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Working together towards change
Friday, February 22, 2019
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.
CALD Mental Health Consumer and Carer Group shown here with members of the Project Team
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.
Stakeholder Group meeting with Mental Health Australia staff
Project Team
The Project Team is based at Mental Health Australia and includes myself as National Project Manager along with Policy and Project Officer, Kaitlin Saunders and Project and Administration Officer, Charlene Singh. Staff at FECCA and NEDA also provide support to the Project. Our team can be contacted on 02 6285 3100 or at [email protected].
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
National Multicultural Mental Health Project Update
Tuesday, December 18, 2018
Applications open for consumers, carers from CALD backgrounds to join the new national multicultural mental health project
Friday, July 27, 2018
Positions Vacant - National multicultural mental health project
Friday, May 11, 2018
A renewed national focus: Bringing together the mental health and multicultural sectors
Friday, May 04, 2018
About us
The MHiMA Project provides a national focus for advice and support to providers and governments on mental health and suicide prevention for people from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds. This involves representation and support for CALD communities’ interests in the mental health sector and raising awareness of mental illness and suicide prevention in CALD communities.
Mental Health Australia was engaged by the Department of Health to manage the MHiMA Project until 31 December 2016. Key tasks during this timeframe included analysing the activities, arrangements and outputs of the most recent Project (to 30 June 2015, managed by another entity), and making recommendations to the Australian Government Department of Health about future directions for the MHiMA Project. In late March 2016 Mental Health Australia submitted a recommendations report to the Department of Health about the future of the Project, which can now be accessed with all associated attachments here. From July 2016 the Project entered an interim maintenance stage which only allowed for limited project activities.
In late November 2016 and in response to our recommendations report, the Minister for Health, Hon Sussan Ley MP advised that the Australian Government will continue to support the MHiMA Project beyond December 2016. The Minister also advised that a targeted competitive approach to market will be undertaken in 2017 to determine the most appropriate project lead for the longer term. While it is unclear at this stage what the future project will look like, we see this news as a positive step towards providing long term certainty and investment in multicultural mental health.
Current MHiMA Project activities will be completed by 31 December 2016. Mental Health Australia will continue to maintain the MHiMA website, including the Framework elements, while the process to determine the future project lead is undertaken.
Key MHiMA Project activities Mental Health Australia progressed up to the completion of this iteration of the Project on 31 December 2016 included:
- Establishing and engaging with a Project Advisory Group that includes representation of all jurisdictions, CALD consumers and carers, and CALD views and expertise outside of the mental health sector.
- Engagement with the National CALD Consumer and Carer Working Group on a range of national mental health reform initiatives, including seeking their views on the future of the MHiMA Project and the Fifth National Mental Health Plan.
- Engagement with pilot sites for the Framework for Mental Health in Multicultural Australia (the Framework) and finalisation of a review on the Framework, including an examination of its structure, delivery and sustainability, and recommendations for future delivery and implementation.
- Conducting a national public consultation on the future of the MHiMA Project.
- Submitting a recommendations report to the Department of Health about the future of the Project.
Future updates on the MHiMA Project will be shared through the Mental Health Australia CEO Weekly Update as they arise. If you would like to stay updated on the MHiMA Project, please sign up here (free subscription).
