April updates
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In this May issue:
- News and Events
- Health and Community-based resources
- COVID-19 Updates
- Research, Submissions and Advocacy Opportunities
- Professional Development Opportunities
News and Events
Closure of Multicultural Health Connect Service – 28th April 2023
Healthdirect Australia are decommissioning Multicultural Health Connect after an extended pilot lasting 12 months. The last operational day of the service is Friday, 28th April 2023, after which the phone line will be non-operational. Healthdirect will continue assisting callers from CALD backgrounds to find available health services, as well as providing clinical health advice. Callers to Healthdirect can also access free interpretation services through Translating and Interpreting Service National. The Commonwealth Department of Health and Aged Care will evaluate the pilot program to determine the potential for future programs to provide similar support to multicultural communities with their health information needs.
Decommissioning process
From 28th April 2023, the phone number for Multicultural Health Connect will be no longer be answered. If someone calls the number, a recorded message will outline the following information:
- If it is a medical emergency, hang up and call 000
- For other medical assistance, contact Healthdirect on 1800 022 222 or visit healthdirect.gov.au
- The Multicultural Health Connect Service is no longer operating
The recorded message will be in place for six months.
Investing in women grassroots grant program
Grants of up to $10,000 are now available for local organisations to empower women through events, training programs and community projects.
Applications close on Monday 22 May 2023. For more information click the link below.
Live Well for Life Group starting in May at IPC Deer Park
The Live Well for Life group is delivered by clinicians from the Living Well program and aims to provide support and information in the areas of:
• Making healthy behavior changes
• Heart disease, diabetes and stroke
• Chronic disease risk factors
• Healthy eating
• Physical activity
• Sleep and how to relax
This group is for people who are at risk of developing a chronic health condition, who have diabetes, heart disease or would like to learn how to improve their health.
The group will meet every Thursday from 10am until 12pm for five weeks. The dates are 18th May, 25th May, 1st June, 8th June, 15th June.
For more information call IPC Health on 1300 472 432 and ask to speak to Mary Anne or Alanna from the Living Well program. Registration is required to attend this group.
TPV/SHEV conversion to permanent residency
Refugee Legal is continuing to provide free legal assistance to refugees who hold a Temporary Protection Visa (TPV) or a Safe Have Enterprise Visa (SHEV) to apply for permanent residency.
To refer people in your community for assistance, you can now use the online referral portal available HERE
Alternatively, you can contact at Rosvisa@refugeelegal.org.au or (03) 9413 0133.
Health and community-based resources
Health Translations - a complete collection of multilingual health and wellbeing information
Health Translations is a free online library of high-quality translated Australian health and wellbeing information for Australian health practitioners working with multicultural communities. In addition, a monthly newsletter is published on the second week of the month. The April Health Translations news features the latest multilingual resources on COVID-19, the Australian health system, disabilities, emergencies, infections, and women's health, to help Victoria's service providers and multicultural communities stay safe and informed.
National Cervical Screening Program – How to collect your own sample
The Commonwealth Department of Health has released a visual guide to help people from culturally and linguistically diverse communities understand how to collect their own vaginal sample if they choose self-collection as a screening option for their Cervical Screening Test. The guide is available in simple English + 11 other languages. For more information click the link below.
Co-designing an exercise and fall prevention program for people from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds: MOVE Together
The aim of this project is to work together with people aged 65 and older who are from Italian, Chinese and Arabic speaking communities, their caregivers, and healthcare and professional workers to develop a program to support older people from these communities to exercise.
You are invited to take part in this research project if you work with or provide services to older adults from multicultural communities. The types of professionals we would like to be involved include:
- Clinicians (Physiotherapists, Exercise Physiologists, other Allied Health Professionals, Nurses, GPs)
- Ethno-specific service providers
- Paid caregivers
- Health service managers
- Policy makers
R U OK? Materials in multiple languages
R U OK? is a public health promotion charity that encourages people to stay connected and have conversations that can help others through difficult times in their lives. R U OK? has translated key resources you can use, if you or someone you know would prefer to get information in a language other than English. Click the link below to access translated resources.
Heart attack warning signs fact sheets in Arabic, Hindi, Punjabi and Vietnamese
Heart Foundation Victoria has developed fact sheets about warning signs of a heart attack in Arabic, Hindi, Punjabi and Vietnamese.
You can read more about warning signs of a heart attack by using the links below:
Breastfeeding fact sheets in Arabic, Chinese Simplified, Nepali and Vietnamese
Australian Breastfeeding Association has developed fact sheets about breastfeeding in Arabic, Chinese Simplified, Nepali and Vietnamese.
You can read more about breastfeeding by using the links below:
Translated mosquito resources
Three cases of Murray Valley encephalitis and two deaths have been reported in Victoria this mosquito season, so it is vital that we all take steps to protect ourselves from mosquito-borne disease. The Victorian government has produced resources in over 20 languages on how to protect yourself and your home from mosquitos. To learn more about how you can inform your community about mosquito-borne diseases click the link below.
Fighting the flu fact sheets in eleven languages
The Australian Government and National Immunisation Program have developed fact sheets about fighting the flu in eleven languages.
You can read more about fighting the flu by using the links below:
COVID-19 Updates
Commonwealth COVID-19 update
Please find link below to newsletter from the Commonwealth Department of Health and Aged Care: HERE
It includes information about the Vaccine Clinic Finder moving to the Service Finder, advice on boosters, and doctors’ advice on staying safe from COVID-19.
Coronavirus (COVID-19) Victoria update
Research, Submissions & Advocacy Opportunities
Take part in a Monash University study to explore contraception options for young women
This project aims to assess the impact of an educational video intervention on contraceptive preference and uptake with young women from priority populations in Australia. They are seeking participants aged 16-25 years, who identify as female and are sexually active, who
- Live in a rural or remote area or
- Identify to be of Chinese, Indian or Middle Eastern Arabic speaking ethnic background
For more information please call or email Claudia 03 9902 4681 or sphere-extendprefer@monash.edu.
Call for client participants: Monash detention health research study
A world-first Monash University study is calling for participants to help look at the impact of immigration detention on long-term physical and mental health.
Participants are being invited to participate if they are 18 years of age or older, and have spent more than 28 days in immigration detention (in Australia or offshore).
The study will involve meeting researchers either in person or online via Zoom, to complete questionnaires and to discuss participants' physical and emotional health for the purpose of research.
Participants will be given a $30 gift voucher for their time.
For more information about this research, including key contact details please see the link below:
CMY Youth Settlement Survey
The Centre for Multicultural Youth (CMY) wants to know about the experiences of newly arrived newly arrived young people in Australia, especially in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. The survey results will help CMY advocate for improvements to benefit young people settling in Australia. If you are a 16-30 year old who has settled in Australia in the last 10 years please see link below to fill out anonymous survey
Join People Bank for a healthier community
People Bank is a register of people who would like to be involved in the activities of North Western Melbourne Primary Health Network. People Bank provides opportunities for people to use their knowledge and experience to improve the health of people in the north, west and central Melbourne region. For more information click the link below:
Put pressure on the Prime Minister to increase our refugee intake
With the May Budget fast approaching, it is imperative that we keep up the pressure on the Albanese Government to incorporate increasing Australia’s refugee intake into their plans.
The Government has promised to provide 32,000 refugee places each year but provided no roadmap or financial plan for achieving this goal. We must hold them to account and ensure Australia’s annual refugee intake is increased to 32,000 within the Government’s first term.
Urgently raise your voice for more refugee places by emailing your MP today, asking them to call on Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Immigration Minister Andrew Giles to honour their commitment to refugee resettlement in Australia.
Provision of and Access to Dental Services in Australia
On 8 March 2023, the Senate resolved that the Select Committee into the Provision of and Access to Dental Services in Australia be established.
The committee is to present an interim report by 20 June 2023; and a final report by 28 November 2023.
Submissions close on 4 June 2023. To make a submission click here
For more information about refugee oral health click the link below.
Help shape anti-racism support
Victoria University in partnership with the Ethnic Communities’ Council of Victoria (ECCV) and the Islamic Council of Victoria (ICV) are conducting a survey as part of a research project looking at the barriers to reporting racism. The project will help inform recommendations for improving racism reporting pathways and support services. Victorians from multicultural or multi-faith communities who aged 18 or older are invited to complete the short survey.
Independent Review of Compulsory Treatment and Decision-Making Laws
Respond to the consultation paper and assist the Independent Review Panel in reviewing the compulsory mental health treatment criteria and decision-making laws. The responses received to the consultation paper will assist the Independent Review Panel with reviewing Victoria’s compulsory assessment and treatment criteria and aligning mental health law with other decision-making laws.
The Panel is committed to being ambitious in considering what changes to mental health law might be needed to ensure that culture and practice in mental health services center human rights and supported decision-making practices, that rates of compulsory treatment are significantly reduced in Victoria and that compulsory treatment is no longer the defining feature of Victoria’s mental health laws.
The closing date for submissions is 2 June 2023.
The paper and response submission can be accessed in the link below:
Professional Learning Opportunities
FREE inTouch Training Sessions
When: 10 May 2023
1:30 PM – 2:30 PM AEDT
InTouch provides monthly information sessions providing an opportunity for specialist family violence, community sector and multicultural agency staff to learn about the services that inTouch provides, eligibility criteria and referral pathways. Each month they explore different programs and projects being undertaken within inTouch, followed by a Q&A session.
This session will spotlight Motivation for Change, inTouch’s early intervention program for men who use violence. They will be discussing the program, eligibility requirements, and the program outcomes
More details and registrations HERE
2023 upcoming webinars
Working with interpreters in a Family Violence setting
When: 11 May 2023 - 12:30 PM – 1:00 PM AEDT
Where: Online
More details and registrations HERE
Applying cultural competence to evaluation of programs for migrant and refugee communities
When: 8 June 2023 - 12:00PM – 12:30 PM AEDT
Where: Online
More details and registrations HERE
Identifying and responding to labour exploitation in Australia.
Date: Wednesday 24th May 2023
Time: 10am – 11.15am (AEST)
Location: Online through link to Microsoft Teams HERE
Red Cross is delivering a short, online session for community members and frontline workers who are looking to build their knowledge and skills in responding to labour exploitation in their workplace and community. This includes people working/volunteering in:
- Migrant and refugee settlement
- Health, including mental health and disability
- Family and Domestic Violence
- Education settings
- Employment support
Recognising and Understanding Complex Mental Health Presentations (Blended Course)
When: Tue 16 May 2023, 9:30 am – 1:00 pm
Where: Foundation House, Brunswick
Provide practitioners with the knowledge and skills needed to identify and understand complex mental health presentations in adult refugee survivors of torture and other traumatic events to support their recovery.
More details and registrations HERE
Working with Newly Arrived People from Afghanistan in GP Practices
When: Tue, 16 May from 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Where: online, via Zoom
Offers GP practice staff (doctors, receptionists, practice managers, allied health practitioners) working with people from refugee and asylum seeking backgrounds an understanding of the challenges facing newly arrived Afghans.
For more details and to register click HERE.
Front of House Staff Working in Health Settings: Supporting People from Refugee Backgrounds
When: Tue, 16 May and Tue 23 May from 9.30am – 12.00pm both days
Where: online, via Zoom
‘Front of House’ staff are often the first experience of service provision for people from refugee backgrounds. The workshop will focus on the journey and settlement issues for people from refugee backgrounds; trauma-informed approaches to engaging and supporting clients/patients.
For more details and to register click HERE.
About the Victorian Refugee Health Network
The 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.
Connect
You can contact the Victorian Refugee Health Network secretariat at refugeehealth@foundationhouse.org.au You can subscribe to become a Network Member.
