Helping SEMPHN develop a statewide commissioning framework, validated with community organisations, to strengthen wellbeing, safety and resilience across Victoria.

The challenge 

Following the Bondi terrorist attack, and amid rising antisemitism since 7 October 2023, governments and community organisations faced an urgent challenge: how to strengthen the mental health, wellbeing and resilience of Jewish communities in a way that was practical, culturally safe and grounded in lived experience. 

In Victoria, South Eastern Melbourne Primary Health Network (SEMPHN) was funded on behalf of Victorian PHNs to shape a statewide wellbeing response. SEMPHN engaged Impact Co. to develop the commissioning framework, investment logic and practical guidance needed to direct funding toward initiatives that would strengthen wellbeing across the Victorian Jewish community. The work also sat within a broader policy context, with the Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion reinforcing the need for responses that were grounded in evidence and informed by the Jewish community. 

Our approach 

Impact Co. designed an approach grounded in community experience, evidence and validation. We undertook 17 consultations with Jewish and non-Jewish organisations, completed a rapid review of relevant evidence, and tested emerging findings through two community validation processes. This ensured the final framework reflected lived experience, sector insight and a practical view of what would work in Victoria. 

Engagement spanned crisis coordination, mental health, education, cultural, religious and community organisations. This gave SEMPHN a system-wide view of strengths, pressure points and investment opportunities, while ensuring the diversity of the Jewish community and its support ecosystem was reflected in the final approach. 

What we heard 

Stakeholders described a community with strong organisations, leadership and informal support systems, but also one under significant strain. Consistent themes included the need for stronger coordination and clearer roles across organisations; more culturally safe and trauma-informed support; easier pathways into care; and greater investment in community connection, identity, trust and safety. Stronger partnerships between Jewish and non-Jewish organisations were also seen as critical to both immediate impact and longer-term sustainability. 

What we delivered 

Impact Co. developed a holistic Wellbeing Framework to guide SEMPHN’s statewide commissioning decisions. The framework identified six interconnected building blocks for strengthening community wellbeing: leadership and governance; workforce capability and cultural safety; access and navigation; community connection and identity; psychological safety and trust; and collaboration and shared learning. 

We also developed a program logic and a set of commissioning principles to help SEMPHN translate consultation findings into practical investment decisions. Together, these tools gave SEMPHN a clear structure for prioritising initiatives that were meaningful, culturally safe, practical and sustainable, while linking short-term investment to longer-term community outcomes. 

The Wellbeing Framework, program logic and commissioning principles were validated with community organisations, ensuring the final approach was informed by the Jewish community, grounded in community priorities and credible as a basis for investment. 

The impact 

This project gave SEMPHN a clear, evidence-based foundation for investing in wellbeing initiatives for the Victorian Jewish community. SEMPHN now has a practical framework to direct funding toward initiatives that reflect lived experience, respond to ongoing antisemitism, and strengthen the conditions for long-term wellbeing across the state. 

At a critical moment in policy and public attention, the work positioned SEMPHN to lead with a Victorian blueprint for commissioning community-led, culturally safe responses that strengthen connection, trust, coordination and resilience, while also supporting broader national reform efforts. 

This case study describes work undertaken for SEMPHN. Its publication does not constitute an endorsement by SEMPHN of Impact Co. or its services.