MHiMA is inviting feedback on the new Framework for Mental Health in Multicultural Australia: Towards Culturally Inclusive Service Delivery, which can now be accessed on the MHiMA website. The direct link to the Framework is www.mhima.org.au/framework/. Between now and 10 June 2013, we are inviting you to provide feedback via an online survey.

We would like to encourage all stakeholders in the mental health and multicultural sectors to participate. Your feedback is very much appreciated and valued and will be integrated into the final draft, due for official release in August 2013.  

The aim of the Framework is to provide mental health services in the public, private and community sectors with easy to use practical strategies, tools and resources that will increase their cultural responsiveness, including rates of access by CALD mental health consumers and carers and the quality of care they receive. 

The Framework consists of three integrated components:

1.   An Organisational Cultural Responsiveness Assessment Scale (OCRAS) for mental health services, based on
      the National Cultural Competency Tool for Mental Health Services (2010), the starting point for users of the Framework.

2.   Strategies and outcome indicators in four key outcome areas:

       • culturally and linguistically responsive consumer, carer and family participation;

       • culturally inclusive safety and quality practices in mental health services;

       • culturally and linguistically responsive mental health promotion, prevention and early intervention; and

       • culturally responsive mental health workforce.

3.    Supporting tools and resources such as fact sheets and useful links.

The Framework has been closely aligned with current Commonwealth, state and territory plans and policies in mental health and multicultural affairs and referenced to current mental health standards and national safety and quality health standards.

To participate in the survey and find a direct link to the Framework please go to: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/NPLR3LJ

If you have any queries please contact Saskia de Vries, Project Officer, on saskia@mhima.org.au or (07) 3167 8319.

Thank you.

"What do 2 million Australians have in common? Anxiety symptoms they don't recognise".

On May 6 2013 beyondblue launched the National Anxiety Campaign. To read the media release, please go to the beyondblue website; or a short film about others personal experiences with anxiety here.

As part of the DoHA funded 'Beyond Barriers Strategy', the National LGBTI Health Alliance is currently conducting research for beyondblue on the opinions and ideas of gay, bisexual, trans and intersex men to encourage GBTI males to take action against depression and anxiety and to find out how best to communicate with GBTI men around these issues.  For more information, go to beyondblue's website.  

To do this we are talking with members of MHiMA’s State and Territories Reference Group and asking them to provide us with information about what is happening in their region. We are also undertaking a review of the international literature regarding current approaches with particular emphasis on studies that discuss their effectiveness, that is, their workforce and service impacts and consumer and carer outcomes. 

We plan to make our findings publicly available in a report and on the MHiMA website later this year. We are also preparing an on-line register of multicultural mental health professional development and training providers across the country. We are keen to strengthen capacity by sharing resources and develop a coherent plan that will support the development of a culturally competent workforce.

If you would like to find out more,  please contact either Sue McDonough, susan@mhima.org.au or Erminia Colucci, ecolucci@unimelb.edu.au