Webinar series, 2020
Session: Community Voices
Wednesday 16th September 2020
This session explored the ongoing issues of inequity that have been magnified by the COVID-19 pandemic, especially for communities living in public housing in inner city Melbourne. Panellists spoke about the current situation, discussed impacts on mental health and wellbeing, and explored what needs to be done. They spoke about the roles they are playing, as friends, allies and advocates.
Visit the webinar event page for more information
Session recording and transcript are published with the kind permission of panellists. Whilst all attempts were made to capture every word, we apologise for slight inconsistencies in the quality of the video. You are welcome to share this page. Please acknowledge the source, so that the ideas are tracked back to this session and attributed to the panellists who innovated them.
Advocacy is one of the four pillars that defines what we do at VTMH. We create opportunities to hear voices not often heard or listened to. We explore the links between mental health and enduring patterns of social inequality. We highlight these perspectives in our work with government, service providers, peak bodies and communities.
Some key timestamps
7:20 Instead of receiving health care professionals and cultural information we received 500 police officers
13:13 What are we in together?
16:15 Systemic issues that continuously are unaddressed
19:37 An amazing experience seeing people come together to help
29:50 The 6 R’s Approach – Reflective, Responsive, Responsible in the Response, Relational, Resources
34:14 Engaging and involving the right people
42:32 Overwhelming need for mental health to be addressed
52:33 Power will always be there, and power is a privilege
56:38 At the end of the day, who will hear me?
Panellists
Tigist Kebede, Culturally-inclusive Counsellor, also known as ‘The Coloured Therapist’
Abdiqafar Ururshe, Spokesperson for Australian Muslim Social Services Agency (AMSSA) and board member of AMSSA Youth Connect
Summayyah Sadiq-Ojibara, Counsellor and Psychotherapist
Ahmed Dini, Co-founder of the Ubuntu Project
Moderator
Shehani De Silva (VTMH)