Diverse communities will have better access to mental health support thanks to a new partnership between settlement agency AMES Australia and mental health organisation Beyond Blue.

The partnership is delivering a new set of resources to help migrant and refugee communities address mental health issues, and was recently launched at the Melbourne Multicultural Hub.

The AMES-Beyond Blue partnership is aimed at making it easier and more efficient for people to find the support that best suits them, when they need it.

AMES Australia CEO Cath Scarth said the partnership would help improve access to mental health support for migrant and refugee communities.

“We know that refugees and migrants are among the most vulnerable in our society to the effects of poor mental health. We also know that they often find it difficult to access services of all kinds, including mental health support,” Cath said.

Domestic violence survivor Uyen Truong says the resources would have made a difference in her life when she became the victim of an abusive controlling relationship.

“I had no money of my own, I wasn’t allowed to learn English and I had no freedom to meet people. And I couldn’t even wear the clothes I wanted to,” Ms Truong said.

“My husband was not violent, but he made my life miserable. I tried to end my life a few times.”

“Having access to mental health care at the time would have made a world of difference,” she said.

Uyen left her husband in 2015 with her three children and found support through women’s refuges, a kindly social worker and through government programs. But with virtually no English, she faced a long journey in rebuilding her life.

“When I left, I couldn’t speak English, I didn’t know how to use public transport and I had no family or friends to help me,” she said.

“Having some mental health support when going through what I went though is so important,’” Ms Truong said.

Beyond Blue CEO Georgie Harman said the partnership will address the unique mental health needs of individuals from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds (CALD), particularly those for whom English is a second language, or who have poor literacy levels.

“By working together, we aim to promote the importance of good mental health and destigmatisation and deepen understandings of mental health support services across the community.

“We hope that by coming together, we can ensure that mental health support is accessible, and comprehensive to those who need it most,” she said.

AMES community development officer Reshma Manandhar told the initiative’s recent launch event of her own struggles with post-natal depression and the need for diverse communities to talk about mental health.

“We all need to understand that it is OK to talk about these issues and it is OK to ask for help. So having resources out in the community informing people how they can get that help is important,” Ms Mananadhar said.

The partnership will improve access to mental health resources and information on supports and services for many marginalised communities; including refugees and migrants, and those who face additional barriers to accessing help.

With one third of people in Australia born overseas, an increase in people finding refuge and safety in Australia, the continued impact of racism and discrimination, and current global conflicts, the need for more inclusive approaches to mental health is greater than ever.