The Community Mental Health Initiative supports individuals and families affected by sickle cell disease by addressing the often-overlooked psychological and emotional impacts of living with a chronic condition. Our goal is to promote mental wellbeing, resilience, and access to culturally appropriate support services across Australia.
Sickle cell disease can significantly affect mental health due to chronic pain, frequent hospitalisations, stigma, and social isolation. Many individuals experience anxiety, depression, and stress, yet face barriers to accessing appropriate care. This initiative aims to bridge that gap.
Mental Health Awareness: Increasing understanding of the emotional challenges associated with sickle cell disease within communities and healthcare systems.
Access to Support Services: Connecting individuals with culturally safe counselling, psychology, and peer support options.
Community Engagement: Hosting workshops, support groups, and community events to foster connection and reduce isolation.
Advocacy and Education: Working with healthcare providers and policymakers to integrate mental health into sickle cell care.
We take a holistic, person-centred approach that recognises the intersection of physical health, mental wellbeing, culture, and community. We prioritise lived experience, inclusivity, and collaboration in everything we do.
Mental Health, Chronic disease management and a Forensic Clinician
A Zimbabwean-born clinician with more than 15 years of Australian experience in mental health and forensic services. Extensive experience delivering assessment, intervention, and support across community, primary health, and justice settings.
Professional experience includes roles with Murray Plains Division of General Practice, Loddon Mallee Medicare Local, Murray Primary Health Network, private practice, and as a Forensic Clinician with the Department of Justice and Community Safety Victoria.
Qualifications and Accreditations
Accredited Mental Health Social Worker
Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Psychology
Bachelor of Arts in Social Work
Master’s Degree in Leadership
Mrs. Salome Mbenjele is a business entrepreneur and advocate for social justice, diversity, and inclusion. She is the Director of Moonlight Health and Wellbeing Services, a counselling practice in the City of Wanneroo, where she leads initiatives supporting mental health and community wellbeing.
Salome is dedicated to empowering individuals affected by mental health challenges, substance use, and social disadvantage. Her work focuses on improving access to psychological support, strengthening community connections, and promoting holistic wellbeing across mind, body, and environment.
She has extensive experience working with women and young people, supporting their development of resilience, confidence, and emotional wellbeing. Her professional background includes roles in family mediation, anger management, and mental health support, as well as serving as Manager of Intake and Standards at ASeTTS, where she contributed to improving services for refugees and trauma survivors.
Gomezga (“Gomé”) Simfukwe is a Zambian-born Australian counsellor with a strong focus on mental health, psychological wellbeing, and recovery-oriented practice. He currently works with Holyoake, one of Western Australia’s most established Alcohol and Other Drugs (AOD) organisations, where he supports individuals experiencing substance use challenges, co-occurring mental health conditions, trauma, and complex psychosocial stressors.
Prior to his current role, Gomé worked extensively in regional Western Australia, providing mental health and counselling services to farmers, rural families, and communities impacted by drought, bushfires, and other natural disasters. In these settings, he supported clients experiencing anxiety, depression, grief and loss, trauma responses, and isolation, often in contexts where access to mental health services was limited. His work has consistently emphasised early intervention, psychological resilience, and strengthening coping strategies in high-stress environments.
Alongside his clinical roles, he runs a private counselling practice, Noelani Counselling Services, where he provides individual counselling tailored to mental health recovery, emotional regulation, relationship difficulties, and life transitions.
Outside of his professional practice, Gomé is a devoted father to his 15-year-old daughter. He values family life and the integration of Zambian and Filipino cultural influences, which continue to shape his understanding of identity, connection, and wellbeing.
To learn more or access support, please get in touch with Australian Sickle Cell Advocacy Inc.