The Executive and consortium members

The MHiMA project is managed by an executive consisting of representatives of a consortium and is based on a shared governance structure.

The purpose of the MHiMA Executive is to:

  • Set and monitor the MHiMA project's priorities and strategic directions, articulate and participate in a shared, constructive national vision for the continuing reform of mental health services for people from CALD backgrounds and respond appropriately to changing national agendas and priorities;
  • Lead and oversee national implementation of project activities based on identified priorities;
  • Facilitate and market the imperatives of providing culturally competent services in a diverse range of settings;
  • Support those jurisdictions where currently there is no transcultural mental health service, to develop adequate levels of service delivery for CALD communities;
  • Take into account the needs of CALD consumers, their families and communities and engage with key stakeholders to acknowledge and meet those needs;
  • Be stable, flexible and able to transcend jurisdictional borders and cross sectoral boundaries to consider issues of national significance;
  • Commit to the implementation of eight key factors regarded as essential in good governance: participatory; consensus oriented; accountable; transparent; responsive; effective and efficient; equitable and inclusive; and following the rule of law;
  • Identify opportunities to promote multicultural mental health issues, research initiatives, national projects, services provided and other activities, which have been, or are being undertaken by MHiMA in each member's state and territory, in conjunction with state and territory Governments;
  • Participate as key stakeholders in all activities of MHiMA as appropriate, and contribute as expert advisors on multicultural mental health issues as appropriate; and
  • Provide and exchange information on multicultural mental health issues to relevant stakeholders and to other interested parties as appropriate.

The consortium represents the following organisations:

The Queensland Transcultural Mental Health Centre (QTMHC)

The QTMHC is the lead agency for the Mental Health in Multicultural Australia (MHiMA) project. A state-wide service funded by the Queensland Government the QTMHC provides leadership for culturally responsive mental health service delivery to people from CALD backgrounds. QTMHC works in "partnership with mental health services, ethnic communities and other agencies to improve the quality, accessibility and appropriateness of services and promote the mental health and wellbeing of culturally and linguistically diverse communities in Queensland"

The QTMHC is a recovery oriented service with a strong focus on community engagement through its promotion and prevention programs. The Centre promotes the value of cultural diversity and leads the integration of culture into mental health service delivery via its clinical consultation service and education and training programs. The Centre also manages the state-wide multicultural mental health coordinators program which consists of 13 positions based in district mental health services throughout the state focusing on improving the cultural responsiveness of mental health services with a focus on clinical consultation and service development.

Victorian Transcultural Psychiatry Unit (VTPU)

The VTPU is funded by the Mental Health Branch of the Victorian Department of Human Services and is administered by St Vincent's Hospital. The mission of the VTPU is to strengthen the capacity of Victoria's mental health system to provide effective, equitable and culturally appropriate services to Victoria's culturally and linguistically diverse population. The unit has a strong link with the Centre for International Mental Health (CIMH), strengthening interaction between clinical services and researchers. Both VTPU and CIMH are represented on the Victorian Migrant Mental Health Taskforce lending further development to CALD community networks, policy and research initiatives.

Taking a sector wide approach, the VTPU supports a number of programs and activities to drive sustainable initiatives across Victoria's specialist mental health services. These include service development partnerships, community development support, consumer and carer support and representation, education and professional development, research and evaluation, cultural portfolio holder (CPH) and bi-lingual mental health worker networks.

Centre for International Mental Health (CIMH)

As part of the Melbourne School of Population Health within the University of Melbourne's Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, the CIMH provides world-class teaching and research facilities fostering a multidisciplinary and cross-cultural understanding of mental health and wellbeing. The mission of CIMH is to develop and deliver an integrated suite of internationally respected research, teaching and knowledge transfer projects in collaboration with individual and organisational partners in Australia and overseas. In its Australian programs the Centre focuses on the development of effective mental health systems for a culturally and linguistically diverse society and on the strengthening of leadership for mental health system reform. CIMH in collaboration with VTPU established the first Graduate Diploma in Transcultural Mental Health.

University of South Australia (UniSA)

UniSA is represented by the Mental Health Substance Abuse Research Group, Human Rights and Security Cluster. The Group is supported by grants from both state and federal governments to build mental health research and practice development capacity and further mental health and substance abuse related research nationally and internationally, tackling the most important mental health issues of society. The Group currently comprises of several Honours, Masters and PHD students, peer support workers, consumers, clinicians and academics working on a range of projects. The research program spans mental health risk assessment and management, refugee and asylum seeker mental health, vulnerability risk assessment and management, physical activity for people with serious mental illness, older adults in suicidal crisis, and sentinel events evaluation.

Current Members:

QTMHC: Rita Prasad-Ildes and Greg Turner

CIMH: A/Prof. Harry Minas

UniSA: Prof. Nicholas Procter

VTPU: Daryl Oehm