ADEC - Action on Disability within Ethnic Communities

The Transcultural Mental Health Access Program

1 in 5 adults are affected by some form of mental health problem. This means that mental illness is a common occcurrence and is likely to affect all of us at some stage in our lives. However, research shows that the use of mental health services by ethnic communities is much lower than other Australians.

The goal of ADEC's Transcultural Mental Health Access Program is to improve access to mental health services for people from ethnic communities.

The Transcultural Mental Health Access Program is a statewide initiative that assists:

Works with ethnic communities to raise awareness about mental health problems and ways to access mental health and carer services;
Assits mental health services with developing culturally responsive models and strategies of working with ethnic communities;
Works with community and ethno specific organisations to raise their awareness of the impact of mental illness on ethnic communities and ways of assisting their clients to better access appropriate mental health services;

Peer Support Groups

ADEC's Group Activities unit facilitates mental health support groups for people with mental health issues, their carers and family memebrs in the follow languages:

Chinese
Vietnamese
Turkish
Somali women's mental health and wellbeing group

Please click link for more information about mutual support and self help groups http://www.adec.org.au/mentalHealthSelfSupportGroups.html

If you would like to learn more about the Transcultural Mental Health Program please contact:

Further Information

Shehani de Silva
Transcultural Mental Health Access Program Coordinator
Ph: (03) 9480 1666 (reception)
E: shehani@adec.org.au

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