Providing mental health support in vastly diverse populations across the south east of Melbourne

Plural Agency • March 24, 2022

During Cultural Diversity Week as well as Harmony Week, we are honouring and celebrating the Culturally and Linguistically Diverse communities that make up our region and Victoria.

Multiculturalism is a core part of the Victorian identity, our character, and our way of life. As home to people from all corners of the world, south east Melbourne is a place where anyone can contribute and belong.

Like many other communities, our multicultural communities sometimes face obstacles like language barriers, cultural taboos, and other challenges when it comes to practising and maintaining self-care and wellbeing. We know that access to the right support, delivered with culture and language in mind, is essential to its effectiveness.

News of recent events overseas could resurface trauma from past experiences like war, conflict and forced migration. A recently impacted community and one that could be at risk of re-experiencing trauma are the Afghan community.

We have worked closely with Afghan community leaders to learn about the challenges faced by their community when practising and maintaining self-care and wellbeing during this challenging time. Working in collaboration with Better Place Australia, the Southern Migrant and Refugee Centre and Afghan Community leaders we have co-designed a short series of videos for the Afghan community with tips on how to implement self-care and maintain good habits. Videos are spoken in Dari and subtitled in English.

Through initiatives and partnerships like these, SEMPHN continues to work towards addressing the National Suicide Prevention Strategy 2015 and the Victorian Suicide Prevention Framework 2016-25. We have worked with several organisations and community groups over the past few years and continue to collaborate with organisations including the Victorian Department of Health, other Victorian Primary Health Networks, Black Dog Institute, Cities of Greater DandenongCasey, and Cardinia Shire Council.

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