The Muslim Community Leaders Mental Health First Responder Training program is designed to empower leaders within the Australian Muslim community through specialised training. This initiative focuses on enhancing mental health literacy, treatment-seeking behaviour, counselling skills, and brief interventions to improve mental health service engagement across the Australian Muslim community’s diverse cultural communities.

Program Goals:

• Enhance Mental Health Service Engagement: Foster cultural and religious sensitivity to reduce stigma, reach vulnerable Muslims, promote community-driven support seeking, and strengthen referral pathways.
• Provide Ongoing Support: Offer continuous training and consultation to community leaders, addressing a critical gap in mental health service engagement within the Australian Muslim community.

Key Objectives:

• Boost Mental Health Literacy: Improve participants’ understanding and attitudes towards mental health by dispelling myths and reducing stigma associated with mental illness. 
• Equip with Practical Skills: Train leaders in brief interventions such as Single Session Thinking and family consultations to help them recognise serious mental illness and respond effectively as first responders. 
• Increase Referral Confidence: Enhance awareness and confidence among participants to refer individuals to appropriate mental health services.

Collaboration:

This program is a collaborative effort with the Bouverie Centre from La Trobe University and Educaid Australia.

Impact:

Approximately 30 leaders from diverse Muslim communities will be trained, each providing mental health care and support within their communities. This initiative represents a significant step towards fostering a supportive and informed community, ultimately improving mental health service engagement within the Australian Muslim community.

By equipping community leaders with the necessary skills and knowledge, this program aims to create a lasting impact on mental health awareness and support within the Australian Muslim community.

Eligibility Criteria

Be an active member of the Muslim community in a leadership role.

Time Commitment 
Jul 2024 - Sep 2025

Across 15 months:

• 2.5 day face-to-face training
• 2.5 day online training/group supervision
• 2 self-paced learning modules/individual supervision

Submission Due Date

Please submit your expression of interest for this program by Sunday 30th June 11:55PM (AEST).