Resources & Referrals > Specialised Programs > Refugee Health Program

Refugee Health Program

The Refugee Health Program (RHP) began in 2005, with the aim of responding to the poor health and complex health issues of arriving refugees in Victoria. The program aims to:

  •   increase refugee access to primary health services
  •   improve how health services respond to refugees’ needs
  •   coordinate a response to newly arrived refugees
  •   help individuals, families, and refugee communities improve their health and well-being.

The program is delivered by community health services (CHSs), and employs community health nurses, allied health professionals, and bicultural workers. The nurses and other health professionals have expertise in working with culturally and linguistically diverse and marginalised communities.

  • Tool for clinicians

  • Specialised areas

  • Health and Wellbeing

  • Resource or Referral

referral

referral

Referral Image
Referral
Refugee Health Program
The Refugee Health Program (formerly the Refugee Health Nurse Program) operates in 15 local government areas of Victoria.

Find out more

referral

Referral Image
Referral
Monash Refugee Health & Wellbeing

Category: Child Youth Health, Infectious Diseases, Mental Health

Monash Health’s Refugee Health and Wellbeing service provides comprehensive primary care services and tertiary services including infectious diseases, paediatrics and psychiatry.

Visit

referral

Referral Image
Referral
Preston-YOUR Community Health (PANCH)
We have a specialist medical clinic for newly arrived Refugees and Asylum Seekers that offers long appointments and assistance in understanding and navigating the healthcare and social support system in Australia.

Visit

referral

Referral Image
Referral
Swan Hill District Health

Category: Rural and Regional 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

referral

Referral Image
Referral
Mildura — Sunraysia Community Health Services

Category: Rural and Regional Health

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

referral

Referral Image
Referral
Shepparton — Primary Care Connect

Category: Mental Health, Rural and Regional Health

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

referral

Referral Image
Referral
Geelong— Barwon Health

Category: Rural and Regional 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

referral

Referral Image
Referral
Wodonga-Gateway Community Health

Category: Rural and Regional Health

Gateway Health provides medical care and support to newly arrived refugees through our Multicultural Clinic and links to other support organisations.

Visit

referral

Referral Image
Referral
Bendigo Community Health Services

Category: Rural and Regional Health

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

referral

Referral Image
Referral
Hume/Whittlesea- DPV Health
We provide inclusive healthcare services to newly-settled refugees and asylum seekers living in the Hume or Whittlesea catchment areas.

Visit

referral

Referral Image
Referral
Maribyrnong and Melton– Western Health
Western Health provides a comprehensive, integrated range of clinical services from our various sites ranging from mental health and wellbeing services, and acute tertiary services.

Visit

referral

Referral Image
Referral
IPC Health Refugee Health Program
Refugee Health Nurses, Community Case Workers and allied health at Sunshine and Hoppers Crossing. GP clinics at Hoppers Crossing, Deer Park and Wyndham Vale.

Visit

referral

Referral Image
Referral
Kensington and Footscray— Cohealth
Our specialised refugee and asylum seeker health nurses and support workers assess each person’s physical and mental health needs to connect people to the right health and social services.

Visit

referral

Referral Image
Referral
Ringwood East- EACH
Our Refugee Health service supports newly arrived refugees or asylum seekers with a thorough assessment of their current health and treatment or preventative interventions to ensure existing or at-risk conditions are managed appropriately.

Visit

referral

Referral Image
Referral
Ballarat —Ballarat Community Health

Category: Rural and Regional 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

referral

Referral Image
Referral
Gippsland —Latrobe Community Health Service

Category: Rural and Regional Health

Latrobe Community Health Service offers health services and other forms of community support to migrants and refugees.

Visit

resource

resource

Resource Image
Resource
The Australian Refugee Health Practice Guide
The Australian Refugee Health Practice Guide can be used by doctors, nurses and other primary care providers to inform on-arrival and ongoing health care for people from refugee backgrounds, including people seeking asylum.

Visit

resource

Resource Image
Resource
Guidelines for the Refugee Health Nurse Program
The RHNP is intended to optimise the long-term health of refugee community members through promoting accessible and culturally appropriate health care services that are responsive to changing patterns of refugee settlement.

Visit
Skip to content