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Positions Vacant - National multicultural mental health project

Friday, May 11, 2018

Following the exciting announcement of a new national multicultural mental health project last week, Mental Health Australia is currently recruiting for a National Project Manager and a National Project & Administration Officer. This is an excellent opportunity to join our team and make a difference as part of an important national project. Candidates from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds are strongly encouraged to apply. Applications for both positions close 21 May 2018. Click here to find out more.

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A renewed national focus: Bringing together the mental health and multicultural sectors

Friday, May 04, 2018

Latest update from Frank Quinlan, CEO Mental Health Australia:

Mental Health Australia has joined forces with the Federation of Ethnic Communities’ Councils of Australia (FECCA) and the National Ethnic Disability Alliance (NEDA) as part of an alliance to deliver a new national multicultural mental health project, announced today by Minister for Health the Hon Greg Hunt MP and funded by Australian Government.

The project will work with multicultural mental health consumers and carers to provide a renewed and much needed national focus on mental health and suicide prevention for people from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds.

Working alongside such well respected organisations and colleagues in the multicultural community will be a huge advantage in delivering this new project.

We all have a lot to learn from each other, and to unite the mental health and multicultural sectors, to work closely with CALD consumers, carers, and communities, will make a real difference to service delivery and provision.

Click here to see the joint media release from Mental Health Australia, FECCA and NEDA on today's announcement.

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MHiMA Update - Future directions

Friday, December 09, 2016

Latest update from Frank Quinlan, CEO Mental Health Australia:

I have both some encouragement and some disappointment this week regarding the future of the MHiMA Project.

I’ve recently received a letter from the Minister for Health advising the Australian Government has agreed to continue to support the MHiMA Project beyond December 2016 and will undertake a targeted competitive approach to market some time in 2017 to determine the long term project lead. While it is still unclear at this stage what the future project will look like, I see this as a positive step towards providing long term certainty and investment in multicultural mental health.

Mental Health Australia has been offered another six month MHiMA Project extension while this process occurs. However, as previously advised, and noting the damage (at least 3) short term MHiMA Project contract extensions have had on the multicultural mental health sector, we will not accept this offer. Current project activities will be completed by 31 December 2016. Our sincere thanks go to the dedicated NCCCWG who have served the project so passionately to this point, but whose terms will finish with the end of the project. The MHiMA website, including the Framework elements, will be maintained while the process to determine the future project lead is undertaken.

While this iteration of the MHiMA Project will close at the end of the year, Mental Health Australia will continue to do all we can to secure effective long term investment in multicultural mental health.

As we wrap up of project activities, I’m also pleased to advise we have finally received permission to publicly release the ‘recommendations for future directions report’, which we developed in consultation with the multicultural mental health sector and provided to Government in March 2016. You can read the report and attachments here.

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MHiMA Update - Project advisory on Fifth Plan

Monday, November 21, 2016

Latest update from Frank Quinlan, CEO Mental Health Australia:

We had the chance to meet with the MHiMA Project Advisory Group this week. The group shared at disappointment that we are still awaiting a government decision on the future of the MHiMA project, and expressed their concerns that after the substantial input from the MHiMA NCCCWG it was difficult to see any concrete strategies to address CALD mental health in the consultation draft of the Fifth Plan.

The group agreed to share resources and ideas in order to ensure that CALD issues are well articulated as part of the consultation process for the Fifth Plan, in the hope of a final plan that takes concrete action to address the substantial disadvantage that CALD communities face.

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MHiMA Update - Project decision

Friday, November 11, 2016

Latest update from Frank Quinlan, CEO Mental Health Australia:

This week, I have some disappointing news about the MHiMA Project, but assure you I remain hopeful and committed to doing everything possible to secure the long-term investment in multicultural mental health.

As many of you know, in May 2016 the Department of Health extended the MHiMA Project to 31 December 2016, as an interim measure while Government considered the findings from the ‘recommendations for future directions report’, that Mental Health Australia provided to Government in March 2016. The report was formulated after extensive consultation with the multicultural and mental health sectors.

Sadly, we are still waiting on Government’s response to the report, despite actively pursuing this with the Department of Health and the Minister's office.

In the absence of clear advice about the long term future of the MHiMA Project, and nearing the end of our contract period, Mental Health Australia has made the difficult decision to complete the project, as currently contracted, and will wrap up current project activities by 31 December 2016. Although not required to do so, Mental Health Australia plans to maintain the MHiMA website, including the Framework elements, while we await the Government’s decision about future directions.

I'm very disappointed to be informing you of this news, and I recognise this outcome may be upsetting for many of you. I’d like to acknowledge the hard work and commitment of all those who have been involved the project recently and, for some, over many years, including members of the National CaLD Consumer & Carer Working Group (NCCCWG), MHiMA Project Advisory Group and the Framework pilot sites. The NCCCWG in particular have worked tirelessly for many years and across many iterations of the project, their efforts have helped to forge positive changes for CaLD mental health, though so much is still to be done.

As flagged earlier in the year, we have received positive indications about the future of a national multicultural mental health project. However, it remains unclear when a decision about the project’s future may be made, and how long these processes will take. It is very clear ongoing uncertainty and short term project extensions have been detrimental to project activities, the multicultural mental health sector, and those involved with the project. I have written to the Minister requesting her to take urgent action to improve mental health outcomes for people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.

Mental Health Australia will continue to do all we can to secure the long term investment in multicultural mental health.

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Knowledge exchange

A mental health research agenda for people of refugee background in Australia: a consensus study A mental health research agenda for people of refugee background in Australia: a consensus study A mental health research agenda for people of refugee background in Australia: a consensus study A mental health research agenda for people of refugee background in Australia: a consensus study

Colucci, E., Minas, H., Szwarc, J., Paxton, G. & Guerra, C. (2010). A mental health research agenda for people of refugee background in Australia: a consensus study. Centre for International Mental Health (University of Melbourne), the Victorian Foundation for Survivors or Torture, the Royal Children's Hospital and the Centre for Multicultural Youth.

Additional keywords: illness; disorder

Category: report

A multicultural future for all of us: Queensland multicultural policy 2011 A multicultural future for all of us: Queensland multicultural policy 2011 A multicultural future for all of us: Queensland multicultural policy 2011 A multicultural future for all of us: Queensland multicultural policy 2011

Queensland Government. (2011). A multicultural future for all of us: Queensland multicultural policy. Brisbane: Author.

Additional keywords: access; diversity; equity

Category: policy, plan or framework

Making a difference: service provider checklist #1 and #2 Making a difference: service provider checklist #1 and #2 Making a difference: service provider checklist #1 and #2 Making a difference: service provider checklist #1 and #2

Mental Health in Multicultural Australia. (2004). Making a difference: service provider checklist #1 and #2. Parramatta: Author.

Additional keywords: competence; cultural; disorder; illness; MMHA; responsiveness

Category: organisatonal guidelines or tool

Making the connection: Language services in the human services sector Making the connection: Language services in the human services sector Making the connection: Language services in the human services sector Making the connection: Language services in the human services sector

Department of Human Services, Victorian Government. (2006). Making the connection: Language services in the human services sector. Melbourne: Author. Retrieved 22 May, 2013 from http://www.dhs.vic.gov.au/about-the-department/documents-and-resources/reports-publications/making-the-connection-manual

Additional keywords: education, interpreter; practitioner, translation
Category: practice guidelines or tool

Making the Connection: Online training resource Making the Connection: Online training resource Making the Connection: Online training resource Making the Connection: Online training resource

Department of Human Services, Victorian Government. (2006). Making the connection: Online training resource. Melbourne: Author. Retrieved 29 Apr, 2014. from

http://www.health.vic.gov.au/diversity/cald.htm

Additional keywords: education, interpreter; practitioner

Category: practice guidelines or tool

Mapping social cohesion 2013: National report Mapping social cohesion 2013: National report Mapping social cohesion 2013: National report Mapping social cohesion 2013: National report

Markus, A. (2013). Mapping social cohesion 2013: National report. Caufield East: Monash University.

Additional keywords: multiculturalism; diversity

Category: report

McGill Transcultural Psychiatry videos McGill Transcultural Psychiatry videos McGill Transcultural Psychiatry videos McGill Transcultural Psychiatry videos

McGill Transcultural Psychiatry (Producer). (2013). [Videos]. Retrieved http://vimeo.com/tcpsychiatry/videos

Additional keywords: Canada; culture; education; mental health; practitioner

Category: video

Medicare local online resources Medicare local online resources Medicare local online resources Medicare local online resources

Centre for Culture, Ethnicity and Health. (2014). Medicare local online resources. Richmond, Vic: Author. Retrieved 29 Apr, 2014 from http://www.ceh.org.au/training/ml_ah_training/medicare-local-online-resources

Additional key words: education; interpreters; practitioner;

Category: practice guidelines and tool

Mental health research and evaluation in multicultural Australia: Developing a culture of inclusion Mental health research and evaluation in multicultural Australia: Developing a culture of inclusion Mental health research and evaluation in multicultural Australia: Developing a culture of inclusion Mental health research and evaluation in multicultural Australia: Developing a culture of inclusion

Minas, H., Kakuma, R.,Too, L.T., Vayani, H., Orapeleng, S., Prasad-Ildes, R., ...and Oehm, D. (2013). Mental health research and evaluation in multicultural Australia: Towards a culture of inclusion. MacGregor: Mental Health in Multicultural Australia.

Additional key words: diversity; CALD; MHiMA

Category: report

Mental health services: in brief 2014 Mental health services: in brief 2014 Mental health services: in brief 2014 Mental health services: in brief 2014

Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. (2014). Mental health services – in brief 2014

Cat. no. HSE 154. Canberra: AIHW. Viewed 13 November 2014

Additional keywords:

Category: report

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