e-Bulletin July 2011

1. Launch: Refugee Status Report on how refugee children and young people are faring. This report was jointly launched on 12 July at Foundation House by the Minister for Children and Early Childhood Development and the Minister for Health. The report, titled “Refugee Status Report: A report on how refugee children and young people in Victoria are faring,” brings together a wide range of information on children and young people who have entered Australia under the Humanitarian Program, for the first time in a single document. The report is a valuable resource that can further guide monitoring, research and policy development. Click here for a copy.

2. A Refugee Health Special Interest Group is now formally recognised and endorsed by the National Faculty of specific interests at the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP). The special interest group will focus on expanding its membership with GPs involved and interested in refugee health, both nationally and at state and regional levels. Interested GPs can contact Dr Christine Boyce at or Dr Joanne Griggs at

3. Refugee Health and Wellbeing Action Plan. The Department of Health is now advertising a Project Officer position with a strong focus on supporting cross divisional or departmental high priority projects of the Executive or Minister for Health. In particular, the project officer role will initially assist with planning and research in refugee health issues and developing the new Refugee Health and Wellbeing Action Plan. Click here for a copy of the position description.

4. Study of access to competent and appropriate interpreters across health services. Foundation House is currently advertising for a Policy Research Officer. The main task in this role will be to develop a plan for and conduct a study of access to competent and appropriate interpreters in the context of health services.  The study will analyse barriers to the use of interpreters by health service providers; and recommend possible measures to address the barriers. Click here for a copy of the position description.

Resources

5. Top 12 Refugee Health Resources for Clinicians. The first of a two stage redevelopment to the Victorian Refugee Health Network website has been completed. The redevelopment is being informed by feedback from network members and aims to make the website quicker and simpler to use for busy health professionals. The first stage includes a new quicklinks section of the Top 12 Refugee Health Resources for Clinicians on the home page. Click here to have a look. In the second stage of the redevelopment project, over the next six months, a more comprehensive redesign of the website will be undertaken.

6. New! Guide to asylum seeker access to health and community services in Victoria. This recently revised guide covers special access arrangements to health and community services for asylum seekers in Victoria. The guide, prepared by the Department of Health and stakeholders, includes contact details, document links and reflects any policy changes at program level since the report’s original release in 2008. It also includes a short summary about health services for people in the Community Detention Program (CDP). Click here for a copy of the guide.

7. New DVD on Translating and Interpreting Service (TIS). The Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) has released a new 14 minute DVD explaining how the TIS works and how it can help clients. The DVD has three chapters: a guide to TIS national services, working with interpreters and services for medical practitioners. To obtain a free copy of the DVD call 1300 655 820 or email The DVD can also be viewed on DIAC’s YouTube channel, ImmiTV at www.youtube.com/user/ImmiTV

8. Staying Healthy in Our New Home – new DVD available. Adult Multicultural Education Service (AMES) in partnership with Western Region Health Centre (WHRC) has produced a set of DVDs containing information about the health system of Victoria in a series of digital stories for speakers of Burmese, Karen, Chin, Dari, Nepali, Tamil, Dinka, Arabic, Hazaragi, Kiswahili, Assyrian Chaldean, Farsi and English. Click here for an order form or for more information email

Research / Reports

9. Call for participants: Scoping study on homelessness amongst humanitarian entrants. Researchers at The University of Adelaide and Flinders University are conducting a scoping study investigating the extent of presentation of humanitarian entrants to specialist homelessness services for accommodation. The researchers are seeking representatives from agencies, including specialist homelessness services and key groups involved with supporting and representing humanitarian entrants, to provide feedback on key research questions. If you are able to participate, please contact Selina Tually on (08) 8313 3289 or Debbie Faulkner on (08) 8313 3230.

10. Evaluation of the Complex Case Support Program. The Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) conducted a review of the program in 2010. A summary of the findings and recommendations is available on the department’s website. Click here to download a copy.