AIDMH promotes mental health awareness and services to multicultural communities Australia wide.
Breaking down barriers and stigma.
Unique to the Australian context is its cultural diversity, with more than half (51.1%) of Australia’s residents being born overseas or having parents who were born overseas (Australian Bureau of Statistics; ABS, 2022). This in turn requires mental health services to be responsive to the mental health needs of people from a multiplicity of cultural backgrounds.
Projects by AIDMH.
Dumplings Against Depression – public awareness campaign
A public awareness campaign – all aimed at normalising the conversation about mental health in our multicultural communities. What better way to do it than through food (dumplings)?
Our Dumplings Against Depression Event in 2023 will be combined with a launch of AIDMH, happening on Thursday the 5th of October! This event is sold out, but please contact us if you would like to learn more.
Cultural Diversity – Read the Label!
We initiated a dialogue on labels within the mental health and social impact sector. This project aimed to work with communities to better understand how terms such as ‘CALD’, ‘multicultural’ or ‘refugee and migrant-background’ sit with community, through person-centered storytelling. We brought together international students, community members, practitioners and advocates from multicultural backgrounds at The Couch International Student Centre.
The report underpins the need for nuanced labels to empower cultural identities, prioritise community understanding over labels, and foster meaningful discussions. It explores various aspects, including power dynamics, cultural identity and fluidity, intersectionality, and with practical considerations for the sector.
The ‘Cultural Diversity – Read the Label!’ report will be released on the 5th of October, coinciding with our annual Dumplings Against Depression event and the joint launch of AIDMH.
HeartChat.com.au – multicultural mental health directory
A mental health professional directory that puts culture and language at the forefront. The aim of this directory is to simplify and improve access for people to find a mental health professional to have a counselling session or to have a discussion around mental health (a “heartchat”).
Men’s Circle – a space to talk about mental health
AIDMH supports a number of projects in the community, including several migrant and multicultural men’s circles. These provide a safe and courageous space for men to openly discuss mental health and wellbeing.
Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) for multicultural communities
AIDMH houses a team of experienced mental health first aid instructors who bring with them cultural expertise and community connection. Being leaders and advocates in both the multicultural and mental health space themselves, our MHFA instructors provide nuanced mental health first aid training, stigma reduction, and lasting impact through empowerment for multicultural communities.
Navigating the Mental Health System
Local community groups
AIDMH is a centralised point to showcase all the culturally responsive grassroots groups, projects and programs promoting mental health – specifically those being championed and developed by tireless diverse volunteers and advocates in multicultural communities.
Statewide services
Many states in Australia actively value the importance of engaging multicultural communities when looking to support their mental health and well-being. AIDMH aims to bring state-level awareness to various projects, initiatives, and campaigns targeting multicultural communities.
National services
Federal Government continues to support accessibility to quality mental health services and literacy for multicultural Australians. AIDMH aims to work with Federal Government and national organisations to connect their services and supports to multicultural communities in need.
Ultimately, AIDMH makes the invisible, visible.
By ensuring impactful initiatives and projects are known to multicultural communities and service systems alike, AIDMH aims to reduce the duplication of work and siloing, whilst fostering collaboration and better development of safe mental health and wellbeing services and supports.
And more –
AIDMH & Solis will be presenting at the upcoming Inaugural National Multicultural Health & Wellbeing Conference
AIDMH is a member of the Australian Multicultural Health Collaborative (https://multiculturalhealth.org.au/), and with their exciting announcement that there will be a multicultural health conference being held in late 2023, AIDMH with the guidance of their professional and peer community group, Solis, will be presenting on the topic ‘The importance of capacity-building support networks for culture-oriented…
Cultural Diversity – Read the Label!
Language Forum & Report Download the ‘Cultural Diversity – Read the label!’ Report The use of labels within the social impact sector, specifically the mental health sector, has been long contested. Whilst the focus has been on what to call whom and when – deeper conversations about these important considerations have seldom been had in…
