Men and Family Relationships Program

Previous MRC statistics and records have shown that an increasing number of men from CALD communities contacted the service on family, emotional and behaviour issues. These include:

  • Marriage breakdown
  • Conflicts with teenage children
  • Feeling of guilt for unable to support parents
  • Lack of understanding of Australian system
  • Lack of participation in social and sporting activities

This has alerted the organisation to target and service these community groups through the Men and Family Relationships Program.

The Men and Family Relationships program is the second round funding of the Australian Government Department of Family and Community Services and Indigenous Affairs initiative through the Family Relationships Services Program and targets recently arrived migrants and males born in non English speaking countries whose cultural values regarding families, parenting and relationships are quite different from mainstream Australian cultural values and norms.

Since the commencement of the program in February 2000, there were over 10000 Chinese, Arabic, Sudanese and Kurdish male made contacts with the service through the various projects activities. This includes individual casework, community education, skills development training via course education / workshops, social connectedness and small group activities. The services provided through this project have made a positive difference to the welfare of men and families within the two target groups. The evaluation of the Men and Family Relationships Initiative at MRC by the national FRSP has clearly demonstrated the importance of this program and the special need for ethno- specific men services in the future.

Objectives of the project

The overall objectives of the program are:

  • Assist men within the target community groups to deal with emotional issues around relationships, so that they can manage a range of relationship difficulties with family members,
  • Promote and maintain a quality family life and relationships of men and families within the target community groups,
  • Develop culturally acceptable approaches to working with male clients within the target community groups,
  • Enhance social connectedness through the establishment of small groups and activities,
  • Assist males and their families to come to terms with pressure of starting a new life in a new and different cultural values and norms.
  • Enhance understanding of the target group to the Australian system and norms.

The Men and family Relationships Program provides services and activities to Men of Iraqi origin, Kurdish and more recently Sudanese men and their families. For more information on the program and the various services and activities please contact Dr Khairy Majeed on 03 9496 0200 or by email: khairym@spectrumvic.org.au