How can Victoria’s mental health system become more culturally responsive, psychologically safe and inclusive of the diverse communities it serves?

Through our shared love of food, connection and conversation is certainly one way!

Recently, the Collaborative Centre was proud to be the lead sponsor of Dumplings Against Depression, a vibrant event hosted by Solis at the Melbourne Immigration Museum. More than 250 people from multicultural organisations, community groups, the Department of Health and the mental health sector came together to share dumplings from around the world — Morocco, India, Mexico, China, Japan and more — while exploring how culture shapes wellbeing.

Our Lived Experience Workforce Development Manager, Leanna Azoury addressed the event with courageous reflection on the sector’s shared responsibility to provide culturally safe, inclusive care. The Collaborative Centre also facilitated a roundtable asking attendees how the mental health system can become more responsive to different cultural needs.

Working effectively with people from multicultural communities is central to Our Workforce, Our Future. Principle 5 reminds us that all practice must be culturally safe and responsive to diversity, while Capability 3 calls on us to embrace culturally responsive and psychologically safe practice, recognising the effects of racism, colonisation and discrimination on people’s lives.

As the Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System noted, “a person’s experience of care should never depend on their culture, language or background.”

As part of our first Capability Spotlight on multicultural mental health, the Collaborative Centre sponsored Dumplings Against Depression and highlighted both that event and the recent VTMH Forum 2025: Practice and Research Innovations Towards Culturally Responsive Systems. The forum, featuring keynote speakers Indigo Daya and Kathomi Gatwiri, explored innovative practice and research that strengthen cultural responsiveness in our sector. It focused on experiences of dignity and indignity in mental health interventions through the eyes of communities, clients and service providers. Together, these activities call for our reflection on how we can build a more inclusive and culturally safe mental health system.

The Spotlight also draws attention to important sector developments such as the Diverse Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Framework 2025–2035 and its First Blueprint for Action 2025–2028, which set a strong direction for this work.

Visit our website to explore resources from this Spotlight and to discover upcoming Spotlights as we continue strengthening a workforce that reflects Victoria’s diversity.