Foundations of Cultural Responsiveness for Mental Health Practitioners

This introductory workshop introduces culturally safe and responsive practice and an intersectional understanding of mental health, and will assist participants to apply human rights, cultural models of health and wellbeing and participatory frameworks to mental health practice. 

The workshop is designed to stimulate the interest of participants in the range of issues related to transcultural mental health, and to complement broader service development initiatives being undertaken by an organisation within our current mental health and wellbeing reform environment.

The workshop utilises a variety of facilitation modes, grounded in a reflective practice approach, to provide learners with the opportunity to explore the knowledge, skills and attitudes that support culturally safe and responsive, equitable and inclusive mental health care across a variety of service settings and contexts. 

Workshop participants will also be informed of additional VTMH services including advanced skills and training workshops that are also available. 

Learning outcomes

• Reflect on concepts and frameworks important for culturally safe and responsive care, including human rights, culture, identity, intersectionality, culturally safe and responsive care, and cultural humility.
• Consider culturally responsive practices including working with interpreters, partnering with communities, reflexivity, explanatory models, social and cultural models of health, cultural assessment and recovery and anti-oppression practices.
• Consider ways to implement culturally responsive practices at systemic levels and individual levels while being aware of relevant government policy and the mental health reform environment. 

Eligibility

VTMH workshops are open to staff working in Victoria’s state-funded mental health workforce. This includes public clinical and community mental health services, as well as state-funded mental health programs within community health and social services.

Due to funding arrangements, workshops are currently unavailable to those working solely in private practice/NDIS providers. If you register and it is not clear you are part of the intended audience, we may contact you to confirm your eligibility. We thank you for your understanding.