Responding to diversity
Overview
Objectives and actions
People from Culturally and Linguistically Diverse backgrounds
Action
Planned completion
Status
6.1.1
Develop and implement a multi-pronged strategy to address poor access to mental health services by people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, including: 1. Activities to improve the mental health literacy of people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds; 2. Education and training to service providers to improve the quality of services provided to people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds; and 3. Develop and implement strategies to incorporate routine screening for mental illness, alcohol and other drug use, and suicide risk within other health services
Planned completion
2019/2020
Status
On hold
6.1.2
Encourage providers across Brisbane North to adopt approaches such as the Framework for Mental Health in Multicultural Australia: Towards culturally inclusive service delivery
Planned completion
2019/2020
Status
On track
6.1.3
Improve access to interpreter services by people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds and their Families and Carers
Planned completion
2019/2020
Status
On track
Updated
Action
Planned completion
Status
6.2.1
Empower culturally and linguistically diverse communities to develop community leaders who will support new arrivals and migrants to connect with mental health services
Planned completion
2019/2020
Status
On track
Updated
6.2.2
Explore options for improving responses to mental health issues for new arrivals who have experienced trauma and/or torture
Planned completion
2019/2020
Status
On hold
Updated
Action
Planned completion
Status
6.3.1
Identify and promote mental health services that do not charge a fee for people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds who are ineligible for Medicare
Planned completion
2019/2020
Status
On track
Updated
6.3.2
Continue to explore opportunities to grow and expand free or affordable mental health services for people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds who are ineligible for Medicare
Planned completion
Status
On hold
Action
Planned completion
Status
6.4.1
Encourage culturally and linguistically diverse service providers to promote physical health-related activities in the Prospectus: Mental Health Recovery and Clinical Programs
Planned completion
2019/2020
Status
On hold
6.4.2
Increase the knowledge of GPs and mental health services about the physical healthcare needs of people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds and services responding to these needs
Planned completion
2019/2020
Status
On hold
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex, Queer+ people
Action
Planned completion
Status
6.5.1
Improve and maintain the quality of web-based and referral databases information that facilitates LGBTIQ+ people’s access to appropriate mental health, suicide prevention, alcohol and other drug services, and LGBTIQ+ peer based supports
Planned completion
2019/2020
Status
On hold
6.5.2
Provide education and training to mental health, suicide prevention, and alcohol and other drug services and practitioners in appropriate, inclusive, non-discriminatory frameworks and methodologies appropriate for working with LGBTIQ+ people, including sub-populations that have specific needs (i.e. transgender, intersex, HIV, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, etc.)
Planned completion
2019/2020
Status
On hold
6.5.3
Facilitate the promotion, distribution and consistent application of relevant LGBTIQ+ health standards of care, practice frameworks, research, information and health promotion resources
Planned completion
Status
On hold
6.5.4
Create timely, seamless referral pathways for LGBTIQ+ people to access the mental health, suicide prevention and alcohol and other drug services and support that they require, including LGBTIQ+ peer based supports
Planned completion
2019/2020
Status
On hold
Action
Planned completion
Status
6.6.1
Resource and support LGBTIQ+ community led organisations, services, and peer based supports to deliver mental health, suicide prevention, and alcohol and other drug services and supports to LGBTIQ+ people and communities
Planned completion
Status
On hold
6.6.2
Ongoing review and assessment of the resourcing needs and service delivery capacity of LGBTIQ+ organisations, services, and peer based supports
Planned completion
Status
On hold
6.6.3
Build and strengthen relationships within and between LGBTIQ+ organisations, services and peer based supports, and mental health, suicide prevention, and alcohol and other drug services
Planned completion
Status
On hold
6.6.4
Provide mental health, suicide prevention and alcohol and other drug professional development education and training to staff and volunteers working in LGBTIQ+ organisations, services, and peer based supports.
Planned completion
Status
On hold
Action
Planned completion
Status
6.7.1
LGBTIQ+ people accessing mental health, suicide prevention, and alcohol and other drug services are informed about LGBTIQ+ peer based supports and are supported to access these if they wish
Planned completion
Status
On hold
6.7.2
Increase awareness, knowledge and skills of LGBTIQ+ people and communities to recognise, respond to, and provide care to LGBTIQ+ people at risk of suicide
Planned completion
Ongoing
Status
On track
Updated
6.7.3
Identify and address structural stigma within mental health care settings that impact on LGBTIQ people’s access to services, and their health and wellbeing outcomes
Planned completion
Status
On hold
6.7.4
Develop responses to that address underlying social determinants of health that impact on the increased risk of suicide of LGBTIQ+ people, such as social isolation, stigma, prejudice and discrimination
Planned completion
Status
On hold
Older People
Action
Planned completion
Status
6.8.1
Seek funding for and develop an evidence-based model of care to meet the sub-acute needs of psycho-geriatric People with a Lived/Living Experience and clients as well as Consumers and clients with challenging behaviours
Planned completion
Status
On hold
6.8.2
Improve access to integrated specialist geriatric and psychiatric input for older people with mental illness
Planned completion
2019/2020
Status
On hold
6.8.3
Explore options to support and expand the provision of mental health services to older people with mental illness, including depression, living in residential aged care facilities, ensuring activities are holistic and socially meaningful
Planned completion
2019/2020
Status
On track
6.8.4
Investigate and implement ambulatory mental health services for older people that are co-located in the community setting and integrate medical, diagnostics and allied health together with providing support to navigate housing, social and finance matters
Planned completion
Status
On hold
Action
Planned completion
Status
6.9.1
Develop a risk management approach for the detection of older people at risk of suicide, ensuring a holistic approach that considers: broader social factors; elder abuse and men over 85 years living in the community (who are at higher risk)
Planned completion
Status
On hold
6.9.2
Implement an education strategy for GPs on factors that improve older peoples’ mental health and prevent suicide; and referral pathways into mental health and suicide prevention services for older people. The strategy should consider the views of older people themselves, as well as carers, family members, in-home care staff and RACF staff
Planned completion
Status
On hold
6.9.3
Establish a forum where organisations with an interest in, and commitment to, improving care for older people with mental illness and/or cognitive impairment can meet to share information and ideas to improve service delivery and community support
Planned completion
2019/20
Status
Completed
Action
Planned completion
Status
6.10.1
Implement strategies to better support carers, particularly ageing carers, using psychological services, peer support and other social supports
Planned completion
2019/2020
Status
On hold
6.10.2
Develop carers’ skills in mental health and suicide prevention through targeted training
Planned completion
2019/2020
Status
On hold
Action
Planned completion
Status
6.11.1
Enhance service navigation and promote access to services and supports for older people, including through local council, sports clubs, community activities, community transport, construction and rural programs
Planned completion
Status
On track
6.11.2
Address the mental health stigma experienced by older people, including self-stigma and encourage conversations to facilitate help-seeking behaviour
Planned completion
Status
On track
6.11.3
Educate GPs, service providers and carers on the relationship between mental health and physical health for older people, the impact of life transitions (e.g. to residential aged care) and the need for more integrated services and responses across these areas
Planned completion
2019/20
Status
On hold
Governance
CALD
The Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Stakeholder Group has been convened by the Ethnic Communities Council of Qld and met regularly throughout 2019 – 2020. This group is comprised of stakeholders and community members with a vested interest in improved outcomes for people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. The Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Stakeholder Group has direct oversight over implementation of the relevant actions in Chapter Six – Responding to Diversity within Planning for Wellbeing. The Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Stakeholder Group is no longer active, and a review is underway to determine best collaborative practice to further implement the actions and objectives for supporting people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds in Brisbane North.
Membership
No current membership, as per above
LGBTIQ+
The LGBTIQ+ Stakeholder Group has been convened by the Queensland Council for LGBTI Health and and met regularly throughout 2019 – 2020. This group is comprised of stakeholders and community members with a vested interest in improving outcomes for LGBTIQ+ communities. The LGBTIQ+ Stakeholder Group has direct oversight over implementation of the relevant actions in Chapter six – Responding to Diversity within Planning for Wellbeing. The LGBTIQ+ Stakeholder Group is no longer active, and a review is underway to determine best collaborative practice to further implement the actions and objectives for supporting LGBTIQ+ communities in Brisbane North.
Membership
No current membership, as per above
Older People
The Older Person Stakeholder Group has been convened by the Council on the Ageing Queensland and met regularly throughout 2019 – 2020. This group is comprised of stakeholders and community members with a vested interest in improving outcomes for older people. The Older Person Stakeholder Group has direct oversight over implementation of the relevant actions in Chapter Six – Responding to Diversity within Planning for Wellbeing. The Older Person Stakeholder Group is no longer active, and a review is underway to determine best collaborative practice to further implement the actions and objectives for supporting older people in Brisbane North.
Membership
No current membership, as per above
Achievements
Chapter Six of Planning for Wellbeing is dedicated to Responding to Diversity, with a focus on three priority populations:
- People from Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CaLD) backgrounds
- People from Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex, Queer + (LGBTIQ+) Communities
- Older people.
In July 2019, the PHN engaged three key organisations to actively progress activity towards the ten shared objectives within this Chapter, including:
- the Ethnic Communities Council of Queensland to support the CaLD focused objectives
- the Queensland Council for LGBTI Health to support the LGBTIQ+ focused objectives
- the Council on the Ageing Queensland to support the older people focused objectives.
Summary of achievements
In July 2019, the PHN engaged the Ethnic Communities Council of Queensland (ECCQ) – the peak body raising awareness of the benefits of cultural diversity and advocating for social and economic participating for all Queenslanders, including those from culturally diverse communities. ECCQ have been tasked with establishing and leading a stakeholder group to work towards the achievement of the relevant shared objectives supporting people from culturally and linguistically diverse communities.
ECCQ has engaged a diverse group of stakeholders, including people with lived experience, who have agreed to form the stakeholder group that will guide, direct and recommend activities moving forward, in line with the shared objectives.
The stakeholder group have developed an implementation plan, to guide activity over 2019/2020, prioritising a number of the actions. These include:
- Identifying, or where needed develop, CaLD appropriate training and resources to raise community awareness of mental health, suicide prevention and AOD knowledge and available services
- Empowering and equipping community leaders to support CaLD communities including new arrivals, to increase their knowledge and skills in mental health and improve their confidence to work with interpreter services
- Improving access to interpreter services by sourcing and providing training to providers
- Promotion of the new EMBRACE Multicultural Mental Health Framework, including promoting a workshop to train providers in late 2019
- Identifying, collating and promoting culturally appropriate and easily-accessible services for people ineligible for Medicare- based services
Whilst the engagement of ECCQ will help to accelerate the achievement of a number of actions over 2019/2020, it is important to recognise the valuable work that has and will continue to occur, including (but not limited to):
- The information sessions hosted by Queensland Council of Social Services [1] (QCOSS) to support the effective engagement and working with interpreters in Queensland (Action 6.1.3)
- The Problem Management Plus (PM+) Program delivered by Culture in Mind [2] – a free program to support people manage stress and adverse situations (Action 6.3.1)
- ECCQ’s sector development work to empower communities and develop communities leaders who will act as an important connection point for the broader community (Action 6.2.1)
[1] https://www.qcoss.org.au/
[2] http://www.cultureinmind.org.au/
In July 2019, the PHN engaged the Queensland AIDS Council (QuAC) – the peak body advocating for the best possible health and wellbeing of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex people. QuAC have been tasked with establishing and leading a stakeholder group to work towards the achievement of the relevant shared objectives supporting people from LGBTIQ+ communities.
QuAC has engaged a diverse group of stakeholders including people with lived experience, who have agreed to form the stakeholder group that will guide, direct and recommend activities moving forward, in line with the shared objectives.
The stakeholder group have developed an implementation plan, to guide activity over 2019/2020, prioritising a number of the actions. These include:
- Identify, review and promote appropriate training to healthcare practitioners to support inclusive non-discriminatory approaches to working with people from LGBTIQ+ communities
- Educate healthcare practitioners about issues experienced by people from LGBTIQ+ communities, including via review and editing HealthPathways as appropriate, and creating and implementing a communications strategy regarding treatment guidelines and standards of care
- Strengthen relationships between LGBTIQ+ focused services and peer-based supports and the mainstream health sector.
Whilst the engagement of QuAC will help to accelerate the achievement of a number of actions over 2019/2020, it is important to recognise the valuable work that has and will continue to occur, including (but not limited to):
- The widespread roll-out of training by Diverse Voices (as part of the National Suicide Prevention Trial) to frontline community members to support better recognition and response to suicidality within the LGBTIQ+ community (Action 6.7.2)
- The growth and expansion of both clinical and non-clinical suicide prevention services and pathways, delivered by the Centre for Human Potential, QuAC and Open Doors, to the LGBTIQ+ community (Action 6.7.1)
- Mapping and promoting LGBTIQ+ focused support services [1] ( in particular, suicide prevention support services) to GPs and other healthcare providers (Action 6.5.3)
[1] https://www.mymentalhealth.org.au/page/services/community-services/sp-care-pathways/
In July 2019, the PHN engaged Council on the Ageing (COTA) Queensland – the seniors peak body advancing the rights, interests and futures of Queenslanders as we age. COTA Queensland was tasked with establishing and leading a stakeholder group to work towards the achievement of the relevant shared objectives supporting older people in the region.
COTA Queensland has engaged a diverse group of stakeholders, including older people with lived experience, who have agreed to form the stakeholder group that will guide, direct and recommend activities moving forward, in line with the shared objectives.
It is important to note that the majority of the actions focused on improving outcomes for older people experiencing mental illness or suicidal ideation have been informed by ‘A Five Year Health Care Plan for Older People who live in Brisbane North 2017-22’ [1]. This ‘Older Person’s Plan’ is a partnership between the PHN and the HHS, and recognises the value of working together across primary care, community and hospital settings. Rather than duplicating processes, the team who developed Planning for Wellbeing leveraged off the extensive consultations that informed the ‘Older Person’s Plan’, and used this to inform the shared objectives and associated actions.
The stakeholder group have developed an implementation plan, to guide activity over 2019/2020, prioritising a number of the actions. These include:
- Improving access to integrated geriatric and psychiatric support for older people with mental illness, including scoping options for a specialised psycho-geriatric service and/or hotline
- Exploring the opportunity to expand the nurse navigator model to include specialist navigation for older people’s mental health in the community setting
- Implementing strategies to better support people caring for older people, including exploring options for ‘holidays for health’, peer support ‘buddy’ systems, and support for carers and families experiencing distress following a family member moving into a residential aged care facility.
Whilst the engagement of COTA Queensland will help to accelerate the achievement of a number of actions over 2019/2020, it is important to recognise the valuable work that has and will continue to occur, including (but not limited to):
- The in-reach delivery of mental health services by Change Futures[2] to people living in over 30 residential aged care facilities across the region (Action 6.8.3)
- Palliative Care Queensland [3] have been commissioned to undertake a situation analysis to explore and better understand the palliative care issues being experienced by the Brisbane North community (Action 6.10.1)
- The Residential Aged Care Assessment and Referral (RADAR) Service facilitating access to specialised services for people living in residential aged care facilities (Action 6.8.2).
[1] Older persons plan – http://www.brisbanenorthphn.org.au/
[2] https://www.changefutures.org.au/
[3] https://palliativecareqld.org.au/
