VTMH created videos in 2014. Titled “Our Voices,” they offer a rare and profound insight into the lives of carers from migrant and refugee backgrounds who care for family members experiencing mental health challenges. These videos explore the lives of five carers from Afghani, Egyptian, Somali, Turkish and Vietnamese communities. The carers speak independently, yet collectively, of common difficulties encountered in advocating for culturally safe and responsive mental health care and the benefits of seeking support. Each narrative was told in the carer’s original language and has been subtitled in English. We invite you to watch the original full-length videos here.
While honouring the carers’ generosity and courage in sharing their stories with us, we have reviewed them and been able to build on them to create shorter clips that cover a variety of themes. We have brought the carers’ multiple voices and stories together to make a reflective tool for the workforce.
This learning tool will give the sector a deeper understanding of the experience of families, carers, and supporters of migrant and refugee backgrounds. We invite you to connect with the carers’ stories, reflect on your current practice, and apply these reflections to your work with carers.
Mr Ly
Mr Ly
Mr Ly came to Australia by boat in 1980. He and his wife have been caring for their son full time since 2001 with the help of a Vietnamese carer support group. Vietnamese with English subtitles.
Kevser
Kevser
Kevser has been the primary carer for her daughter for many years. Joining a carer support group gave her the courage to negotiate the stigma attached to her daughter’s illness. Turkish with English subtitles.
Amina
Amina
Amina’s brother was diagnosed with a mental illness soon after arriving in Australia. Amina is a social worker, works with her community and explores negative perceptions about mental illness. Somali with English subtitles.
Said
Said
Said is an engineer and an accredited interpreter. He works as carer consultant and is passionate about advocating for the needs of carers. Arabic with English subtitles.
Arefa
Arefa
Arefa is from Afghanistan and talks about her experience in caring for her father was diagnosed with anxiety/depression. Dari with English subtitles.
Initial Response
This clip highlights carers’ initial responses to a significant change in their lives. While this clip reflects their initial responses to change, we need to keep in mind that caring relationships change and grow over time.
We invite you to consider and reflect on the significant change that the carers have undergone before you view the clip.
Please view the following clip and then reflect on the questions below.
Q1. What are the key points that resonate most with me?
Q2. How could I help the carer to navigate this significant change in their lives?
Q3. How can I be more mindful of where the carer is on their caring journey, and be present throughout all its changes?
Q4. How could I consider the carer as a source of strength and as an integral part of the process of supporting the consumer?
Engaging with Faith and Other Models of Meaning-Making
This clip focusses on different understandings and meaning-making that people give to their experiences, which may differ from the dominant discourse. People may align their understandings of what they are experiencing to their culture, beliefs, faith or spirituality. As such, it is important to acknowledge that these understandings are important and valid. No one is the expert in someone else’s experience.
Before viewing the clip, consider what factors and experiences have informed your understanding of mental health.
Please view the following clip and then reflect on the questions below.
Q1. What are the key points that resonate most with me?
Q2. What are my immediate responses, thoughts and feelings to working with carers who engage with different models of meaning-making to mine?
Q3. How can I hold the carer’s meaning-making model with as much respect and value as my own?
Positioning of Language
“The limits of my language mean the limits of my world” – Ludwig Wittgenstein.
This clip highlights the challenges of navigating systems as a carer who does not speak the dominant language. In considering culturally responsive practice, language is a key element. However, in this activity, we expand on the discourse by positioning language from a carer perspective and highlighting the importance of language supports for carers and their influence on the recovery process.
Before viewing the clip, please reflect on your instinctive response to carers who need support with language.
Please view the following clip and then reflect on the questions below.
Q1. What are the key points that resonate most with me?
Q2. How do I ensure I acknowledge and respond to the language-related challenges highlighted in this clip when working with carers?
Building Supports
This clip highlights how the carers have built their own support systems around them. It emphasises the diversity of supports available that are not always clinical services.
Please view the following clip and then reflect on the questions below.
Q1. What are the key points that resonate most with me?
Q2. What am I doing to build trust with the carer and validate their needs?
Q3. How can I help them to build upon their existing support systems?
Community Perceptions
Within community, stigma and shame about mental health challenges exists and can be difficult for carers to navigate. This video highlights the carers’ experience of different community perceptions on mental health challenges. In the time since these videos were produced, a large volume work has been undertaken by communities themselves to improve the community discourse on this topic.
Before viewing the clip, reflect on what you think carers are going to say about their experience and what they think about prejudice.
Please view the following clip and then reflect on the questions below.
Q1. What are the key points that resonate most with me?
Q2. Do my ideas about prejudice reflect what the carers said?
Q3. How can I support carers navigating judgement and shame?
Wrap up
We hope that this learning tool has given you the opportunity to reflect on the different experiences of carers and their caring journey, and consider some of the ethical dilemmas that you may come across when working with carers. We also hope this resource will help you to build on your practice when working with families, carers and supporters.
Please consider viewing the videos in their entirety as they provide a deeper richness of the carers’ experience.
Further reading and learning tools: