If you need further support in relation to cultural diversity concerns who could you contact qld

There are a number of government and non-government services that can assist health workers to care for patients from a culturally and linguistically diverse background.

Refugee Health Network Queensland

The Refugee Health Network Queensland builds capacity, partnerships and facilitates coordination of care across health, settlement agencies, communities, government and non-government sectors.

The Network's website has an extensive collection of resources on healthcare for refugees and people seeking asylum.

Multicultural Affairs Queensland

Multicultural Affairs Queensland (MAQ) is responsible for promoting positive community relations and providing advice on multicultural issues, coordinating multicultural policy development and planning across the Queensland Government.

MAQ publishes the Queensland Multicultural Resource Directory which provides a comprehensive listing of more than 1500 key organisations with an ethnic community focus in Queensland.

Topics include: health services, aged care, child care, counselling, refugee services and community groups.

More information:

• Multicultural Affairs Queensland
• Queensland Multicultural Resource Directory

Settlement Services Locator

The Department of Social Services website provides an overview of service provider locations for the Humanitarian Settlement Program across Australia.

More information:

• Settlement Services Locator

Multicultural links

Links to multicultural organisations and further information about multicultural and health services.

Key contacts within Queensland Health

Contacts within Queensland Health who have a specific focus on multicultural health issues.

Last updated: 8 October 2013

Communities and Jusitce  (DCJ) is committed to providing services appropriate to the range of cultures and languages that reflect families in NSW.

Below we list some of our key services where different language options are available.

Using interpreting services to report a child at risk

If you suspect a child or young person is at risk of significant harm, or are worried they're experiencing neglect or abuse, you can can talk to a member of our Child Protection Helpline team about your concerns.

Child Protection Helpline
132 111

If you don't feel comfortable speaking English, you can make a report using a professional phone interpreter by contacting the Translation and Interpreting Service first on 131 450. You need to say the language you speak and that you wish to contact the Child Protection Helpline.

Using the Translation and Interpreting Service to make a report about a child or young person does not cost any money.

Legal services

To find a free legal service in your area, call

LawAccess NSW
1300 888 529

Call the Telephone Interpreter Service first on 131 450 if you need help to do this.

You can also visit our website page listing legal services and support including local community legal centres and Family Violence Prevention Legal Services.

Carers of children from different language and cultural backgrounds

Read about the practical ways carers can support children and young people from different language and cultural backgrounds.

Disability services

People caring for children and young people with a disability who are also from a different language and cultural background can find support through the Multicultural Disability Advocacy Association of NSW (MDAA).

Multicultural Disability Advocacy Association of NSW (MDAA)
02 9891 6400 or (free call number) 1800 629 072

MDAA advocates for the rights of people with disability  from a culturally and linguistically diverse background in NSW and also their families and carers. This includes helping them understand their rights and what support they can access such as services funded by the National Insurance Disability Scheme (NDIS).

More support services

Migrant Resource Centres

The range of services provided by Migrant Resource Centres differ from one centre to another. Assistance includes providing information and advice about services, networks and organisations catering to different language and cultural groups.

Find a list of Migrant Resource Centres in New South Wales.

Ethnic Community Services Co-operative

Provides support and assistance to families from different cultural and language backgrounds. This includes multicultural children services, disability services, services for older persons and training on how best to work with different cultural groups called "cultural competency".

Ethnic Community Services Co-operative
02 9569 1288

Humanitarian Settlement Program (HSP)

Offer refugees support on arrival to Australia, including short-term accommodation, health assessments, links to their community, and more. Individuals also receive support from a caseworker in areas such as education, employment and the English language.  In NSW, the HSP is delivered on behalf of the Australian Government by:

Australian Red Cross
Settlement Services International 

STARTTS

STARTTS is the NSW Service for the Treatment and Rehabilitation of Torture and Trauma Survivors. It provides culturally relevant support to help people and communities heal from refugee trauma and rebuild their lives in Australia.

STARTTS

Transcultural Mental Health Centre

The Transcultural Mental Health Centre (TMHC) work with people from culturally and linguistically diverse communities, health professionals and partner organisations across NSW to support good mental health.

Transcultural Mental Health Centre

ABCD Parenting Young Adolescents 
Offers parent resources in Arabic, Macedonian, Spanish, Turkish and Vietnamese.

Adult Multicultural Education Services (AMES) 
The Adult Migrant Education Services (AMES) is a major provider of English language and settlement services in Victoria.

Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) - Asylum Seekers and Refugees 
The AHRC website includes a factsheet on the impact of bridging visas restrictions on asylum seekers, a section of questions and answers on immigration detention and human rights, and on asylum seekers, refugees and human rights. Links are also available to the range of AHRC work related to immigration, asylum seekers and refugees.

Australian Institute of Interpreters and Translators Inc. (AUSIT) 
AUSIT is a national association for the translating and interpreting profession.

Australian Multicultural Foundation 
The Australian Multicultural Foundation was established in 1988 as a legacy of Australia's Bicentenary to: promote awareness among the people of Australia and the contribution for people from all cultures and the development of Australia; spread respect, tolerance and understanding between all cultural groups through any appropriate means; cultivate in all Australians a strong commitment to Australia as one people drawn from many cultures.

Centre for Cultural Diversity in Ageing 
The Centre for Cultural Diversity in Ageing is a Victorian based organisation that primarily supports the aged care sector address the needs of elderly people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. The organisation provides training, consultancy and translation services to culturally and linguistically diverse communities to better understand the aged care services available in Australia.

Centre for Culture, Ethnicity and Health (CEH) 
Agency that provides specialist information, training and support on cultural diversity and wellbeing. They also offer practical support and training to help organisations improve outcomes for culturally diverse clients and communities.

Centre for Multicultural Youth (CMY) 
The Centre for Multicultural Youth (CMY) site has information for workers on young people from different cultural backgrounds, including some great information sheets on newly arrived families.

Children and separation (Arabic) - MensLine Australia 
Mensline provides a national telephone counselling support service for men with family and relationship concerns. Communication materials that respond to the specific needs of Arabic men are provided at the above links. Materials are also available for Indigenous and young men.

Face the Facts: Some Questions and Answers about Indigenous Peoples, Migrants and Refugees and Asylum Seekers (2012) 
Australian Human Rights Commission's contribution to informed factual public debate about race, Indigenous peoples and cultural diversity in Australia. Publication provides information about Indigenous peoples, migrants, refugees and asylum seekers.

Federation of Ethnic Communities Councils of Australia (FECCA) 
Federation of Ethnic Communities Councils of Australia (FECCA) is the national body representing Australians from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. FECCA's role is to advocate, lobby and promote issues on behalf of its constituency to government, business and the broader community.

Forum of Australian Services for Survivors of Torture and Trauma (FASSTT) 
The Forum of Australia Services for Survivors of Torture and Trauma (FASSTT) is a network of Australia's eight specialist rehabilitation agencies that work with survivors of torture and trauma who have come to Australia from overseas. There is one FASSTT member agency in each state and territory of Australia.

Foundation House 
The Victorian Foundation for Survivors of Torture Inc. (also known as Foundation House) develops publications and resources to enhance the understanding of the needs of people from refugee backgrounds among health and other professionals, government and the wider community.

Mental Health in Multicultural Australia (MHMA) 
The MHiMA project is funded by the Australian Government, Department of Health, to provide a national focus for advice and support to providers and governments on mental health and suicide prevention for people from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds.

Multicultural Affairs Queensland 
Multicultural Affairs Queensland is a branch of the Queensland Governments Department of Communities, Child Safety and Disability Services. It works to strengthen multiculturalism by providing advice on multicultural issues, coordinating multicultural policy development and planning and promoting positive community relations.

Multicultural Communities Council of SA (MCCSA) 
The Multicultural Communities Council of SA is the peak organisation that services and advocates for CALD communities in South Australia.

Multicultural Centre for Women's Health (MCWH) 
A women's health organisation committed to improving the health of immigrant and refugee women around Australia.

Multicultural SA 
Multicultural SA is the agency responsible for advising the Government on all matters relating to multicultural and ethnic affairs in South Australia. Multicultural SA is part of the Department for Communities and Social Inclusion.

National Ethnic Disability Alliance (NEDA) 
The national peak organisation representing the rights and interests of people from non-English speaking background (NESB) with disability, their families and carers throughout Australia.  NEDA is a community based, non-government organisation funded by the Commonwealth Department of Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs.

Office of Multicultural Interests - Western Australian Government 
OMI supports the development of State Government policies and programs to promote multiculturalism and improve services to Western Australians from diverse cultural, linguistic and religious backgrounds.

Refugee Council of Australia 
The Refugee Council of Australia is a non-profit peak organisation. It provides information on and advocacy for refugees and humanitarian entrants in Australia on behalf of its 100 organisational members and many individual members.

Separation - looking after yourself (Arabic) - MensLine Australia 
Mensline provides a national telephone counselling support service for men with family and relationship concerns. Communication materials that respond to the specific needs of Arabic men are provided at the above links. Materials are also available for Indigenous and young men.

Spectrum Migrant Resource Centre 
Spectrum Migrant Resource Centre caters for the needs of newly arrived and established migrants and refugees. The Centre has developed settlement service packages specifically tailored to meet the on-arrival and longer term settlement and integration needs.

Translating & Interpreting Service (TIS National) - DIBP 
The Translating and Interpreting Service (TIS National) is an interpreting service provided by the Department of Immigration and Border Protection (DIBP) to provide interpreting services for people who do not speak English and for agencies and businesses that need to communicate with their non-English speaking clients.

Victorian Multicultural Commission (VMC) 
The Victorian Multicultural Commission is an independent statutory authority that provides independent advice to the Victorian Government to inform the development of legislative and policy frameworks and the delivery of services to the culturally, linguistically and religiously diverse society.

Victorian Transcultural Mental Health (VTMH) 
The VTMH is a statewide unit which supports area mental health and psychiatric disability support services in working with culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) consumers and carers throughout Victoria.