Resources & Referrals > Health Categories > Rural and Regional Health
Rural and Regional Health
Rural and regional Victoria has received 13%-15% of people arriving in Victoria via the Australian Government’s Humanitarian Settlement Program over the past twelve months. Rural and regional settlement of people from refugee backgrounds continues to be a significant trend, encompassing both direct settlement and secondary movement from metropolitan and other areas.
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Priority Primary Care Centres (PPCC)
Priority Primary Care Centres (PPCCs) provide GP-led care to people who need urgent care, but not an emergency response. Each PPCC is partnered with a busy emergency department. Care is available to anyone with or without a Medicare card, at no cost to the patient. (Costs may be required for imaging, pathology and other services.)Visit
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Referral
Rural and Regional (VES)
The Victorian Eyecare Service (VES) allows eligible Victorians to receive subsidised glasses, contact lenses and visual aids. VES is also available at participating optometry practices in regional Victoria.Visit
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Referral
Swan Hill District Health
The Refugee Health Program works to meet the healthcare needs of refugees and asylum seekers living in the Swan Hill District. It is a free service. The Refugee Health Nurse will use an interpreter (as needed) to help you with your health care needs, and will refer you to other members of our health team as needed. This is a confidential service.Visit
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Mildura — Sunraysia Community Health Services
The Refugee Health Nurse Service seeks to optimize the long-term health of refugees by promoting accessible and culturally appropriate health care services that are innovative and responsive to the unique needs of refugees and asylum seekers residing within the Mildura district.Visit
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Shepparton — Primary Care Connect
We specialises in counselling and advocacy for migrants of refugee backgrounds or seeking asylum in Australia. We work within a trauma-informed framework to work together with individuals/families to help reduce trauma symptoms and emotional distress, build coping skills, develop problem-solving strategies and build connections within the community.Visit
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Geelong— Barwon Health
Refugees attend the clinic through GP referral for assessment, treatment and ongoing management by infectious diseases physicians who provide specialist support for GPs. Refugees are bulk billed under Medicare and onsite interpreters are utilised.Visit
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Wodonga-Gateway Community Health
Gateway Health provides medical care and support to newly arrived refugees through our Multicultural Clinic and links to other support organisations.Visit
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Bendigo Community Health Services
Bendigo Community Health Service offers a range of services for the local refugee communities, including the Refugee Health Nurse Service, torture and trauma counselling and humanitarian settlement support.Visit
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Family Care — Shepparton and Goulbourn Valley
FamilyCare commenced in Shepparton in 1982. We offer a range of services to families and young people in Shepparton, Seymour, Cobram, Kinglake, Wallan, Alexandra, Kilmore and surrounding districts.Visit
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Ballarat —Ballarat Community Health
The Ballarat Community Health refugee health nurse co-ordinates access to healthcare for newly-arrived refugees, migrants and asylum seekers, and assists them in working towards independence. Paediatric immigrant health clinic.Visit
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Referral
Gateway Health has a Multicultural Clinic — Wodonga/ North East Victoria
Gateway Health has a Multicultural Clinic, specialising in the care of Refugees, Migrants and Aboriginal people.Visit
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Gippsland —Latrobe Community Health Service
Latrobe Community Health Service offers health services and other forms of community support to migrants and refugees.Visit
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Swan Hill District Health — Swan Hill
Swan Hill District Health: The Refugee Health Program works to meet the healthcare needs of refugees and asylum seekers living in the Swan Hill District. It is a free service. The Refugee Health Nurse will use an interpreter (as needed) to help you with your health care needs, and will refer you to other members of our health team as needed. This is a confidential service.Visit
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Referral
Shepparton Medical Centre
Shepparton Medical Centre offer a full range of medical services including G.P. Clinic, women’s and men’s health, child and adolescent health, mental health, skin cancer checks, preventative health services, immunisations, health screening and much more.Visit
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Catholic Care — Mildura
Catholic Care Mildura provide counselling and support to people of Refugee and Asylum-seeking backgrounds and are free of charge.Visit
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Referral
Barwon Child Youth and Family — Geelong
Barwon Child Youth and Family offer free torture and trauma counselling for people of refugee and asylum seeking backgrounds.Visit
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Resource
Bendigo Community Health Services – Emergency Preparedness Hub
The hub builds the capacity for former refugees and emergency providers to better prepare for and manage severe weather events. Through a collaborative approach with SES, CFA, City of Greater Bendigo emergency staff and BCHS staff of refugee lived experience, the hub features co-designed fact sheets and videos in the Karen, Dari and Dinka languages.Visit
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The ASPIRE Project: State of knowledge paper
Promoting community-led responses to violence against immigrant and refugee women in metropolitan and regional Australia: The ASPIRE Project: Key findings and future directionsVisit
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Resource
Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting in regional Victoria
Research to Practice. Cathy Vaughan, Narelle White, Louise Keogh, John Tobin, Adele Murdolo, Regina Quiazon, Chris Bayly. Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, 2014.View Document
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Resource
Community Perspectives on Settlement Issues Affecting New and Emerging Communities in Rural and Regional Australia
View Document
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Resource
publication
publication
Publication
Emergency Preparedness Program: Fire, Flood and Heat Health 2022-2023
Bendigo Community Health Service delivered this project to provide access to detailed visual and culturally appropriate, user-friendly easily understood resources related to emergency preparedness; fire, flood, heat, and information sessions and resources to support residents of refugee background.View Document