In the last fifty years there have been a number of armed conflicts that have resulted in the deaths of thousands of people and the displacement of millions around the globe. The main targets of a civil are have often been the marginalized ethnic groups and the poorest sectors of society. Sri Lanka’s civil war lasted more than thirty years resulting in innocent civilian deaths as well as thousands fleeing overseas as asylum seekers.

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder also has the capacity to not only affect an individual but rather the community. Feelings of hopelessness and helplessness can destabilize a community that is going through the process of grief when they do not have access to support services following traumatic events. Survivors have been shown to experience loss of status, family, home, community, work, and money.

Neeraja will explore the impact of war trauma experienced by the first generation survivors and explore secondary trauma within the second generation of Sri Lankan Tamils living in Australia. The paper will also examine the availability of mental health support, utilisation of support programs within the community as well as the stigma relating to mental health.

A uniquely creative and innovative collaboration between the Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA) and NSLHD MHDA Specialist Rehabilitation Service (SRS) helped consumers realise their dream to foster mental wellbeing through personal transformation. A core component of their transformation was the potent synergy of the MCA art space and desire to share self-expression, art appreciation, and creative vision. Programs were tailored to foster rediscovery of identity and reconnection with self through stimulation of the senses and positive engagement. To date this has included participants engaging with MCA audiences through a collaborative artwork during Mental Health Month; undertaking MCA Tour Guide training and offering guided tours to peers; celebrating creativity through their personal response to art via the Bella Plus group Programs; and providing volunteer support for MCA’s monthly Bella Plus Connect Program. These opportunities have been ground-breaking and life-changing for consumers, and their self-confidence has grown through connection to contemporary art and a sense of belonging to the community. Each event was an experience that is recalled with joy and enthusiasm. This collaboration is a striking example of how organisations can work together to support personal recovery in a spirit of camaraderie bound by values of respect and social justice.

Stigma and misunderstanding of mental illness within the Chinese community has been well entrenched in the culture over many hundreds of years. These entrenched attitudes create significant barriers to those living with a mental illness in seeking treatment. These attitudes discourage families from talking about illness, and families can be extremely reluctant to seek any form of mental health support for themselves or their family members. Working with the Chinese community, MI Fellowship has previously developed and delivered translated, culturally-specific versions of the award-winning peer-led WellWays Family Education programs for the Chinese community. This presentation will describe the establishment phase of a new project – funded through the Department of Health Partners in Recovery (PIR) initiative – to increase the social connectedness and engagement in community of Chinese consumers and carers, while reducing the stigma of mental illness within the Chinese community. The project is explicitly targeted toward people who are not engaged in the service system or their community. All activities engaged in are culturally relevant and have been determined through stakeholder input, are occurring in the community, and are being investigated pre and post with academic input to support a robust evaluation.