For the last two years, VTMH has been facilitating the Mental Health and Cultural Diversity Community of Practice (MHCD CoP). MHCD CoP supports a community of professionals to have conversations about cultural diversity and mental health, and to share the successes and challenges they face when putting their learning into practice.
The group met 5 times in 2021, including a planning meeting that guided the direction of the program for 2021. Around 10 – 15 members attended each session. The CoP engaged a range of speakers to discuss contemporary practice issues such as undertaking meaningful research with refugee communities and ethical considerations around the handling of stories, experiences of working with communities during public housing lockdown and racial discrimination and vilification.
The final session saw the participation of Pam Anders, CEO of Mental Health Reform Victoria who presented on the current reform process in response to diversity, equity and inclusion.
The overall purpose of the CoP is to promote better practice in the delivery of culturally safe and responsive mental health care. Membership to the CoP is open to people with an interest in mental health and cultural diversity working across a range of roles within publicly funded mental health services, and other community sectors, including educational and social services, across the state of Victoria.
If you or someone you know is interested in joining this group, please email your enquiry to mhcd.cop@svha.org.au