Members of the Rotary Club of Flemington Kensington, Vic, were well aware of the challenges facing residents of the social housing estate in the area, having worked with and supported them for many years.
Most residents are refugees from the Horn of Africa diaspora and experienced trauma due to drought, famine and war, often spending many years in refugee camps. To address community distress, the club held a mental health forum in 2022.
The forum highlighted a desperate need for support for families dealing with the mental health of their children and teenagers, so members began exploring ways to address this need.
With the support of a district grant, the club set about organising a Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) program. Moonee Valley Council offered their facility at the Djerring Hub, with a large and airy classroom containing audio visual facilities.
PICTURED: Mental Health First Aid participants gratefully receive their Certificates of Attendance following the four-session program.
Understanding the background of participants was crucial to the success of the program, so a culturally sensitive and linguistically capable presenter was a priority. Dr Francis Aquah OAM, of the Rotary Club of Greensborough, Vic, was selected and agreed to moderate the program.
As most of the participants were mothers, the program was altered to run over four days during school hours rather than the usual two full days. Childcare was also offered.
In early March, the program kicked off with 21 participants. Cultural groups included Eritrea, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Puntland, Somalia, Sudan and Uganda, with others from Australia, Italy, China, the Philippines and Vietnam.
Francis, in his outrageously colourful outfit, soon had participants feeling comfortable and eased into what is at times quite challenging material.
Throughout the course there were frequent breaks, time-outs when the topics became confronting, and special signals for when someone needed a break. A Rotarian was on duty throughout the sessions to offer support, solace and tissues.
Several blocks to obtaining support quickly became obvious, including language barriers, communication, knowledge, stigma, and a lack of digital literacy and trust.
PICTURED: The MHFA program equips participants with the skills needed to provide initial support to someone who is experiencing a mental health problem or crisis.
Clarity around some of these points from Francis was vital. The notion of time, how long symptoms have been noticed, the severity and escalation of symptoms and impact on life were all addressed.
Following the fourth session, all participants were presented with Certificates of Attendance, with formal accreditation provided following the submission of feedback and a small assessment. The feedback from participants was very positive.
“I learned a lot and I am applying the program’s techniques to my community, colleagues and neighbours,” said Sahra. “We hope you get more funding for mental health programs so that you can continue to teach large numbers of people who can give a helping hand to people who need to connect to mental health services and to their doctors.”
“The course was challenging, especially the videos containing distressed people. But now I understand how to assess the situation, listen and offer support. Thank you for the opportunity,” said Sabeena.
Past President of the Rotary Club of Flemington Kensington, Lesley McCarthy, said the biggest impact from the program is the confidence now evident in the participants to support and assist young people and adults in their community.
“They have the tools and know where to go for help and how to assist people in stress,” Lesley said.
“We have expanded our reach with community connections into the local Horn of Africa residents, strengthened our relationship with council, and developed contacts with local social support agencies.
“We enhanced participant engagement by listening to community needs, presenting the program in a culturally sensitive manner, providing relevant session times and catering to suit them.”
MAIN PICTURE: Mohammed Abbas Omar, of the Rotary Club of Flemington Kensington, left, Hadia Komba from Moonee Valley Council, President-elect of the Rotary Club of Flemington Kensington Lesley McCarthy, and Dr Francis Aquah of the Rotary Club of Greensborough, at the MHFA certificate presentation.