The event will run from 5.30pm to 6.30pm at Echuca Neighbourhood House, free of charge and including refreshments.
Women’s Health Loddon Mallee chief executive Belinda Buck hopes that the information will provide awareness to multicultural women in the community about what mental health is and promote wellbeing.
“It’s designed to deepen their understanding of mental health and wellbeing,” she said.
“We know that everyone has mental health ... sometimes it’s good, and sometimes we’re struggling.
“The session is a health promotion session, it’s not a medical session.
“When we’re talking about mental health promotion, we’re wanting to help people increase their knowledge and their skills, to be able to promote and protect their own mental wellbeing.”
Attendees will learn the ‘5 Ways to Wellbeing’: connect, be active, be aware, help others, and keep learning.
“We use a model called the 5 Ways to Wellbeing,” Ms Buck said.
“We also talk about how to respond if someone is experiencing poorer mental health, and then just some really simple instructions on how people can navigate the mental health system and seek support if they do need it.”
Multicultural women are the target group for this session due to the growing population of people with diverse backgrounds in the area, as well as a prevalence of mental health issues in Campaspe Shire.
“We’ve got data around the Campaspe region, and over 15 per cent of women living in Campaspe were born outside of Australia,” Ms Buck said.
“And 12 per cent of women in the region have been diagnosed with mental conditions, so we’re looking towards improving (that).”
Ms Buck said previous attendees had found the sessions informative and provided an opportunity to connect with other women with similar experiences to them.
“We’ve had really great feedback,” she said.
“For some, it’s about the importance of connection ... the sense of community connection among attendees has been really positive.
“The opportunity to meet face-to-face in the community, share food and then have that further discussion.
“Not everyone is actually aware of mental health, so the participants get to learn from the discussions. We see improved knowledge from attending the session.”
The event aims to connect attendees and educate them on mental health and wellbeing.
They can share as much or as little as they’d like, with no pressure to speak about their experiences.
“You’ll be in a warm, safe space, where there are no expectations,” Ms Buck said.
“It’s a nice way to meet more people in the community.
“One of the things with multicultural women, is sometimes they do feel a bit culturally isolated, so it’s nice to be able to bring people together.”
Guests are able to access interpreters and additional support in the sessions, they just need to note this when booking.
To find out more information, head to the Women’s Health Loddon Mallee website.
The event is free to attend, with guests asked to book through Humanitix.
If you or anyone you know requires support, reach out to your general practitioner or health provider. In an emergency, call 000.
Lifeline Australia can be accessed on 13 11 14, Beyond Blue on 1300 224 636, Accessline on 1800 800 944 or Kids Helpline on 1800 551 800.
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