cohealth launches new bicultural mental health podcast

A new podcast series from non-profit community health organisation cohealth is showcasing the strength, resilience and collective care that exist within Victoria’s refugee and migrant communities. 

Presented by cohealth’s Bicultural Program and its Victorian Bicultural Workers Network, Listening Beyond the System: Bicultural Voices on Mental Health is a podcast in which bicultural workers share their community reflections about mental health, wellbeing, and navigating mainstream services.

Through these conversations, the series explores how culture, migration experiences, language and community connection shape the way people understand distress, healing and recovery. It also provides cross-cultural insights for mental health clinicians, GPs, nurses and other people who support the mental health and wellbeing of refugee communities.  

Podcast guests sharing their perspectives on mental health in the first four episodes of the series include: 

• Mona Adnani-Salehi, a Muslim, Iranian-Arabic bicultural worker 
• Walters Mbi, an Anglophone, Cameroonian, Bicultural mental health peer worker 
• Nanchok Chol, a South Sudanese, bicultural, lived experience worker, mother, writer and artist.
• Sara Mohsen, an Egyptian, Muslim woman and bicultural worker, living and working in Naarm. 

The series highlights the critical role bicultural workers play in improving the mental health and wellbeing of refugee communities. 

“Bicultural workers are a designated lived-experience workforce,” says podcast host and cohealth’s Bicultural Program Lead Jasmine Phillips. “Their lived experience is grounded in migration — navigating new systems, languages, and cultural expectations, often within systems that were not designed for them, while remaining deeply connected to their communities and the cultural knowledge they hold.” 

“This podcast creates space for bicultural workers to share perspectives that are often missing from mainstream conversations about mental health.” 

“Refugee and migrant communities have long supported one another through collective care, cultural practices, and strong community networks,” Jasmine says. “These conversations highlight the strength and resilience that already exists within communities.” 

About the podcast 

Listening Beyond the System: Bicultural Voices on Mental Health is available wherever you get your podcasts, with new episodes dropping monthly. 

Victorian Bicultural Workers Network 

This podcast has been developed through the Victorian Bicultural Workers Network (VBCWN), a statewide network connecting more than 500 bicultural workers across Victoria working in health, mental health, settlement, community services, community legal and justice sectors, local government and other social service systems. 

The network provides opportunities for bicultural workers to connect with peers, share knowledge and strengthen professional practice. Members participate in monthly professional development sessions, peer learning opportunities, networking events and discussions about emerging issues affecting multicultural communities and the bicultural workforce. 

 The VBCWN supports bicultural workers to strengthen their collective voice across the sector and contribute to improving culturally safe service delivery. 

Bicultural workers interested in joining the network and receiving updates about events, training and sector initiatives can register here. 

— ends —  

More information: Adam Bennett adam.bennett@cohealth.org.au or 0424 147 230  

About cohealth: cohealth is a not-for-profit community health organisation that provides low-cost and free local health and support services including medical, dental, allied health, mental health, aged care and counselling, and many specialist health services in Melbourne’s CBD, inner-north and inner-west, and on the east coast of Tasmania.