Cultures and Psychology APS IG Newsletter - APS Member Groups

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Cultures and Psychology APS IG Newsletter April 2012 practices such as conjugal visits, which are not currently available in Australia and which seem to work well in other countries, should be considered for all inmates whether English speaking or non-English speaking. Culture and Psychology APS IG Newsletter July 2011 Page 12
Cultures and Psychology APS IG Newsletter April 2012 The outlook to be more culturally responsive mental health workforce in Western Australia: Building bridges instead of walls By: Dr. Bernadette Wright Australia has an increasingly diverse population with almost a 25 per cent born overseas from over 200 countries. However, cultural diversity presents some challenges for mental health services. Access can be a serious issue for people of culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities while language, culture, traditions and beliefs can impede accurate understanding of mental disorders and appropriate pathways to services. A mental health service that is not culturally competent can have serious negative effects on a CALD client by failing to provide appropriate care. Western Australia has recently launched a pilot initiative to facilitate the integration of cultural responsiveness strategies through the implementation of the National Cultural Competency Tool (NCCT) into the routine quality improvement (QI) processes across all mental health programs funded by the State’s Mental Health Commission (WA). Developed with Commonwealth funding, the NCCT is a practical resource designed to assist mental health services work transculturally and improve equity for mental health consumers from CALD backgrounds. The benefits to the community of providing culturally competent care include more accurate diagnosis and increased rate of positive clinical outcome. The tool contains a set of eight National Cultural Competency Standards which were developed to be aligned with those in several relevant national Standards and Plans. These include the National Standards for Mental Health Services, the National Mental Health Policy, and the 4 th National Mental Health Plan. A series of practical aids, including an organizational self-assessment checklist to support services in enhancing their cultural competency, are also included. The initiative is led by the Community Culture and Mental Health Unit of the University of Western Australia which has been commissioned to develop and deliver a training program that will support the integration of the NCCT across all targeted services. Services will be given the necessary ongoing support as they endeavour to embed the Tool in their policies and processes. Culture and Psychology APS IG Newsletter July 2011 Page 13
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Cultures and Psychology APS IG Newsletter - APS Member Groups

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