Victorian Branch Racism Awareness Working Group

The Victorian Branch’s Racism Awareness Working Group is made up of up to five psychiatrists (RANZCP Fellows including the Chair), up to four RANZCP trainees including at least one Specialist International Medical Graduate representative, an invited representative from the RANZCP Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Mental Health Committee, one community member with lived experience, and two members from the Victorian Branch Committee (including the Victorian Branch Chair).  

The Racism Awareness Working Group is currently seeking expressions of interest for the following position on the Committee:

• 1 x community member from Victoria 

Responsibilities

The key responsibility of the Working Group is to provide advice on the Victorian Branch’s policy and advocacy activities relating to systemic racism and mental health in Victoria. 

The work of the Working Group is based on the following objectives: 

• acknowledge the diversity of the Victorian population, and the widespread nature and history of racism. 
• acknowledge the current evidence on the link between racism and poorer mental health outcomes, including the different experiences of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People, migrants, black and ethnic minority groups, culturally and linguistically diverse communities, asylum seekers and ‘othered’ groups. 
• understand the RANZCP member experience of racism both as health professionals and within mental health services generally. 
• increase clinician and mental health service awareness of racism and its subsequent effects through advocacy and education activities. 

The Working Group’s key deliverable is to advise on and develop educational and advocacy activities. This may include, but is not limited to: 

• Educational event/s (virtual) 
• A survey of RANZCP members and those on the pathway to Fellowship (fellows, trainees, and IMGs) to understand what would help clinicians support patients, and better recognise and address racism within the mental health system. 
• A communique and media release on Racism and Mental Health in Victoria informed by a webinar. 

Community members on the Working Group participate as full voting members – to ensure lived experience views are considered in all RANZCP activities.

Meeting frequency

The term of appointment is currently until 31 December 2022, the end of the term of the Working Group.

The Working Group typically meets once every two months on a Thursday from 4-5pm via videoconference. Meetings in-person may resume later in 2022.

Upcoming meetings are currently scheduled for 5 May, 7 July, 8 September, and 10 November 2022.

A Committee member may also be required to respond to emails between formal meetings.

Community members will be remunerated in acknowledgement of their time on each committee and/or approved project they are a part of consistent with the Australian Government Remuneration Tribunal (Remuneration and Allowances for Holders of Part-time Public Office).

Contact

For questions, please contact pppc@ranzcp.org.