Refugee health program

Refugee health nurses are located at various community health services, some of those have public dental programs.

Data Bulletin: Quarter 2 2023

Find the latest settlement data compiled and published by the Victorian Refugee Health Network.

Data Bulletin: Quarter 1 2023

Find the latest settlement data compiled and published by the Victorian Refugee Health Network.

Data Bulletin: Quarter 4 2022

Find the latest settlement data compiled and published by the Victorian Refugee Health Network.

Data Bulletin: Quarter 3 2022

Find the latest settlement data compiled and published by the Victorian Refugee Health Network.

Data Bulletin: Quarter 2 2022

Find the latest settlement data compiled and published by the Victorian Refugee Health Network.

Data Bulletin: Quarter 1 2022

Find the latest settlement data compiled and published by the Victorian Refugee Health Network.

Refugee Health Program

The Refugee Health Program (formerly the Refugee Health Nurse Program) operates in 17 local government areas of Victoria.

Victorian Foundation for Survivors of Torture (Foundation House)

With recognised expertise in torture and trauma informed care, Foundation House provides professional and organisational development to individuals and organisations involved in service delivery to people of refugee backgrounds. Courses include an introduction to the refugee and asylum seeker experience, incidental counselling and trauma focused counselling.

Centre for Culture, Ethnicity and Health (CEH)

With a specialisation in language services, cultural competence and health literacy, CEH’s training focuses on improving organisational and individual practice relating to working with Culturally and Linguistically Diverse clients in service delivery. CEH also offers e-learning and free webinars on a range of topics.

Centre for Multicultural Youth (CMY)

CMY delivers cross-cultural professional development and training programs that focus on working with migrant and refugee young people. CMY training is informed by cross cultural practice, cultural competency frameworks, multicultural and diversity policies, human rights legislation, youth work theories, and principles and current good practice in migrant, refugee and newly arrived youth work. CMY training offers practical strategies for project development and implementation.

enliven Victoria

enliven Victoria offers workshops on health literacy and plain languages, as well as resources developed for CALD communities by its networks of Bicultural Workers.

Data Bulletin: Quarter 3 2023

Find the latest settlement data compiled and published by the Victorian Refugee Health Network.

Victorian Transcultural Mental Health (VTMH)

VTMH offers a variety of mental health and cultural diversity seminars, forums and state-wide events for people with an interest in mental health and cultural diversity and/or who are working in various roles across publicly funded mental health, community, educational and social services.

Sexual Health Victoria

Sexual Health Victoria offers a range of certificate and non-certificate courses around reproductive and sexual health.

Paediatric Refugee Health Fellows

The Royal Children’s Hospital has three part-time refugee health fellows. The fellows help health services and practitioners in outer metropolitan, rural and regional Victoria to support newly arrived refugee populations.

Refugee Health Fellows Program

The Department of Health in Victoria has funded Refugee Health fellow positions to provide support and advice to Victoria’s refugee health community.

Your local Refugee Health Nurse

Speak with your local Refugee Health Program about how they can support you. Refugee health nurses and allied health staff are located in community health centres in areas of high refugee settlement. Refugee health nurses can provide advice on primary and specialist referral, as well as referral to relevant community groups and community services.

Adult Health Fellows

The Royal Melbourne Hospital has two refugee health fellows who provide education and training, coordination and service development Dr Joanne Gardiner and Dr Janet Pasricha. Joanne is contactable Monday to Friday and Janet is available on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays.

TIS Doctors Priority Line

Accessing the FREE Telephone Interpreting Service.

Free Interpreting Service for private medical practitioners and practice support staff

Private medical practitioners and their practice staff can access the Free Interpreting Service to provide Medicare rebatable services to anyone in Australia who is eligible for Medicare.Private medical practitioners are defined as general practitioners, nurse practitioners, and approved medical specialists.

Free Interpreting Service for allied health professionals

From 24 October 2022, some privately employed allied health professionals will have access to the Australian Government’s Free Interpreting Services (FIS). The FIS aims to provide equitable access to key services for people with limited or no English language proficiency. The service is delivered by the Department of Home Affairs’ Translating and Interpreting Service (TIS National) on behalf of the Australian Government. The expansion of the FIS to include allied health professionals is a pilot program limited to 32 Local Government Areas (LGAs).
For Victoria, this includes Allied Health Services in the following LGAs: Casey, Greater Dandenong, Hume, Wyndham, Brimbank, Melton, Greater Geelong, Greater Shepparton, Mildura, Wodonga.

Fee-for-service interpreters for allied health

Interpreters are not generally funded for allied health services, however hospitals and community health centres receive funding to purchase language services.

Asylum Seeker Resource Centre

The ASRC Health Clinic provides people seeking asylum and refugees, who do not have Medicare, access to a free General Practitioner.
The Health program also provides access to a pharmacy program and allied health services.

Asylum Seeker Resource Centre Human Rights Law

The ASRC Human Rights Law Program (HRLP) is a Community Legal Centre auspiced by the ASRC and a member of the Federation of Community Legal Centres. The program exists to provide access to justice for refugees and people seeking asylum.

Asylum Seeker Resource Centre

Medical clinic and pharmaceuticals, legal assistance, case work, material aid.

Refugee Legal (formerly RILC)

Legal assistance. Refugee Legal is Australia’s largest not-for-profit provider of free legal services in its specialist field of immigration and refugee law. Phone: (03) 9413 0100.

Family & Reproductive Rights Education Program

FARREP provides services for women from places where female circumcision is practised. The intent of the service is to make it easier for women to get appropriate health information and care.
Women can refer themselves to the FARREP program. FARREP services are usually available immediately and women can usually be seen on day of referral.

Maternal and Child Health Service

Victorian Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Services work in partnership with families to care for babies and young children until they start school.

Royal Women’s Hospital and Monash Health

Asylum seekers and refugees are entitled to subsidised medical care except for a small co-payment for outpatient medications and medications on discharge. Patients will need to provide supporting documentation confirming migration status from the government or from a recognised asylum support agency such as Red Cross or IHMS before their first appointment. If the documentation is not produced, patients will be billed, however, the fees will be waived if the documents are shown to the hospital at a later date.

Genderqueer Australia Bridge Meals

Bridge Meals welcomes new migrants who are same sex attracted and/or gender diverse to join us for a free social dinner in a supportive and safe environment. This fantastic HEY Project grant initiative is a social support opportunity for LGBTIQ+ refugees and asylum seekers run by a collective of young LGBT people of colour in Melbourne.

Multicultural Health & Support Service (MHSS)

CEH’s Multicultural Health & Support Service works with communities and health professionals to promote the health and wellbeing of people from refugee and migrant backgrounds, asylum seekers and international students.

Its goal is to prevent new incidences and transmission of STIs, HIV, blood borne viruses (BBVs) and viral hepatitis among these communities.

Switchboard

Provides peer-driven support services for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and gender diverse, intersex, queer and asexual (LGBTIQA+) people, their families, allies and communities. Switchboard also offers the Rainbow Door service.

Rainbow Door

A free specialist LGBTIQA+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Gender Diverse, Intersex, Queer, Asexual, BrotherBoys, SisterGirls) helpline providing information, support, and referral to all LGBTIQA+ Victorians, their friends and family during the COVID-19 crisis and beyond. Rainbow Door is connected to free multi language interpreter support service including Auslan interpreters.

Queerspace

An organisation dedicated to upholding the wellbeing and mental health of Melbourne’s LGBTIQ+ community, who consist of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and/or gender diverse, intersex, queer, questioning and asexual people.

Queersisterhood Project

A peer-run support and advocacy group aimed to provide a space of community and belonging to queer refugee women.

LGBTIQ Intersect

A great web-based resource to draw on as you look to promote the health and wellbeing of LGBTIQ people of different faiths and cultural affiliations. The website includes learning modules and an extensive resource and referral list.

cohealth

Alfred Hospital Infectious Diseases Clinic

Alfred Hospital Infectious Diseases Clinic work to prevent and to treat illness, disability and death caused by a wide range of infectious diseases.
You need a referral letter from your GP or medical practitioner to access this service.

 Victorian Eyecare Service (VES)

The Victorian Department of Health, through the Victorian Eyecare Service, (VES) allows eligible Victorians to receive subsidised glasses, contact lenses and visual aids. During this time over two 2 million Victorians experiencing disadvantage have benefited from the service.

Australian College of Optometry (ACO)

Australian College of Optometry (ACO).

Metro (VES)

Please click here for clinical locations on the Australian College of Optometry website.

Rural and Regional (VES)

For Victorian Eyecare Service (VES) participating optometry practices in regional Victoria call 1300 303 125 or (03) 9349 7434.

 GenU Disability Support Services

GenU services are vast and super wide-ranging including disability employment services and disability individual support.

Disability Employment Services

As permanent residents of Australia, people who arrived in Australia as refugees are eligible to receive a range of Disability Employment Services.
Eligible Temporary Protection Visa holders in receipt of Special Benefit can access the Disability Employment Services-Employment Support Service (DES-ESS) programme, which is for people with a permanent disability and with an assessed need for longer term, regular, ongoing support in the workplace.

Disability Support Pension

As permanent residents of Australia, people who arrived in Australia as refugees are eligible to receive the Disability Support Pension, and are also exempt from the 10-year waiting period that applies to other newly arrived residents. Centrelink has Multicultural Liaison Officers who can assist with completing forms (multilingual service phone 13 12 02). People who are seeking asylum in Australia are ineligible to receive this payment.

Carer Allowance

Permanent residents, including refugee and humanitarian entrants, are eligible for the Carer Allowance if they meet the usual criteria. Centrelink has Multicultural Liaison Officers who can assist with completing forms (multilingual service phone 13 12 02). People who are asylum seekers are not eligible for the Carer Allowance.

Migrant Resource Centre

Find further information on the Diversity & Disability (DnD) program and Disability Advocacy Program.

Inclusion Melbourne

A variety of services on offer such as Support Coordination, Specialist Support Coordination, Direct Support, Education/Training, NDIS understanding and Pre-planning, plus important Community Support options such as the Leisure Buddies and Community Visitation services from Volunteers.

Amaze

Amaze builds autism understanding in the community, influences policy change for autistic people and their families/supporters, and provides independent, credible information and resources to individuals, families, professionals, government and the wider community.

Flexible Support Packages

Flexible Support Packages (FSPs) provide short-term assistance (up to 10 weeks) that act as bridging, immediate support as longer-term inclusion is determined.

Inclusion Support Program

The Inclusion Support Program (ISP) supports services to build their capacity and capability in providing quality inclusive practices for all children and address participation barriers to support the inclusion of children with additional needs alongside their typically developing peers. The ISP is available to give the most vulnerable and disadvantaged children a strong start, while supporting parents into work. Financial support may also be available (to the service) under the Inclusion Development Fund (IDF) to build service inclusion capacity/capability and to support the inclusion of a particular child or children.

CULTURA Health and Wellbeing Programs

Cultura provides health and wellbeing programs and services to help you live a healthy and happy life, from exercise and wellbeing programs to mental health and disability support services.

Dental Health Services Victoria

There are over 80 public dental services located in community health centres throughout metropolitan Melbourne and rural Victoria. Search for the nearest dental service to you and/or your client on the website.

The Australian Dental Health Foundation (ADHF)

Volunteer dentists and their support staff donate their time, skills and practice facilities to provide dental treatment at no cost to patients aged from 18-65 years who have been referred to the ADHF by registered charities and not for profit organisations.

Emergency treatment

Royal Dental Hospital of Melbourne: If the client needs an emergency appointment, please contact 1300 360 054.

Australian Dental Association — Find a dentist (inc by specialty)

Dental Health Services Victoria

Smile Squad

Povides free dental care for all Victorian public school students (from 2022). Students do not need Medicare, healthcare card or be eligible for the CDBS (see below) to participate.

Victorian Foundation for Survivors of Torture (Foundation House)

Foundation House provides a range of specialist programs for young people from refugee backgrounds who have recently arrived in Australia, which have been developed in partnership with AMES Australia and the Centre for Multicultural Youth (CMY).

Centre for Multicultural Youth  

The Centre for Multicultural Youth is a not-for-profit organisation based in Victoria, providing specialist knowledge and support to young people from migrant and refugee backgrounds.

Orygen Youth Mental Health

Based on evidence and best practice, Orygen programs address gaps in youth mental health services, embrace mental health, alcohol and other drugs, primary care and educational services.

Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS)

Child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) provide specialist mental health treatment and care to children and adolescents up to 18 years of age.

Royal Children’s Hospital — Immigrant Health Service

Immigrant Health Service provides a comprehensive approach to physical and mental health for children and young people who arrived as refugees or seeking asylum. The service is free of charge for all refugee and asylum seeker children.

The Victorian Foundation for Survivors of Torture and Trauma (Foundation House)

Clients receive a comprehensive range of services including counselling (individual, family and/or group), mental health clinic services, complementary therapies and referral services that are free, confidential and voluntary. We also use professional interpreters as required.

Monash Refugee Health and Wellbeing

Monash Health Refugee Health and Wellbeing provides a psychiatry service for adults aged 25 -65 years, presenting with a range of mental health issues, including a history of trauma/torture, depression, anxiety, complex grief and loss.

Cabrini Asylum Seeker and Refugee Health Hub

The Hub welcomes people seeking asylum who do not have a Medicare Card or who have a Medicare Card but receive no income. The Hub’s specialist mental health service provides multi-disciplinary care for clients with mental health needs, including triage, psychiatric assessment and management, therapeutic intervention, counselling, referrals and ongoing support.

Orygen ‘Trauma-informed care webinar’ Refugee Access Project.

This webinar brings you on the journey of creating a new service for the targeted population of newly arrived Iraqi and Syrian refugees aged 0 to 24 years of age living in North West Melbourne and why specialised refugee access services are needed.

Centre for Migrant and Refugee Health

Centre for Migrant and Refugee Health services offer a wide range of therapeutic options and approaches, which are not time-limited to support individuals, families, parents and carers of migrants, refugees and people seeking asylum. The services are delivered by accredited psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, registered nurses, and occupational therapists using excellent carer choice in the treatment they desire with respect, integrity, and safety.

CAREinMIND Mental Health Services

Refugees and asylum seekers, who may receive low/no income, are eligible for CAREinMIND’s free short-term psychological counselling services. Note that a Medicare card is not required. This makes the service useful for those asylum seekers who are ineligible for Medicare.

YOUR Community Health – PANCH

Life Without Barriers

Life Without Barriers can help you access the services you need while a decision is being made about your visa and immigration status.

Settlement Services International (SSI)

The Federal Government’s Status Resolution Support Services (SRSS) program provides assistance to eligible asylum seekers, including accessing financial support, accommodation, healthcare, employment and education.

Foundation House (Victorian Foundation for Survivors of Torture)

We support people of refugee background to recover from the impact of experiencing torture or other traumatic events.

If you are experiencing difficulties in your daily life, please contact us for help.

International Health and Medical Services (IHMS)

IHMS provides healthcare to detainees within Australia’s onshore immigration detention network, as well as offshore in Nauru.

Victorian Infectious Diseases Service (VIDS)

The Royal Melbourne Hospital provide comprehensive inpatient and outpatient services to patients with infectious diseases. Patients need a referral from their GP or healthcare provider to access this service.

Cabrini Asylum Seeker and Refugee Health Hub

The Cabrini Asylum Seeker and Refugee Health Hub provides access to a range of health services for people seeking asylum and newly arrived refugees.

Asylum Seeker Resource Centre (ASRC)

Swan Hill District Health

Mildura — Sunraysia Community Health Services

Shepparton — Primary Care Connect

Latrobe Community Health

Barwon Health

Wodonga Gateway Community Health

Bendigo Community Health

Ballarat Community Health

Monash Health

each

DPV Health

Western Health

IPC Health

Nothing for them

A small study undertaken to explore services and referral pathways available for refugee and newly arrived young people who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or trans or those who may be questioning their sexual feelings and/or gender identity.

NDIS and Psychosocial Disability

People whose mental health condition is associated with a disability may be eligible for support through the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). You must, however, be a permanent resident to be eligible for the scheme.

Child and adolescent mental health services (0-18 years)

The Primary Health Networks (PHNs) fund a range of different low, moderate and high intensity psychosocial support services. For more information, please contact your local PHN.

Adult specialist mental health services (16-64 years)

People seeking asylum and on temporary protection visas are eligible.

Mildura — Sunraysia Community Health Service

General counselling services that provide a supportive and collaborative environment to discuss your concerns.

Shepparton — Primary care connect

Primary Care Connect specialise in counselling and advocacy for migrants of refugee backgrounds or seeking asylum in Australia.

Geelong — Barwon Child Youth and Family (BCYF)

If you are a refugee or asylum seeker who has experienced torture and other traumatic events in your country of origin, or while fleeing your country, you can access torture and trauma counselling at BCYF.

ADEC

Action on Disability in Ethnic Communities (ADEC) is a state-wide service for people with disabilities and their carers who are from ethnic backgrounds. Their services include Access and Support, Advocacy, Education, Group Activities, Respite Program, and Transcultural Mental Health. A person must have a valid Medicare card (green or blue) to be eligible for ADEC services.

National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS)