Register here to become a Cultural Portfolio Holder

The VTPU Cultural Portfolio Holder Program is for individuals working within a Victorian, state government mental health service who have been asked by their service to take on this role. Cultural Portfolio Holders work in child and adolescent mental health services, aged persons' mental health services, statewide, specialist and forensic mental health services as well as in adult mental health services in both clinical and psychiatric disability rehabilitation and support services

If you have a similar role in another type of mental health program and would still like to register with us please contact us on vtpu@svhm.org.au

Cultural Portfolio Holders registered with the VTPU receive 

 

Why do we need Cultural Portfolio Holders (CPHs) in mental health services?

Victoria is home to people from more than 200 nations, speaking more than 200 languages and dialects and following more than 120 faiths.  Click here to download Victoria's Multicultural Policy.

The preamble to the Victorian Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities declares that “human rights belong to all people without discrimination and the diversity of the people of Victoria enhances our community”.  Click here to download the Victorian Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities document.

The Victorian Mental health Act includes among its objectives “to establish, develop, promote, assist and encourage mental health services which – take into account the age-related, gender-related, religious, cultural, language and other special needs of people with a mental disorder” (cited in Minas 2009/08)

And yet…

A recent investigation of mental health service use by members of Victoria’s ethnic communities found that while people from non-English-speaking countries (NESC) comprise 20% of Victoria’s population, those from NESC comprise only 13% of community clients and 15 % of inpatients. People from non-English speaking countries present late in the course of a disorder; there were more diagnoses of psychoses, more frequent contacts, inpatient admissions were more likely, more involuntary admissions and longer inpatient stays. People with non-psychotic disorders are, it seems, less inclined to seek treatment (Stolk, Minas, Klimidis 2008).   Click here to download a copy of the Access Report.

The VTPU’s mission is to “strengthen the capacity of Victoria’s mental health system to provide effective, equitable and cultural appropriate services to Victoria’s cultural and linguistically diverse (CALD) population”. To this end, we are committed to forming partnerships with mental health services and community organisations and working with Cultural Portfolio Holders.

What’s the role of a Cultural Portfolio Holder (CPH)?

Cultural Portfolio Holders work in specialist mental health services in Victoria, in child and adolescent mental health services, aged persons' mental health services, statewide, specialist services and forensic mental health servicesas well as in adult mental health services in both clinical and psychiatric disability rehabilitation and support services. Many are senior members of staff with a passion for improving the way their organisation meets the mental health needs of people from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds. Most undertake this role as one role among many other direct client care and leadership responsibilities.

Click here for a summary of current and recent Victorian Government, Department of Health’s cultural diversity policy and strategy in relation to Cultural Portfolio Holders.

There is no one way to describe the role of a CPH. Services are encouraged to develop role descriptions that reflect their particular programs and organisational structures. Most CPHs are enhancing the care and management of individual CALD consumers, their family members and carers and participating in broader service and community development initiatives.

Gathering information and knowledge about the mental health needs of local CALD communities, assisting fellow team members to develop skills in cross-cultural work, agitating for improvements in the use of language services, developing linkages and partnerships with a range of organisations – these are just some of the tasks in which CPHs are engaged.

CPHs are “champions”; they are seeking creative and innovative ways to address the needs of our diverse and ever changing multicultural community and helping to develop more responsive, flexible service models. They need mentoring, sponsorship, and management support. For a brief, irreverent summary of what engaging the change champions within your service could mean click here.

A number of CPHs have been working in these roles for some time. Here are some of outcomes they are seeking and some suggestions, for CPHs who may be just getting started, about what to do.

Getting and keeping CALD issues on the organisation’s agenda 

Find some allies within the organisation – who else is passionate about this issue? Find people with relevant expertise and experience – bilingual staff, researchers, educators, consumer and carer advocates and partner organisations.

Developing structures within the organisation that support and assist their work 

Form a cultural diversity working group with links to decision-making structures within the organisation. Try to get representation from a really wide range of disciplines and teams.

Develop a process for decision making and communicating with senior management, team leaders, quality managers and staff at all levels.

Identify the key stake holders or a critical reference group for this work. Find ways to ensure CALD consumers and carers participate. Find ways to bring in and reach out to the community.

Seek mentoring, sponsorship and management support for the role. Develop links with VTPU Cultural Portfolio Holder Program Convenor and other CPHs. Develop an agreed description of the role.

Understanding the community context; the cultural groups, the socioeconomic issues faced

Get an understanding of who is in your local community Find out about the data and reports related to your local community which are available from various sources.  Click here to link to the VTPU's data information.

Make connections with key ethno-specific or multicultural associations.

Find out about cross-sector multicultural networks in the local area. People with mental health issues may be seeking support from migrant services, the local council or religious leaders.

Identifying the main issues and priorities for the organisation and the local community

Get familiar with the relevant mental health workforce standards in relation to cultural diversity.               
Click here to view the contents of the National Practice Standards for the Mental Health Workforce (2002) and Standards for Psychiatric Disability Rehabilitation and Support Services (2004) and links to the documents.

Review how CALD consumers and carers are experiencing the service (click here).

Review how the organisation's infrastructure is impacting on its capacity to respond to a culturally diverse community (click here)

 
Helping to devise an organisational cultural diversity plan and start working on some goals 

Keeping records of activities, review their effectiveness and evaluate progress

 

What’s the VTPU’s role in this program?

Supporting the work of Cultural Portfolio Holders is an important part of our Service Development Program.  More information can be found about the VTPU's mission, services and other programs in our brochure. 

2010 Quarterly meetings, special events and research

Dates and current terms of reference for the 2010 quarterly meetings are available from the VTPU Convenor.

These meetings provide CPHs with opportunities to share information, develop networks and discuss a topic of interest in depth.  Special topics covered this year include: a discussion with Dr Ruth Vine, Chief Psychiatrist about the role of CPHs and the Victorian Government mental health reform strategy; discussion among CPHs about their knowledge of culturally responsive consumer and carer support services and the value of forming local networks.

The October meeting will feature a discussion on ways services can work more effectively with interpreter services.

As a follow-up to an initial session last year we had half day seminar in June on Using the Victorian Charter of Human Rights as an Advocacy Tool (with a focus on mental health services and CaLD communities).  Facilitated by VEOHRC (Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission). 

The VPTU held a focus group in June to launch a research project – Development of a consensus among Cultural Portfolio Holders (CPHs).  All CPHs registered with the VTPU program will be invited to participate in a series of on-line surveys, in late 2010, that will seek their views on mental health service provision and the CPH role.

New CPHs are also encouraged to participate in VTPU's ongoing education and training activities.  For more information on VPTU’s 2010 training calendar, click here.

(updated 1st Sept 2010)


2009 – Training and quarterly meetings convened by the VTPU

During 2009 over 25 Cultural Portfolio Holders were among the 80+ mental health professionals who participated in VTPU’s six training day program; Culturally competent mental health service provision for a multicultural society, offered between April and October. Conducted over three sites (Goulburn Valley Area Mental Health, Werribee Mercy Mental Health and at the VTPU), the program covered a range of topics: migrants and refugee experiences, understandings of self and emotions, working with interpreters, consumer and family/ carer involvement, recovery and social support, explanatory models of illness, assessing risk and understanding suicide, service and community development.

The VTPU also convened 4 meetings in 2009 providing CPHs with opportunities to meet, share information, develop networks and discuss topics of special interest.  Terms of Reference were developed.  Topics discussed include: The Australian Council on Health Standards EQuiP 4 Accreditation implications for promoting culturally responsive services; an introduction to the Victorian Charter of Human Rights by VEOHRC. 


2008/09 – Workshops

A workshop Consolidating the cultural portfolio holder role in mental health services was offered as a follow-up to the forum offered in early 2008. Conducted 5 times at a number of sites - Shepparton, Box Hill, Geelong West and VTPU sites- it was attended by a total of 35 CPHs. Topics covered included a review of the role of the CPH, developing a work plan, leadership and change management. Overall most participants found the sessions informative and provided an opportunity to work through some practical examples and reflect on their work to date. Some participants stated that they would also like - more practical examples of what can be done, to discuss CALD issues as part of accreditation processes, to share resources and information. A number of participants saw generating and maintaining a service’s interest in CALD issues as a significant challenge.

2008 – Survey and Forum

A survey was developed by VTPU and sent to all Cultural Portfolio Holders, seeking additional information about their location in the services and their understanding of the CPH role.

This was followed by a forum of CPHs, held at the VTPU on 9th April and attended by 28 CPHs from CAMHS, Adult and Aged Persons Mental Health Services and Psychiatric Disability Rehabilitation & Support Services from rural, regional and metropolitan areas. CPHs were invited to consider some of the ways services could be reformed and their own role in this process as outlined in a draft of the document The Cultural Diversity Plan, Cultural Portfolio Holders and Recommendations to Services.  Participants had the opportunity to network and discuss their perceptions of the CPH role and share information about strategies and activities. They also described the kinds of support that they believe they need (from within their service and from the VTPU) in order to work towards a culturally sensitive approach in their services.

A summary of the rich information and ideas generated by these activities is summarised in the report Cultural Portfolio Holders Snapshot, May 2008 can be viewed by clicking here.