What We Do

VTMH advocates strongly for cultural safety and supports the examination of societal structures, service systems, and institutional factors.

Our Strategies

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  Collaborate

  Collaborate — We prioritise inclusive participation and use design thinking

  What we do:

  JOIN WITH CONSUMERS, CARERS AND COMMUNITIES AND COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANISATIONS.

  TEAM UP WITH MENTAL HEALTH TEAMS, SERVICE PROVIDERS, EDUCATORS AND GOVERNMENT.

  • Cultivate relationships with mental health services, diversity agencies and community groups and organisations
  • Respond to education, service development requests by developing a shared understanding of issues and goals: recent examples include NorthWestern Primary Health Network and VAADA
  • Respond to requests from community groups and agencies
  • Join taskforce groups, working groups and networks
  • Undertake commissioned projects: recent examples include LGBTIntersect and an evaluation of a DHHS grants program

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  Support

  Support — We build capacity by offering support over an extended time

  What we do:

  SUPPORT THE GROWTH AND SELF-DETERMINATION OF COMMUNITY-BASED ADVOCATES AND AGENCIES.

  BUILD THE CAPACITY OF MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS AND SERVICES TO IMPLEMENT PRACTICES AND STRATEGIES.

  • Provide timely information and advice
  • Cultivate advocates and leaders
  • Design and develop cultural responsiveness initiatives that prioritise equity through our Partners in Diversity program: examples are outlined in two reports (VTMH, 2011; 2016)
  • Offer partner agencies customised learning programs – workshops and group learning including reflective practice conversations, group supervision, and transcultural clinical discussions
  • Coordinate community of practice professional networks: for example, Community of Practice (CoP) in Cultural Diversity and Mental Health
  • Provide community partners with ongoing support: for example, the South Sudanese community radio program at 3ZZZ.

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  Equip

  Equip — We create resources and spaces to learn about mental health and diversity

  What we do:

  REACH OUT TO MENTAL HEALTH, PRIMARY HEALTH, SOCIAL SERVICES, EDUCATION AND COMMUNITY SECTORS.

  CREATE EVIDENCE-INFORMED RESOURCES AND MAKE THEM FREELY AVAILABLE.

  • Conduct workshops designed for the mental health workforce that are part of the Centre for Mental Health Learning calendar
  • Convene seminars and webinars and forums
  • Create interactive online learning materials
  • Prepare evidence-informed guidelines

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  Advocate

  Advocate — We promote cultural safety through all our work

  What we do:

  LISTEN TO LIVED EXPERIENCE, VALUE DIVERSE VOICES, ACKNOWLEDGE INTERSECTIONS, AND FORM COALITIONS.

  ADDRESS ENDURING PATTERNS OF SOCIAL INEQUALITY IN OUR WORK WITH GOVERNMENT, SERVICE PROVIDERS, NETWORKS, PEAK BODIES AND COMMUNITIES.

  • Create and promote stories by consumers, carers and community members: for example: Finding our way and Our Voices
  • Keep up-to-date with evidence and perspectives related to transcultural mental health
  • Contribute to reforms by participating in consultations and responding to requests: for example see our story on the Royal Commission into Mental Health Services
  • Design, conduct and disseminate evaluation and research: for recent examples see our publications