The Centre for Muslim Wellbeing (CMW) has released a response to the Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission’s 2026 Issues Paper, which examines changes in community responses to mental health crises.
Drawing on eight years of community-based practice, the paper highlights the critical role of culturally responsive navigation, early intervention, and community-led mental health infrastructure in supporting Muslim and multicultural communities in safely accessing and engaging with care.
While acknowledging important progress across Victoria’s mental health reforms, CMW’s response also identifies ongoing structural challenges relating to navigation, trust, cultural responsiveness, and reliance on crisis-based entry points into the system.
The paper calls for stronger investment in culturally responsive, community-based pathways that strengthen prevention, reduce escalation into crisis, and improve equity and access across the mental health system.
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About the Centre for Muslim Wellbeing
Since 2018, the Centre for Muslim Wellbeing (CMW) has supported communities across Victoria and other states through mental health literacy programs, cultural safety training, carer support, youth resilience workshops, trauma-informed community sessions, school wellbeing programs, crisis response, and community-led wellbeing initiatives. We work closely with educators, health professionals, imams, community leaders, families and young people to build a more accessible, inclusive and culturally safe mental health system for Muslim and multicultural communities across Australia.
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Read CMW’s full submission here
