Many of us will never forget the image of a lone protester standing in front of tanks outside of Tiananmen Square in Beijing on June 5 1989.
It is a photo that is etched into our minds forever and sadly the devastating videos and images from Kabul airport this week have become just as iconic.
Images and scenes that will have caused, and triggered, severe trauma for many thousands of people, including many Afghans living in Australia with loved ones still in the Middle East, desperately trying to make sense of what has happened, what will happen, and trying to flee their country of birth in the process.
At a time when the world is already battling COVID-19 on every front, the humanitarian disaster unfolding in Afghanistan is of equal importance, and from a mental health perspective, we have to learn from the past to assist those seeking help in the future.
History and lived experience tells us that people from refugee backgrounds are often at an increased risk of psychological disorders, such as anxiety, depression and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. This will be the case for those trying to flee Afghanistan and those who remain.
We know that the refugee experience, and the diverse circumstances that refugee families find themselves in when arriving in Australia, can have long term impacts on their health, their family dynamics, parenting and other issues related to settlement and community engagement.
And we know that refugees are particularly vulnerable to poor mental health outcomes due to exposure to pre-migration trauma and post-migration stressors, added to the fact that professional help-seeking among refugee groups is low or safe and appropriate access problematic.
History tells us that this will be the case for those Afghans who manage to make their way to Australia, and we also know that recent events in Afghanistan, and what lies ahead, has the potential to re-traumatise those who have already resettled in places like Ryde in Sydney, or the Greater Dandenong in Melbourne. Or country towns like Shepparton, Mildura, Swan Hill and Griffith.
According to the 2016 census, at least 87% of the Afghan population in Australia has arrived since 1996 following the US invasion of Afghanistan and the rise of the Taliban. The majority (61.1%) migrated in the 10-year period between 2006 and 2015 and the vast majority of Afghans in this wave of migration were accepted through Australia’s humanitarian program.
So with all this history and knowledge, and in particular in relation to good mental health and service provision to refugees, how can we make sure that those who are here already, and those who are coming, feel welcomed, safe, part of a community and can access mental health services to start to build a life beyond the trauma they’ve experienced.
At Mental Health Australia that is why the Embrace Multicultural Mental Health Project works so hard to promote its Framework to encourage organisations and individual practitioners to evaluate and enhance their cultural responsiveness.
To find out more or to register for the Framework please email Ruth.Das@mhaustralia.org
And on a more positive and aspirational note, if you follow the hashtag #SheIsArab or go to the She Is Arab website you’ll find two inspirational women and a small start-up idea with the ultimate goal to position Arab women as inspirational role models, knowledge creators and bearers, around the world.
Have a good weekend.
Leanne Beagley
CEO
Thanks to Nudgee College students
Four grade 5 students from Nudgee College in Brisbane made a wonderful effort fundraising for Mental Health Australia! Carter Thompson, Hugo Jobber, Noah Doxey and Ashton Seery bounced their basketballs 100,000 times during their lunch and morning tea breaks over a period of 20 days, raising $211.00. Thank-you for your brilliant initiative!
Mental Health Australia Vacancy - Manager, Lived Experience Programs
The Manager Lived Experience Programs is responsible for:
- facilitating the business of the National Mental Health Consumer & Carer Forum (NMHCCF), which includes providing secretariat, policy and project support.
- managing the relationship between Mental Health Australia and the NMHCCF, through a trustworthy and trauma-informed approach.
- strengthening policy and advocacy positions and capacity for mental health consumers and carers working with Mental Health Australia.
To be considered for this role you will have formal qualifications in a relevant discipline (eg. health, social science, community services) and / or substantial related experience. You will have a strong commitment to working in partnership with consumers and carers to achieve mental health reform and knowledge of working within a trauma-informed approach, promoting safety, trust, choice, collaboration and empowerment.
Find out more here.
Applications Close: today, 20 August 2021
World Mental Health Day 2021
Mental Health Australia has today launched the 2021 World Mental Health Day campaign for October 10, encouraging all Australians to look after their mental health in the midst of the ongoing pandemic. You can read our media release here, or find out more on the World Mental Health Day website.
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On Monday I will be participating in some internal LQBTIQA+ training and then meeting with evaluators in relation to the PHN Aged Care mental health initiative. Later I will be meeting with Senator Rachel Siewert of the Australian Greens to discuss our Advice to Government.
On Tuesday I will be attending the Youth Mental Health Conference and also meeting with a range of health peaks to further align messaging during this really challenging time.
On Wednesday I am providing a Keynote Address at the Youth Mental Health Conference and on Thursday will be at the “Being Equally Well” report launch by Minister Hunt. We also have a Board Finance meeting that day.
On Friday I will be speaking to a group of CEOs hosted by the Bevington Group on staffing solutions and mental health issues during COVID, and later I have a regular meeting of the National Disability and Carer Alliance.
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Member Benefits, Jobs and Profiles
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Communicate your news, job vacancies, or upcoming events to more than 5,000 people in the mental health ecosystem weekly.
Mental Health Australia members are invited to send us news, announcements, job vacancies, events or other notices for inclusion in the Weekly CEO Update newsletter. To do so, simply fill out this form by COB each Wednesday for your notice to appear in the newsletter the following Friday.
OzHelp Foundation Clinical Director position vacant
OzHelp is seeking an experienced Clinical Director to join their passionate and collaborative Canberra based team. The successful candidate will join a professional team who provides high quality services to ‘hard-to-reach’ workers and their families in building/construction, transport/logistics and other industries where there is a higher risk of suicide. More information is available here.
Member Profiles
Mind Australia
Mind Australian Limited (Mind) is one of the country’s leading community-managed specialised mental health service providers. We have been supporting people who are dealing with the day-to-day impacts of mental ill-health, as well as their families, friends and carers for 40 years. Our staff deliver a range of services and supports to people challenged by mental ill-health.
CatholicCare NT
CatholicCare NT is a not-for-profit organisation, providing counselling services and programs to individuals, couples, families, children groups, schools and agencies across the Northern Territory. They provide counselling and other support services in Darwin, Katherine, Alice Springs, Ltyentye Apurte, Finke, Titjikala,Tennant Creek, APY Lands, Nauiyu, Palmerston, Tiwi and Wadeye.
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Embrace Multicultural Mental Health News
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Videos to support the COVID-19 outbreak
The Department of Health has created videos featuring multicultural health professionals and community leaders from Sydney sharing messaging about the importance of staying home, get tested, get vaccinated - specifically for the Greater Sydney region. The videos are available in 20 languages and are available on the Department’s website. Further videos featuring health professionals and religious and community leaders speaking in-language with the same messaging are also available.
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Caring for our carers and boosting career opportunities
Victorian Minister for Disability, Ageing and Carers Luke Donnellan announced that expressions of interest are now open for service providers and community organisations to deliver extra help to the more than 736,000 Victorian carers who selflessly provide invaluable support to partners, family members or friends in need. Applications are being sought for innovative programs and partnership approaches that broaden opportunities for carers to take a break from their important role - whether that means an extra pair of hands so they can take a day off or having the opportunity to go to the gym a couple of times a week.
Read more
headspace campaign empowers Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander young people
Australia’s national youth mental health foundation, headspace, has today launched a suite of new resources for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people, empowering them to take charge of their social and emotional wellbeing. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples aged 24 and under are three times more likely than other young people to die by suicide. Responding to this urgent need for support, the ‘Take a Step’ campaign encourages Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people to recognise the signs that something’s not right - and provides small, practical steps towards feeling better.
Read more
Young Indigenous Australians “Take a Step” for Mental Health
A new advertising campaign designed and developed by young Indigenous Australians to promote mental health and reduce youth suicide in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities has launched. With support from Elders and communities, Take a Step campaign encourages young people to recognise when they might need support, and explore practical things they can do to better their mental health.
Read more
Victorian-first family mental health centre takes shape
Victorian Minister for Mental Health James Merlino has announced the location of the new $7.3 million, 12-bed facility in Grieve Street, Macleod, which will deliver vital residential mental health and wellbeing treatment to children under 11 in an environment that allows them to stay with and be supported by their families. The innovative new facility responds to key recommendations made by the Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System to provide more tailored models of care.
Read more
COVID-19 in Mental Health Facilities
The recent announcement regarding COVID positive cases at a NSW mental health facility highlights there are some NSW residents who are subject to greater restrictions than those in lockdown areas – people who are detained under the NSW Mental Health Act. Whilst Being acknowledges the multitude of challenges we all face in relation to the spike in COVID cases across NSW and under the current lockdown, they highlight the human rights of those who are often forgotten – the people who are involuntarily held under the NSW Mental Health Act in declared mental health facilities.
Read more
Delivering better mental health services through leadership and collaboration
The Tasmanian government is releasing an implementation plan for Rethink 2020. Rethink 2020 outlines a shared approach to improving mental health outcomes for all Tasmanians, and was developed by key experts, including Primary Health Tasmania, the Tasmanian Department of Health and the Mental Health Council of Tasmania, and has been endorsed by the Mental Health and Alcohol and Drug Leadership Group.
Read more
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Being Equally Well launch event
Life expectancy is shortened by up to 30% for clients of public mental health services compared with the general population. Being Equally Well: Better physical health care and longer lives for people living with serious mental illness brings together policy makers, health clinicians, researchers, experts and consumers in the joint pursuit of delivering positive healthcare change for individuals living with serious mental illness. The webinar will run from 11am-1pm AEST, 26 August. Free tickets are available here.
Australian Institute of Family Studies 2022 Conference
The Australian Institute of Family Studies 2022 Conference is to be held at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, 15-17 June 2022. The conference theme will be “Putting families at the centre”. The call for abstract submissions is open until 14 October 2021.
WA Mental Health Award nominations open
Nominations for the 2021 WA Mental Health Awards close on 25 August 2021. The awards aim to recognise and reward the achievements of those who demonstrate excellence, innovation, and initiative in supporting consumers of mental health services, their families, and carers; and showcase best practice in WA’s mental health sector to inspire others.
Australian Mental Health Prize nominations open
Please consider nominating significant persons who do extraordinary things in our sector for consideration in the Australian MH Prize. Nominating someone is a straightforward process. You need to submit the CV of the person you are nominating, along with 200 words outlining the work they do and how it is making an impact. Nominations close on Friday 27 August 2021.
Scholarship open for young carers
The Young Carer Bursary Program supports young carers under the age of 25 to continue with their education. The program offers 1,000 bursaries of $3,000 each year. Applications will be open from 16 August – 30 September 2021 and are open to young carers in high school, TAFE, university and other vocational training. A range of resources are available to find out more and to promote this opportunity.
Public Consultation - National Mental Health Workforce Strategy
The Health Department is asking for participants in the public consultation for the upcoming National Mental Health Workforce Strategy (the Strategy). The Strategy will consider the quality, supply, distribution and structure of the mental health workforce. It will also identify practical approaches that could be implemented to attract, train and retain the workforce required, to help prepare the workforce for future demands of the mental health system. The Taskforce’s draft Strategy is open for public consultation until 31 August 2021.
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