What We Do
VTMH advocates strongly for cultural safety and supports the examination of societal structures, service systems, and institutional factors.
We aim to:
- Strengthen the wellbeing of communities
- Create a more equitable and socially just service system
- Build bridges between people, groups and systems
- Develop a responsive, reflective mental health workforce
- Share experiences, stories and evidence
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