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What's new
New grants available
A number of new grants for multicultural and multifaith groups are now available - for more information visit the VMC website.
Refugees, Identity and Media - Public Seminar 31 October
 Refugees Identity and Media seminar
Multicultural Arts News
For the latest news in Multicultural Arts go to the Multicultural Arts website.
Working with newly arrived African communities around blood-borne viruses and STIs
CEH workshop, 26 November, $50. See Workshop flyer
Centre for Culture, Ethnicity and Health (CEH) news
CEH Professional Learning Calender August to December 2008
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The ISEPICH Integrated Cultural and Linguistic Diversity Strategy
The ISEPICH Cultural and Linguistic Diversity (CALD) Strategy aims to ensure that:
- Community members of culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds have access to all services and programs
- Services are provided in a culturally sensitive manner
- Interpreters and translations are provided when needed
The strategy is designed to assist member agencies in developing their own internal policies and procedures, and support them working together in the PCP.
Read the ISEPICH Cultural and Linguistic Diversity Strategy.
The strategy was developed in 2002-03 and evaluated in 2005. The evaluation showed that agencies felt they had improved their use of language services. View the report here CALD Evaluation Report
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Access to language services (interpreters and translations)
Current guidelines on access to DHS funded language services for service providers and application forms are available at the DHS multicultural strategy website http://www.dhs.vic.gov.au/multicultural
The DHS 'Cultural Diversity Guide' and a range of other resources are also available from the multicultural website.
Victorian Interpreter Cards are available to culturally and linguistically diverse community members who need an interpreter when using government services.
To find out how to obtain these cards for clients or community members, see the Victorian Interpreter Card page on the Victorian Multicultural Commission website.
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Doctors can provide interpreters - the Doctors' Priority Line
All doctors, including GPs and specialists, have access to fee-free interpreting services from Translating and Interpreting Services (TIS) through the Doctors Priority Line. This can include on-site interpreting when the consultation is complex or sensitive (sufficient notice is needed to arrange on-site interpreting).
The Doctors Priority Line is a free telephone interpreting service which helps medical practitioners to communicate with their non-English speaking patients.
Medical practitioners can use the Doctors Priority Line when providing services that are:
- claimable under Medicare
- in private practices
- provided to non-English speakers who are Australian citizens or permanent residents.
The Doctors Priority Line is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Telephone: 1300 131 450
Doctors need to register to use this service. For information on how to register, see the Free services page on the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) website.
CALD community members have frequently advised ISEPICH that they have difficulty obtaining access to interpreters when they visit GPs and medical specialists.
Sometimes doctors have wrongly advised patients that they have to pay for interpreters themselves, but this is not correct. Doctors, not their patients, are responsible for ensuring that interpreting is available when needed.
All health professionals have a duty of care to ensure they are understood by their patients and clients.
Patients who need an interpreter may obtain an "I need an interpreter" Card. They can show the card to the receptionist or doctor to assist with arranging interpreters.
To find out how to get these cards for your patients or community members, go to the "I need an interpreter" Card page on the DIAC website.
Please feel free to forward the information about the doctors' priority line on to any medical practitioners who may not be aware of this free service.
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Multicultural contacts and information
Key contacts
New Hope Migrant and Refugee Centre (previously South Central Region Migrant Resource Centre)
New Hope Migrant and Refugee Centre provides settlement, welfare, aged care, employment and training programs to refugees and migrants.
The MRC also works to ensure access to services for cultural and linguistic communities through collaboration with service providers, and can provide assistance with the development of access and equity policies.
The head office is located at 8 Chester Street, Oakleigh Vic 3166. Tel (03) 9563 4130. Fax (03) 9563 4131. Email enquiry@newhope.asn.au. Website http://www.newhope.asn.au
Centre for Culture, Ethnicity and Health
The Centre for Culture, Ethnicity and Health (CEH) provides support to PCPs and member agencies through cultural and linguistic diversity education and training, and a range of tailored resources, including information on the health needs of refugees and asylum seekers.
For details of programs and resources provided by CEH, please go to the website http://www.ceh.org.au
Action on Disability within Ethnic Communities (ADEC)
ADEC provides a range of services to assist in the provision of appropriate services for people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. For more information visit the ADEC website http://www.adec.org.au
Greek care website
Fronditha Care is pleased to announce that a new website called Greek Care has been launched. The website presents advice to service providers about the traditions, culture, religion, language and other important information relating to people from a Greek speaking background. See http://www.greekcare.org.au/
Indian community resources and violence prevention project
Did you know that the Indian-born community was one of the fastest growing in the southern region? Demographic snapshot of Indian community
The Federation of Indian Associations of Victoria (FIAV) provides a Welfare and Resource Centre. Indian Welfare and Resource Centre
FIAV has also recently received funding for project to address family violence. Indian domestic violence brochure Indian domestic violence poster
Please disseminate this information to relevant networks and contacts.
Burmese Community Profile
Burmese refugees made up 41% of the Victorian refugee intake in 2007/08. This presentation provides information about the situation in Burma, and the issues facing refugees when they come to Victoria. Burmese Community Profile
Settlement Planning Update - Dept of Immigration & Citizenship
This tool is designed to help newly arrived migrants and humanitatian entrants serach for settlement service providers, government agencies abd community groups. Visit www.immi.gov.au/living-in-australia/settle-in-australia/find-help/where-to-help/index.htm
Refugee Resettlement in Regional and Rural Victoria
A report on impacts and policy issues - available at http://www.vichealth.vic.gov.au/mentalhealthreports/#cs_1487
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Information and resources - multilingual
Home & Community Care Handbook for Cities of Port Phillip, Glen Eira and Stonnington
This client focussed multilingual information resource aims to provide ageing communities with a better understanding of their local council Home and Community Care Services.
As part of the Culturally Equitable Gateways Strategy (CEGS) this document was developed and jointly written by the Cities of Glen Eira, Port Phillip, Stonnington, Bayside, and the New Hope Migrant and Refugee Centre (formerly South Central Region Migrant Resource Centre). The group approached the project with the aim of creating a document in English that is clear and concise in language, style and format and that could be easily translated into multiple community languages.
The Handbook has now been translated into Russian, Italian, Greek, Polish and Chinese (Simplified and Traditional).
This generic HACC Client Handbook and its translations can be easily used by other local governments, organisations and service providers to promote HACC services to culturally and linguistically communities.
We strongly encourage organisations to use and distribute this resource.
We understand that in order to use this handbook effectively, your organisation may need to tailor the English version and the relevant translations to particular needs. Amendments are allowed as long as they are confined to elements of the handbook not relevant to the organisation i.e. services not provided by your organisation, contact numbers and addresses. Amendments need to be made in both the English and translated version/s at the cost of the organisation. An acknowledgement of the original document is required.
The working party and the organisations they represent take no responsibility for alterations or changes to the original document. If you wish to access the document to make alterations please contact:
Inner South CEGS Initiative
New Hope Migrant and Refugee Centre
(formerly South Central Region Migrant Resource Centre)
40 Grattan Street Prahran 3181 VIC enquiry@southcentralmrc.org.au
City of Port Phillip
Port Phillip HACC Booklet English
Port Phillip HACC Booklet Russian
Port Phillip HACC Booklet Simplified Chinese
Port Phillip HACC Booklet Traditional Chinese
Port Phillip HACC Booklet Greek
Port Phillip HACC Booklet Italian
Port Phillip HACC Booklet Polish
City of Stonnington
Stonnington HACC Booklet English
Stonnington HACC Booklet Russian
Stonnington HACC Booklet Simplified Chinese
Stonnington HACC Booklet Traditional Chinese
Stonnington HACC Booklet Greek
Stonnington HACC Booklet Italian
Stonnington HACC Booklet Polish
City of Glen Eira
Glen Eira HACC Booklet English
Glen Eira HACC Booklet Russian
Glen Eira HACC Booklet Simplified Chinese
Glen Eira HACC Booklet Traditional Chinese
Glen Eira HACC Booklet Greek
Glen Eira HACC Booklet Italian
Glen Eira HACC Booklet Polish
Health Translations On-line
The Health Translations On-line Directory provides online access to health information in languages other than English. To view and download information go to Health Translations Directory at http://www.healthtranslations.vic.gov.au/
Member agencies who have developed translated health information are also urged to send a copy to Health Translations On-line for inclusion in the database.
Multilingual information on discounts for tenants
The Parliamentary Secretary for Human Services has produced a newsletter on discounts for public housing tenants, which is available in a wide range of languages.
Please disseminate to contacts and networks.
Telelink
Telelink is a service that provides telephone discussion groups for socially isolated and housebound people. Groups are offered in many languages including English, Italian, Hungarian, French, Arabic, Greek, Vietnamese, Cantonese, Spanish, German, Polish, Macedonian, Maltese, Mandarin, Russian, Dutch, Croatian, and Filipino (Tagalog).
Telelink is provided by Vision Australia. Information is available from the website http://www.visionaustralia.org.au under 'Client Services' then 'Telelink'
Diabetes Helpline Offers Multicultural Services
The Victorian Diabetes Helpline offers a specific interpreter service for non-English speaking Victorians in six languages, Arabic, Chinese, Greek, Italian, Vietnamese and Turkish. The service augments the service already available in New South Wales, which provides interpreters in many other languages. The service is free and easy to use and provides excellent information about diabetes, the risks, healthy lifestyle and prevention.
At present the service can be accessed by those in Victoria and New South Wales by calling Diabetes Australia on 1300 136 588 with other states to follow. For those who can access the interpreter service, a three-way conversation is arranged between the caller, a diabetes educator or dietitian and an interpreter. The Helpline is funded by the Australian and State Governments.
Translated fact sheets in many languages are available on the Diabetes Australia website http://www.diabetesaustralia.com.au
Information on Arthritis
Arthritis Victoria has produced multilingual fact sheets on arthritis. For information contact Arthritis Victoria on 8531 8000 or visit the website Arthritis Victoria at http://www.arthritisvic.org.au
Information on Food safety
Eastern Health has developed a generic resource on food safety in several languages, which is freely available to service providers. The pamphlet was developed for carers and families of patients who brought food into hospital, but the first section consists of general food safety information. Copies, including the English version, may be downloaded here
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Further resources and links
More information on CALD and indigenous issues is available from the following websites:
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