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When providing mental health services  to people from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities a range of additional risk and protective factors need to be taken into consideration. The factors that are particularly important are migration and acculturation, racial discrimination and equity, language acquisition, and refugee experiences. These factors are inter-related and can exacerbate the likelihood of a mental illness or conversely protect against the development of a mental illness.

By Mental Health in Multicultural Australia (MHiMA), 2014

Mental health services and individual workers who work within them will often have very different understandings and explanations of mental illness from consumers who are from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds. Culturally responsive workers must seek to understand the illness experience of CALD consumers in order to gain their trust and respect, determine shared priorities, and plan and implement sensitive and effective intervention, treatment and recovery.

By Mental Health in Multicultural Australia (MHiMA), 2014

Consumer and carer participation with culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities needs to be approached in a way that respects cultural differences and shows understanding of the needs of CALD consumers, carers and their families. Consumer and carer participation with CALD communities needs to start with the mental health services actively engaging with their local CALD communities to build trust and tailored partnerships. Strategies for improving participation need to be multifocal and address jointly agreed goals.

By Mental Health in Multicultural Australia (MHiMA), 2014

Mental health services play an important role in supporting culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) consumers in their recovery by reducing impediments and barriers, and creating opportunities. To assist CALD consumers on the recovery journey, mental health services need to understand that recovery and its principles are not universal concepts and as a result  may present challenges for mental health workers and CALD consumers.

By Mental Health in Multicultural Australia (MHiMA), 2014

Department of Home Affairs (DHA)

Visit the DHA website to find out more about translation and interpreting services available nationally, including the Free Translating Service and Free Interpreting Service programs.

LGBTIQ Intersect and more broadly the Out in the CALD Harmony Grant is part of a larger initiative across Victoria to promote increased dialogue, shared understandings and the development of culturally safe and inclusive practice among multicultural, faith-based and LGBTI communities, health and wellbeing providers and community organisations. LGBTIQ Intersect has been developed by Victorian Transcultural Mental Health (VTMH) in collaboration with GLHV@ARCSHS, La Trobe University (GLHV)

Service Provider: Macarthur Diversity Services

Region: NSW

What: HYPE (Helping Young People to Excel), program to supports young people aged 12 to 24 from multicultural backgrounds, including new arrivals, to obtain new skills and knowledge, increase self-esteem and make social connections.

Best practice domain:

• Addressing the needs of emerging groups

Brief overview

Macarthur Diversity Services has designed an eight-week youth program called HYPE (Helping Young People to Excel) to help young people excel in areas such as education, employment, training, health and fitness.

The program supports young people aged 12 to 24 from multicultural backgrounds, including new arrivals, to obtain new skills and knowledge, increase self-esteem and make social connections. It expects to enhance their academic, physical, social and mental wellbeing.

Please let us know if you encounter a provider who are employing effective strategies to improve the wellbeing of their multicultural communities.

Mental Health Australia commissioned research to investigate the mental health of three specific culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic. These were the Italian, Turkish and Vietnamese communities.

We are delighted to present the Final Report detailing the research findings and recommendations. 

This research was conducted by Whereto, commissioned by Mental Health Australia and funded by the National Mental Health Commission.

Mental Health Australia commissioned research to investigate the mental health of three specific culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic. These were the Italian, Turkish and Vietnamese communities.

We are delighted to present the Final Report detailing the research findings and recommendations, and the one page infographic.

This research was conducted by Whereto, commissioned by Mental Health Australia and funded by the National Mental Health Commission.

Full report of the Localities Embracing and Accepting Diversity (LEAD) Experiences of Racism Survey, published by the Victorian Health Promotion Foundation (2013)