26 August 2024
New mental health funding to support Victorian Jewish community
The Commonwealth Government has commissioned services to help support the mental health needs of Jewish communities in Victoria, in recognition of the acute and ongoing mental health impacts of the October 7 attacks.
Jewish Care Victoria has been engaged by the South Eastern Melbourne Primary Health Network (SEMPHN) to provide culturally-appropriate mental health responses to support community members who are affected by the crisis in Israel.
In particular, Jewish Care has been engaged to: support people to understand and access mental health and other related services; manage a small pool of funds to facilitate individual access to psychological supports; and deliver mental health education, resources and capacity-building activities to support wellbeing across the community.
A community consultation has recently been undertaken to inform project development.
“The insights that were so generously shared not only supported project design; they provided a powerful glimpse into the varied experiences and impacts of October 7 and beyond for our community,” said project lead Cassandra Barrett.
A report of the key findings will be released shortly. These will also be shared with the Federal Government to support a greater visibility and understanding of the diverse and ongoing effects for the community.
To learn more about the program, including eligibility and contact information, visit www.jewishcare.org.au/israelMHsupport
Any Jewish person living in Victoria who is experiencing distress as a result of the ongoing crisis is eligible. For a confidential discussion about your support needs, contact Jewish Care’s Front Door on 8517 5999.
If you would like to contribute to the consultation findings through sharing your own experiences, contact [email protected]
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Project contact:
Cassandra Barrett – Community Education and Partnerships Manager
Tel. (03) 8517 5908 Email [email protected]
Media contact:
Elana Bedwell – Marketing and Communications Manager
Tel. (03) 8517 5701 / 0477 011 880 Email [email protected]
View all Jewish Care Media Releases at: https://www.jewishcare.org.au/news-and-media