No images? Click here April e-Bulletin: COVID-19 updateIn this rapidly changing environment, information and service accessibility is more important than ever. We are heartened to see organisations and communities rise to the challenge COVID-19 presents, working together to ensure people of refugee backgrounds can access the right support and information to stay connected, safe and healthy. As time goes on, the social health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, including job losses , financial hardship and social isolation are becoming more pronounced. This edition, you will find resources and information on mental health, material aid, and updated sources of multilingual information. The Victorian Refugee Health Network is delivering a more regular e-bulletin during the COVID-19 pandemic, to share relevant information and resources as they become available. Our previous e-bulletin can be found at this link. Victorian Refugee Health Network statewide meeting postponedA reminder, we have postponed the Victorian Refugee Health Network's statewide meeting, planned for April 23, 2020. We will keep you updated via the e-Bulletin on opportunities to engage with the Network. Stay informed Victoria’s stage 3 restrictions were announced on Monday March 30. Under stage 3 restrictions, gatherings are restricted to no more than two people (except members of your own household) and there are now only four reasons to leave your home: for food or essential supplies, medical needs, exercise, or work and study (if you can’t work or study remotely). Remember to visit the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) Victoria’s COVID-19 page for the latest information, updates and advice from State Government on COVID-19. If you suspect you may have the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) call the dedicated hotline – open 24 hours, 7 days. Coronavirus hotline: 1800 675 398. If you would like to contact the Victorian government coronavirus hotline and need an interpreter, call 131 450 (TIS National), then request the Victorian Department of Health and Human Services Coronavirus hotline on 1800 675 398 Please keep Triple Zero (000) for emergencies Mental HealthIt is an unsettling, uncertain time for us all. Some people may be feeling worried or depressed, especially if they already have some mental health problems. The current crisis may also be triggering for people of refugee backgrounds. However, there are mental health support services available, with most generalist services offering interpreting services for people who speak a language other than English. Below are just a few of the supports available. Mental Health Crisis Support - HelplinesLifeline provides private and confidential phone-based crisis support and suicide prevention. Telephone: 131 114 Lifeline has access to a free interpreting service through TIS National. Suicide Call Back Service is a nationwide service that provides professional 24/7 telephone and online counselling to people who are affected by suicide. Support is available via online chat, video chat and phone chat. Please call 1300 659 467. This service provides free telephone interpreting. The website also has some great (English language) resources on supporting someone you are worried about. Other Mental Health SupportsBeyond Blue has been funded by the Department of Health to deliver the Coronavirus Mental Wellbeing Support Service. This service includes an online forum and informational resources, as well as helpline 1800 512 348. Free telephone interpreting service available. Carers Victoria provide support for carers. A carer is someone who provides unpaid care and support to family members and friends with a disability, mental illness, chronic health issue or age-related condition. Face-to-face services have been suspended, however Carers Victoria is still offering a range of services including emotional support and service advice, in-home respite, delivered goods and equipment, equipment that may help through social isolation, online supports and education and telephone, or online counselling sessions. Visit their website or phone 1800 514 845 for assistance. Free telephone interpreting services available. Care in Mind Wellbeing Support Services (WSS) is a free phone and online counselling support service. This service is for anyone of any age who is feeling the pressures and stresses of everyday life. Available to those who live, work or study in northern, western and central Melbourne. The service is available 24-hours a day, seven days a week. Call 1300 096 269 to speak to a counsellor. Headspace offers free online support and counselling to young people 12 - 25 and their families and friends. Kids Helpline is an Australian free, private and confidential, telephone and online counselling service specifically for young people aged between 5 and 25. Free telephone interpreting services available. PANDA (perinatal mental health) has a National Perinatal Anxiety & Depression Helpline, operating Monday to Friday, 9am - 7.30pm AEST/AEDT). Call 1300 726 306. Free telephone interpreting services available. PANDA’s website also includes a number of helpful resources on perinatal mental health. VMIAC Is the peak Victorian organisation for people with a lived experience of mental health problems or emotional distress. VMIAC is providing regular information and updates, including links to mental health and wellbeing resources. Currently all written materials are in English. VMIAC is not a crisis service, but can provide advice, advocacy, information and referral. Please call (03) 9380 3900. Free telephone interpreting services available. Mental Health Information and Resources Black Dog Institute have released several tools and resources to support people in looking after their mental health during the coronavirus outbreak. They are also conducting a survey right now about how COVID-19 is impacting the mental health of Australian adults, and what people are doing to stay mentally healthy. All resources available in English only. The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) has released a range of mental health resources. These include a video series with titles such as ‘dealing with loss of control’ and ‘support and kindness’. These resources are currently available in English only, however multilingual versions may become available. Embrace Multicultural Mental Health offers many helpful resources for communities and service providers, including multilingual information about mental health and wellbeing. Headtohealth is an online gateway funded by the Australian Government that can help you find free and low-cost, trusted phone and online mental health resources. Available in English only. Multilingual information and resources on COVID-19The Victorian Multicultural Commission (VMC) have released more open access multilingual public health campaign resources. These include a series of social media titles with key messages translated into several languages, including Persian, Arabic, Khmer and Vietnamese. There are also print advertising assets for community members who prefer an offline communications format. Lastly, you can find Radio 30 public service announcement messages in 24 languages: The message is as follows. ‘ACT NOW, STAY HOME’. "An important message from the Victorian Government about coronavirus. To manage coronavirus, and save lives, immediate action is required. This means if you can stay home, you must stay home. Yes, it’s a major disruption to your lives, but this disruption today, will save the lives of many Victorians tomorrow." Health Translations is still the best central location for all up-to-date translated health materials on COVID-19. The COVID-19 collection of resources includes facts sheets, videos & posters in over 50 languages. The Health Translations team update the directory daily with links to newly developed resources. You can access the collection at this link. Health Translations is a Victorian government initiative. AMES Australia has released two videos ‘Hygiene and social distancing’ and ‘self-isolation’ in several languages, including Urdu, Farsi, Kareni, English, Dinka, Amharic, Nepali, Tigrinya, Oromo, Arabic, Karen and Dari. The videos are available on YouTube. Harmony Alliance has put together fact sheets with information on the impact of COVID-19 and pregnancy on women and their babies. The fact sheets were developed from information provided by the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RANZCOG). Currently available in English, Arabic, Dari, Chinese (Simplified), Vietnamese and Nepalese. Enliven has released multilingual resources translated from Easy English on Covid-19 and self-isolation. Shifra is an online platform, co-designed with refugee and migrant communities and organisations to help users access culturally-sensitive sexual and reproductive health information in local languages. Information is currently available Arabic and English with more languages coming soon. The website also aims to help users find respectful health services that specialise in migrant and refugee health. Shifra has some information about COVID-19 in Arabic and English. Please see the Victorian Refugee Health Network website, or our previous e-Bulletin, for more multilingual resources. Other helpful resources and reportsEmergency ReliefA number of organisations are working to consolidate information on available material aid across Victoria. We expect to be able to provide more information on this in future e-Bulletins. Anglicare Victoria can be contacted for information about locally available supports across the state. To find out more, complete the 'Contact Us' form,then query for Emergency Relief. You will then be directed to the appropriate office. Baw Baw Shire Council have shared information about locally available material aid via their website. Central West Gippsland PCP, the Baw Baw Food Movement and Food For All Latrobe Valley have developed a local food security resource. The Centre for Multicultural Youth has developed a brief information sheet summarising the financial support and assistance available to young people and their families during COVID-19. This includes clear information about Services Australia (Centrelink) financial supports. The Emergency Relief Network of Latrobe City (ERNLaC) has information about short term help to Latrobe City residents who are experiencing financial crisis. Hume Whittlesea Primary Care Partnership (HWPCP) have a COVID-19 resources page, which includes details on emergency relief in the area. The Outer Northern Refugee Health Network’s 2018 Service Directory presents comprehensive and consolidated information regarding services for refugees/asylum seekers in the Northern region. Mental health and financial support services are covered. The Refugee Council of Australia hosts a thorough directory of services available for refugees and people seeking asylum in Victoria, including details on emergency relief. Provider contact details are available on the website. Contact providers directly for the most up to date service availability. Recently PublishedThe Centre for Social Impact released a fact sheet 'Digital inclusion and COVID-19: CSI response'. The Department of Health and Human Services has released a Guidance for the community services sector regarding practice through the COVID-19 outbreak. The COVID-19 Amendment to homelessness services guidelines and conditions of funding includes information about how to prioritise and deliver services in the current context. In case you missed our previous e-Bulletin....Refugee Legal is continuing to provide legal advice and assistance to asylum seekers, refugees and vulnerable migrants during the COVID-19 pandemic. At this stage, the Government is continuing to process cases. The Department of Home Affairs, Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT) and the Immigration Assessment Authority (IAA) may hold interviews or hearings by telephone or video conference instead of in person. Specialist family violence services are open and available for support and advice for anyone experiencing family violence, and those worried about how potential self-isolation or quarantine will impact on their safety and wellbeing. inTouch Multicultural Centre Against Family Violence have developed a resource hub to assist communities during this time. SBS News and Radio has an online portal to provide in-language coronavirus information. The Victorian Government has increased funding for homelessness agencies during this time. Housing and homelessness service providers remain open with ongoing, though altered, service delivery. About the Victorian Refugee Health NetworkThe Victorian Refugee Health Network brings together health, settlement and community services to be more accessible and responsive to the needs of people from refugee backgrounds, including people seeking asylum. The e-Bulletin provides a regular forum to share news, resources and information to support practitioners and services in providing health care to people from refugee backgrounds. ConnectYou can contact the Victorian Refugee Health Network secretariat at info@refugeehealthnetwork.org.au. |