The Mental Health Foundation Australia (MHFA) is aims to engage multicultural and Indigenous communities to promote positive mental health and wellbeing, via a network of dedicated volunteers throughout Australia.
Welcoming and engaging with these community representatives is a key responsibility of the Foundation. The Foundation and individuals benefit from the opportunity to build a trusting relationship with their communities and related groups. It provides a wonderful opportunity for multicultural ambassadors to address mental health issues specific to those communities.
The MHFA provides an administrative framework, transparency of decision-making and enhanced support for ambassadors while enabling them to become more involved in the “Better Mental Health for All” initiative. The MHFA believes that there are many opportunities where Multicultural Ambassadors can reflect the cultural diversity in the community and be an asset to the Foundation by improving current engagement practices in providing culturally appropriate mental health services.
The Mental Health Foundation Australia’s implementation of this National Multicultural Ambassador program will allow the multicultural community to identify, plan and implement key initiatives that promote and create awareness of mental health. It also helps remove the stigma and myths surrounding mental illness while also developing critical workforce skills and networking opportunities within diverse communities. By establishing a multicultural platform, the MHFA can better respond to all requests for assistance in a relevant ethnic context, ensuring that support is provided at the right time and appropriately.
|