Ziyad Serhan, co-founder & CEO of educaid Australia, is delivering evidence-based culturally sensitive training to break down the stigma surrounding mental health in schools, workplaces and communities around Australia – and he is seeing real change.
“Since 2017, our goal has been to empower communities with knowledge while respecting their cultural perspectives,” says Ziyad. “Seven years on, I see a massive increase in literacy within the individuals and groups we’ve trained.”
A Master Instructor in Mental Health First Aid®, Ziyad co-founded Educaid to provide education, training and consulting focused on mental health, wellbeing, and suicide prevention through education, training, consulting, and research – particularly in culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) and faith communities. His work is bridging the gap between traditional help-seeking behaviours and practical mental health interventions.
The need for culturally responsive mental health training
Growing up in a culturally diverse community, Ziyad witnessed firsthand the stigma and misunderstanding surrounding mental health in many CALD communities. Conversations about wellbeing were often overshadowed by cultural expectations, religious beliefs and the lack of culturally appropriate resources.
These experiences have informed how Ziyad, who comes from a Palestinian cultural background, delivers Mental Health First Aid (MHFA®) in similarly diverse environments. “I incorporate principles of cultural safety and cultural nuances, which strengthen connections within the community,” he explains.
“But at the core of MHFA is the practical knowledge it provides – regardless of a person’s background – to help them support someone in their family, workplace or care when they are experiencing mental health challenges.”
Ziyad explains that he often trains religious leaders as it is frequently the case that congregants in faith communities open up more to faith leaders than mental health professionals. But because of the role religious leaders play in supporting others, it can be more difficult for them to seek help themselves.
In one instance, a religious leader opened up about their own lived experience tracing back to childhood trauma. “The course itself provided the opportunity for them to seek support, and to acknowledge that we can’t just sweep these issues under the rug.”
Ziyad says that mental health support can’t be a one-size-fits-all approach, particularly in CALD communities where stigma, cultural expectations, and limited access to resources can create significant barriers. “For some communities, mental health is highly stigmatised; for others, less so.”
Cultural sensitivity in MHFA training
“The key is understanding how to walk alongside communities,” Ziyad explains and having the additional cultural knowledge can really open the door to how mental health literacy diffuses and is embraced within those communities.”
The fact that Educaid instructors are culturally diverse themselves increases the impact of the training in diverse communities – and this kind of representation matters.
In a recent course, a teacher attending one of his session’s said they had expected the training to be delivered by someone with little insight into cultural influences on mental health.
They said to Ziyad, “having someone who’s visibly from our community – someone who understands our cultural nuances – has helped make this the best professional development I’ve ever attended.”
Creating lasting impact in schools, workplaces and communities
Ziyad’s journey into MHFA began with a research study at a southwest Sydney School where 90% of students are from refugee or migrant backgrounds. The study, conducted with Western Sydney University, evaluated the impact of Teen MHFA training.
Ziyad quickly noticed how helping students and teachers improve their ability to identify when a friend, colleague or family member was experiencing a mental health problem had a positive impact. “It also improved their confidence in connecting them to community supports,” he recalls.
That early experience laid the foundation for Educaid. Seven years on and the impact he sees continues to grow. Ziyad says that, with the Educaid team’s expertise in cultural sensitivity, their MHFA delivery has been vital in giving communities the ability to feel empowered with an evidence-based framework.
Real stories, real change
The impact of MHFA training is evident in the feedback from participants. In one high school, the head of PE described how the course “not only helped break down stigma but also provided realistic strategies to deal with real-life mental health scenarios.”
A year advisor noted, “I view mental health the same way as any other diagnosable illness. This course gave me the confidence to intervene earlier and connect students with the right support.”
Another educator shared a powerful insight into self-care: “In my culture, you can’t just look after yourself and ignore others. Helping someone in crisis was my form of self-care.”
These stories highlight how MHFA training resonates beyond Western models of wellbeing, adapting to diverse cultural perspectives. But while at its core MHFA training is about helping others, Ziyad also appreciates that undertaking the course is actually a personal development process.
“It’s almost like you’re teaching people to support themselves, understand what mental health is, and be empowered to seek help themselves – as well as supporting others.”
Ziyad was struck by how MHFA had been an awakening for him. “I realised that, despite my good intentions, there were approaches I’d taken in the past that weren’t helpful.”
As mental health awareness grows, the need for culturally tailored approaches is more critical than ever. “The need was always there,” Ziyad reflects. “It’s just that our systems and institutions are only now catching up to the idea that we need to focus on culturally diverse communities.”
“Many cultural communities are now second, third or even fourth generation in Australia, so they face unique challenges related to identity – what does it mean to be Australian, and how do they navigate their cultural and ethnic identity within that? It’s vital that the mental health sector acknowledges these factors.”
Ziyad acknowledges that his work as an MHFA instructor plays an important role in addressing these challenges. “It’s been humbling and honouring to be able to deliver MHFA to these communities as an instructor.”
Through the course, we’re not just raising awareness, we’re actually imparting important, life-saving skills to these participants who are walking away with a toolkit.”
Visit www.educaid.au for more information or contact Ziyad directly via email ziyad@educaid.au
