Wellness and Resilience: GAZA CONFLICT

Four Primary Health Networks (PHNs) based in Sydney, including Central and Eastern Sydney, Northern Sydney, South Western Sydney, and Western Sydney PHNs, were tasked with working together with local communities and services through a 12-month small grants approach. This involved commissioning grants to local stakeholders and organisations that aim to build resilience and social connectedness and assist with the loss, anxiety, and elevated levels of distress caused by the recent international conflict. 

Extensive consultation was undertaken by PHN Mental Health Response Coordinators with a range of key stakeholders to better understand the needs of affected communities, the resources they require, and how to ensure a system that can provide effective support and navigation.

This approach then informed a small grants approach aiming to deliver projects and programs that will increase mental health literacy, encourage proactive help seeking, reduce isolation and stigma and enhance the ability of local services to provide culturally informed care. 

Information about the successful grant recipients and their activities can be found below.

Successful grant recipients and activities:

Regions Covered: South Western Sydney, Western Sydney and Central Eastern Sydney

Activity:

  • This activity aims to increase community resilience, improve mental health literacy and encourage greater access to mental health services for people from Palestinian communities.
  • Through offering group-based healing circles and mental health educational programs in schools, places of workshops and community centers, participants will be provided with a supportive platform to address grief, trauma and mental distress and, through this, build help seeking behaviors.
  • Key components of the Educaid approach will be educational outreach to local schools, the ability to upskill providers in cultural sensitivity training, and the offering of in-person and digital regional coverage methods.

Regions Covered: South Western Sydney and Western Sydney and Central Eastern Sydney

Activity:

  • This activity seeks to improve the mental health and well-being of the Palestinian Christian community through an immersive experience that combines narrative therapy, storytelling, and celebrating cultural heritage.
  • With an aim to prompt an ongoing community mental health discourse, social change, mental health skill development and healing and resilience, the project will offer a package known as stories of hope, which includes Tatreez embroidery, music and dance, community storytelling and community archiving and ensures that all participants have access to an approach that is therapeutic, culturally relevant and that also provides links and pathways to future support if required.   

Regions Covered: Central Eastern Sydney, South Western Sydney

  • Led by an experienced mental health social worker this approach offers initial clinical assessment and targeted referral to families who have been impacted by the ongoing conflict.  
  •  Through biopsychosocial assessment a better understanding of mental health needs is gained, potential future social and environmental supports are identified & additionally, opportunities for brief intervention via a suitably qualified and experienced mental health professional will also be offered to participants.  

Regions covered: South Western Sydney and Western Sydney

Activity:

  • This activity aims to build social connectedness, mental health, and well-being, as well as strengthen resilience through physical activities, traditional art and dance, and various community events that will encourage community spirit, interfaith dialogue, and increased cultural understanding.
  • MH literacy approaches will bolster the mental health awareness of community members, enabling them to identify and navigate support more effectively.

Regions Covered: South Western Sydney, Western Sydney, Central Eastern Sydney and North Sydney

Activity:

  • This activity seeks to upskill the mental health knowledge, literacy and understanding of Imams and through this, equip Imams with skills for culturally appropriate support, the ability to locate and navigate mental health services for their congregation and provide knowledge and tools to help Imam’s advocate for mental health supports in their community.
  • A series of workshop pathways and on developing key mental health skills building, learning about new referral pathways, and enhancing communication skills. It will include a range of mental health specialists to ensure the material provides a solid platform for Imams to work closely with their local communities.

Regions covered: Central Eastern Sydney and Northern Sydney

  • This activity is focused on ensuring that the Jewish community clients have access to comprehensive and coordinated supports that promote good mental health and in particular address the impacts of the current conflict on families, communities and individuals.
  • Coordination of supports includes in house mental health support, referral to specialist Hebrew mental health agencies for trauma specific support, support for navigating emergency and crisis accommodation, support for immigration concerns and resilience, social connectedness and self-advocacy workshops.
  • Jewish Care aims to ensure that the service offers comprehensive assessment, tailored therapeutic programs, and proactive community liaison and case management support.

 Mental Health Response Coordinators are based at Central Eastern Sydney PHN and Western Sydney PHN and have been responsible for extensive consultation with organisations and stakeholders who have been currently providing supports for community affected by the ongoing conflict.

 Through this consultation MH response coordinators have been able to identify a range of shortlisted applicants for potential small grants funding, whilst also gaining a deeper understanding of the mental health needs of communities affected by the conflict.

The ongoing role for MH Response Coordinators will include:

  • Contract development, management and capacity building with orgs newer to commissioning environment
  • Sector liaison in identifying current and emerging referral pathways and resources
  • Showcasing projects on a local, state and national level
  • Building sector capacity
  • Investigating emerging themes, system barriers, advocacy opportunities 
  • Ongoing support for funded organisations

A community of practice group has been established with participation from all providers. The group had its first meeting in July and plans to meet bimonthly.

 Selected group objectives include: 

  • Providing a system of support and ongoing professional development for individuals
  • Support and encourage the development and extension of specialist knowledge
  • Mentoring to build capability of less experienced practitioners
  • Develop and identify opportunities towards the ongoing sustainability (past the funded activity point).  

Standard activities and supports in the COP include:

  • Exchange of ideas
  • Peer support
  • Exploration of issues

In collaboration with all four Sydney based PHNs and Transcultural Mental Health Centre a session was tailored for a range of PHN commissioned services on transcultural mental health for refugee and migrant populations.

Key webinar components included:

  •  Awareness of the cultural diversity in Sydney and the experiences of CALD communities
  •  Understanding of how culture influences mental health and illness.
  • Awareness of tools & resources to support migrants & refugees.