June Organisational Newsletter: Resources to improve Asian mental health.

June: Cultural-competency training feedback.

Hello!

Last month, we ran our cultural-competency training, “Addressing stigma in Asian communities”, for the incredible team at the Multicultural Communities Council of Illawarra. Our training (as you might have guessed), is designed to support mental health practitioners to engage and connect with our diverse, Asian community.

Here’s what attendees shared:

✅100% agreed the training was relevant to their practice
✅83% would recommend it to a colleague
✅Most found the pace inclusive and easy to follow

And, some beautiful quotes that I’ve added to my “need-a-pick-me-up” folder:

💌 “The presenter was articulate and knowledgeable.”
💌 “Helpful space to reflect on how I work.”
💌 “I appreciated the reframing of help-seeking, it was empowering.”

💡One attendee asked for more advanced content… and this is feedback that we’ve taken on board as we continue to refine our training.

We’re thankful for the chance to walk alongside professionals committed to culturally-responsive practice, thank you to MCCI for having us!

If your team is exploring ways to feel more confident and resourced in supporting Asian communities, we’d love to support you: download our info pack to learn more HERE.

Cheers,
Asami

Cheers,

Asami

🌱 Important dates and festivals this month

Some important cultural festival and dates this month include: 

June 15-21: Refugee Week. This year's theme, Finding Freedom: Diversity in Community, invites everyone from across the country to recognise the importance diversity and connection plays in the growth of our community.   

June 20: Matariki. Matariki is a New Zealand national holiday which marks the beginning of the new year in the Maori lunar calendar. 

June 27: Al Hijri. This is the Islamic New Year as observed in the Islamic calendar, marking the beginning of Muharram.  

How will your organisation be marking these important dates this month? Feel free to reach out to us if you'd like some ideas!

Check out other community events here! 

🦉 Research perspectives to strengthen your culturally-responsive practice:

This systematic review by Luu et al. (2023) examined the current mental health programs and interventions that are available to CALD youth in Australia. Within this, they identified several key themes when it comes to providing appropriate care, such as creative expression, social connections and a recognition of trauma/cultural identity. Several barriers were also identified, such as stigma and shame, limited literacy, and confidentiality concerns 

What does this mean for clinicians and the community? 

First and foremost, the article emphasises the need for more inclusive, youth-centred and culturally-sensitive approaches to address the unique mental health needs of CALD youth. Practitioners should be reminded of the social, historical and political determinant that shape mental health for this particular population. An trauma-informed approach which enables self determination and incorporates CALD youth's lived experiences is key for fostering trust, promoting engagement, and ultimately improving mental health outcomes for these young people.

Reflective prompt: Whilst reading this article, what is one theme that suprised you? What is one theme that you might incorporate into your own practice? The article emphasises a youth-centred approach to CALD youth mental health - what might that look like in your own practice? 

You're welcome to reach out to us by replying to this email, if you'd like some perspective on this.

💡Build your team's cultural-competency in 2025.

In addition to our online public trainings, we can work closely with your organisation to address your team's questions and needs.

In 2024, organisations like headspace Syndal and The Australasian Genetic Counsellors Society saw improved team understanding and new strategies for delivering better services to Asian clients.

This option is extremely suitable for organisations based in areas with a high Asian population.

Ready to learn more? Download our info and pricing pack today to find out how we can help your team make a real impact.

🔎 Connect with our new therapists.

Our Asian Australian mental health practitioner list introduces you to private practitioners who are skilled in supporting the Asian community's mental health needs.

Our private practitioners are available for referrals. Please contact them directly via their profile.

✨Thank you for reading up to this point!

We rely heavily on your generous support to provide ongoing and free mental health resources to Asian communities in Australia.

Support Shapes and Sounds HERE.

🐌 And last but not least:

Recently on Linkedin,

We shared our practitioner interview with Clinical Psychologist Summer Guo. Click here to read our full interview with her!