World Refugee Day: VMHPAA Highlights the Critical Role of Vocational Practitioners Supporting Refugees in Trauma Recovery
- Shane Warren
- Jun 20
- 2 min read
MEDIA RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
20 June 2025
On this World Refugee Day, the Vocational Mental Health Practitioners Association Australia (VMHPAA) joins the global community in honouring the courage, resilience, and strength of refugees who have fled war, persecution, and torture in search of safety and dignity.
As conflict and humanitarian crises persist around the globe, the mental health needs of those seeking refuge have never been more urgent. Refugees face complex trauma that often requires immediate, culturally sensitive, and community-based support - not months-long waitlists or inaccessible clinical systems.
“Trauma doesn’t wait for an appointment,” said Shane Warren, Chair of VMHPAA and long-time mental health practitioner. “At the grassroots level, it is vocationally trained practitioners - counsellors, peer workers, case managers, and support workers - who are often first to hold space for a survivor’s story. They meet people where they are, in real time, with compassion, cultural humility, and practical care.”
VMHPAA recognises the unique position vocationally trained professionals occupy in the mental health ecosystem. Many are multilingual, embedded in refugee communities, and trained in trauma-informed approaches, bringing vital early-intervention support where it is most needed.
Yet despite their vital contributions, vocational mental health practitioners continue to be overlooked in national mental health strategies.
“Today is a reminder,” Warren added, “that inclusive mental health care isn’t just an aspiration, it’s a necessity. We cannot talk about recovery or settlement without addressing trauma. And we cannot address trauma without resourcing those who are already doing the work.”
On World Refugee Day, VMHPAA calls on government agencies, NGOs, and mental health sector leaders to:
Recognise and fund the work of vocationally trained practitioners in refugee and humanitarian settings
Ensure culturally appropriate trauma support is available from point-of-arrival through resettlement
Create pathways for refugee-background practitioners to become qualified and join the mental health workforce
As we honour the journeys of refugees around the world, let us also invest in the people who walk alongside them, every step of the way.
Media Contact:
Shane Warren, Chair
VMHPAA
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