headspace, the National Youth Mental Health Foundation, is pleased to partner with the Centre for Multicultural Youth (CMY) to deliver Reverb 2.0 - a program designed to support the mental health of young people from multicultural backgrounds.
The programs were co-designed by young multicultural people with lived experience of mental health and currently focuses on two components: professional development workshops for headspace centre staff focusing on developing cultural capabilities and ensuring staff are more inclusive, and interactive sessions for secondary school students that explore the relationship between cultural identity and mental health, raise awareness of stigma, and promote access to support services.
Reverb 2.0 is an initiative that equips headspace centre staff and secondary school students with the tools to better understand and respond to mental health challenges in multicultural contexts. Through lived experience storytelling, youth advocacy, and culturally responsive workshops, the program aims to break down stigma, build confidence, and connect young people with the support they need.
The program has already reached over 170 staff across 20 headspace centres in Victoria and New South Wales.
Since July, it has expanded nationally, training even more headspace centre staff across Australia to help build cultural responsiveness and improve engagement with multicultural young people, families and communities.
Through three interconnected sessions, the workshops explore how mental health is perceived across diverse communities, unpack the systemic and cultural barriers young people face when accessing care, and build the capabilities of clinicians to respond effectively and meaningfully.
Staff engage in critical reflection, learn strategies to recognise and respond to cultural nuance, and explore concepts like power, privilege and unconscious bias. The sessions are grounded in real stories and local insights, offering opportunities for headspace staff to learn directly from multicultural young people to better support their communities.
headspace Multicultural Practice Lead Bimba Chavan said the program is helping to build a more inclusive mental health system.
"Reverb 2.0 is a platform for multicultural young people to lead and share practical, culturally responsive strategies with headspace centre staff. It will help headspace better support refugee and migrant communities and their families," Ms Chavan said.
"By embedding lived experience into every stage - from design to delivery - we're building a stronger, more inclusive mental health system."
headspace Wangaratta Team Leader Katie Shalevski said she was thrilled to have her centre be part of the initial roll-out of Reverb 2.0 and that it had helped her staff provide more culturally responsive care.
"Reverb 2.0 is something really special: young people sharing their stories, culture, and lived experience to help break down stigma and build a mental health system that truly reflects the diversity of our community," Ms Shalevski said.
"It's helped our team grow in how we support multicultural young people, and we'd love to see local schools get involved. These free workshops are such a valuable opportunity for students to explore mental health in a safe, relatable, and culturally inclusive way."
At the heart of Reverb 2.0 is a school-based program featuring three 55-minute workshops for students in Years 8 to 10. Facilitated by Reverb Youth Advocates - young people with lived experience of navigating mental health challenges in multicultural contexts - the workshops help students:
Understand the link between mental health and cultural identity
Build confidence and challenge stigma among peers
Learn practical ways to access support services
Workshops are fully subsidised, meaning there is no cost to schools or students, thanks to targeted program funding.
Reverb 2.0 Project Officer Jess Case said the program's strength lies in its authenticity.
"Mental health support doesn't work when it's one-size-fits-all. We bring our stories into the room so young people feel seen, heard, and understood - not judged," Ms Case said.
"Reverb 2.0 is led by young people who've lived it. We speak the language of culture, identity and real experience - and that's what makes it powerful."
Schools who are interested participating in the Reverb 2.0 Workshops can submit an expression of interest here.
