On November 6, Victorian Transcultural Mental Health will hold its biennial forum at the Djerring Flemington Hub. The theme of this year’s forum is “Practice and research innovations towards culturally responsive systems”.
Across Victoria, there is innovative thinking and action that strengthens the cultural responsiveness of our sector. This forum is an opportunity to shed light on the variety, richness, and challenges of that valuable work. We will focus on the experiences of dignity and indignity in mental health interventions through the lens of communities, clients and service providers.
The forum will feature keynote speakers Indigo Daya and Kathomi Gatwiri, two of the sector’s most innovative and thought-provoking voices.
Daya is a research scholar and activist, informed by her own experiences with the mental health system. She practices independent peer support, training and co-reflection, and works with others to grow liberatory alternatives to psychiatry.
Gatwiri is one of Australia’s leading Afro-diasporic scholars whose award-winning interdisciplinary research investigates the intersecting topics of racial trauma, belonging, blackness, and migranthood. Her work is grounded in decolonising methodologies that attempt to develop knowledge about and for those people who are assigned categories of difference.
We look forward to announcing the rest of the program once it is confirmed.
Leading the forum committee for VTMH, Education and Service Development Consultant Radhika Santhanam-Martin commented, “While there has been some progress in developing culturally responsive systems, there have been equally persistent challenges. VTMH, through this forum, wants to highlight the current research and practice efforts that are moving towards prioritising respect and dignity as the foundations of effective and ethical care in mental health.”
Mental health practitioners, educators, researchers and leaders, and health and community workers with an interest in mental health are invited to register. The forum will give us a chance to come together and nurture our connections, reflect on our practices, and learn from each other.
Registrations will open in the coming months. Space will be limited so we encourage all who are interested to stay tuned for the announcement.