigma and make way for more people to seek the help and support they deserve. 

These words, spoken by so many consumers and carers that have helped shape the new national multicultural mental health project – Embrace Multicultural Mental Health – are the essence of today’s launch, and the future of this project and a concerted effort to provide mental health services and information that is culturally appropriate.  Let’s embrace this challenge and in partnership with the Federation of Ethnic Communities’ Council of Australia (FECCA) and the National Ethnic Disability Alliance (NEDA), Mental Health Australia is extremely proud to launch Embrace Multicultural Mental Health including its new website and Framework at www.embracementalhealth.org.au

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: