Celebrating diversity, inclusion and workplace wellbeing for the Inner West community

Thank you to all the mental health professionals who attended our Meet your Neighbour event in the Inner West for Mental Health Month 2024. It was great connecting with those working in the community mental health space in the Inner West region and sharing our new resource on Psychological Safety in Mental Health Organisations with you.

We had the pleasure of hearing from an insightful panel on diversity, inclusion and workplace wellbeing in mental health organisations, facilitated by Mental Health Coordinating Council’s CEO, Dr Evelyne Tadros. There were many powerful takeaways from this discerning and knowledgeable panel, which everyone in attendance could connect with and share with their communities.

The significant contribution that peer workers make to their organisation was highlighted by Kate Anderson, Acting Senior Peer Worker, Sydney Local Health District and Rose Gray, Prevention and Recovery Centre Team Leader, Independent Community Living Australia. Peer workers bring authenticity, empathy and specialised insight to mental health and support services which leads to more effective and compassionate care for everyone involved.

For organisations, peer workers bring diversity to the workplace through their lived experience, normalising experiences and identities, to promote an inclusive environment where staff and people accessing services can feel more comfortable expressing themselves authentically. Peer workers also play a large part in helping organisations understand and relate to the challenges faced by different communities.

Cultural competency, unconscious bias, inclusive leadership, and the importance of organisations investing in training and development were the key points raised by key speaker Jeremy Heathcote, First Nations Engagement Lead, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney.

Jeremy highlighted that responding to racism with empathy rather than anger can be more powerful and productive, and that doing this helps facilitate constructive dialogue in a non-confrontational atmosphere, which allows both parties to feel understood and in turn leads to more open and meaningful conversations. Notably, he mentioned that this past year has been one of the worst for Aboriginal people, not only because the Voice to Parliament referendum failed, but due to the rise of racism amongst Australians.

Sharon Grocott, Chief Executive Officer at WayAhead mentioned the importance of leading by example in creating psychologically safe environments in mental health organisations. She stressed that she consciously makes a point to not hire people who look and think like her, ensuring diverse perspectives and lived experiences, providing an example for how CEOs can actively advocate for inclusion in their workplace.

A big thank you to all our co-hosts: Inner West Council, Sydney Local Health District, Independent Community Living Australia, WayAhead and Sydney Community Safe Space. Without your support, this event would not be possible.

We thank everyone who attended and engaged with one another. MHCC looks forward to providing more networking opportunities for mental health professionals to connect and have shared discussions about how the community mental health sector can be stronger and provide meaningful and impactful services.