SWSPHN’s Mental Health and Alcohol and Other Drugs team facilitated the 7th annual Mental Health and Alcohol and Other Drugs (AOD) Roundtable at Campbelltown Catholic Club’s Dharawal room last week.
The Mental Health and AOD Roundtable aims to promote integration among service providers. This year, 43 attendees including nine SWSPHN staff, came together to discuss the theme of creating culturally safe and inclusive spaces for multicultural communities and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
“Today isn’t about what we already know and what we are already doing. Today is about adding more thinking to things, i.e., diversity, and we have carefully chosen speakers who can take us further down that path,” facilitator Sharon Pedersen said.
Jioji Ravulo, the keynote speaker and Professor and Chair of Social Work and Policy Studies at The University of Sydney, highlighted the importance of a holistic approach in responding to diversity. He emphasised the journey towards recovery from mental health and AOD comorbidities, stressing the need for individuals to know they are not alone and find strategies to move forward.
“It’s all about building relationships, and we can do that through concepts like cultural humility, where we’re holding space, where we are aware of the individual and self, how they connect with family, communities, spaces and places and also social structure, system and services,” Professor Ravulo said.
Key discussions highlighted the importance of safe spaces in shaping identity and community belonging. Professor Ravulo emphasised the challenge of aligning services with diverse community needs, stating intentions drive the effectiveness of tools.
“A tool is only as good as its intention,” he said. “As practitioners, we need to be mindful of how we do that with intention, with a genuine and dialogically driven approach because it’s through those particular outcomes that you can create particular opportunities that are inclusive, sustainable and supportive,” Professor Ravulo said.
Cultural humility and shared co-design approaches were emphasised in the conversation. Professor Ravulo introduced the concept of “Talanoa”, a Fijian term to represent holding and sharing a nurturing space.
Guest speaker, Dr Lisa Juckes, clinical lead at YESS Northern Sydney and youth, general and addictions psychiatrist, delivered an afternoon presentation titled “I don’t have an issue with substance use – just help me with my mental health” focusing on co-occurring mental health and substance use.
The session was followed by a workshop exploring Models of Intersectionality, Concept of Cultural, and Social and Emotional Wellbeing. Gandangara Health Services’ presentation stood out during the event, featuring a captivating performance by Jestyn Nand on the didgeridoo, a meditation session using “dadirri”, meaning deep listening and quiet stillness, and a Yarning Circle for all attendees.
During the roundtable, we also heard from:
- Vi Nguyen: Coordinator at Odyssey Multicultural Programs.
- Mohamad Fenj: Stakeholder and Community Engagement Officer at Neami Liverpool Head to Health Mental Health Service, CALD auditor, registered counsellor and founder of The Rehabilitation Project.
- Angela Spithill: Health Services Manager of Gandangara Health Services and Marumali.
- Alex Budlevskis: Social and Emotional Wellbeing Team Leader at Gandangara Health Service.
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