This course provides a basic overview of cross-cultural considerations for working with women from CALD backgrounds experiencing mental health concerns in the perinatal period.
It is not an accredited course, and we recommend undertaking further training. Links to additional training will be provided throughout this module.
You will meet Sam, a young Sudanese woman who is being between treated in a Mother Baby Unit for depression following the birth of her first child. As a colleague, you follow what unfolds for Sam and the staff.
You reflect on the issues and identify what you would do: how you can work and relate effectively with Sam, what cultural considerations may have an impact on her assessment and treatment, and at a systematic level, how your service can respond to diversity in our communities.
Participating in this story is a journey of increasing your awareness, so to transfer this process into your role as health provider. The process of discovery, of negotiating multiple points of views of staff and clients, of change and reassessment and gaining cultural insights through the client’s thoughts and those around them.
We need to ask ourselves about the Sam’s presentation- is it due to culture, the migrant experience, or mental health issues? We need to be aware of what cultural stand-point we are operating from.
How to use the Course (link) There are 5 Sessions following the case of Sam. Each one has Resources and Reflections, where you can learn more about the theory, practical strategies, and keep your ideas and reflections which will all help you in your own work.
