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Practice for sale formWant to learn how to effectively work with CALD and Refugee groups you work with? These links can help.
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CALD and refugee health and service needs
South Western Sydney health needs
South Western Sydney PHN initiatives
Information on Cultural background of Australia's migrant populations. Cultural Atlas (sbs.com.au)
Health information
Health Resource Directory - share with your patients
SWSPHN directory of easy-to-read information on health conditions, topics and services for your patients. The factsheets are available in English, Simplified Chinese, Arabic, and Vietnamese as PDFs and audio files.
HealthPathways - clinical and referral information portal for GPs
HealthPathways is used at point-of-care by GPs. Here are recommended pathways for consulting with CALD and refugee patients:
Multicultural Services and Translated Resources
Refugee Health Assessment in Adults
Refugee Health Assessment in Children and Adolescents
Need a log in? Email healthpathways@swsphn.com.au
Translating services
| Resource | Description |
|---|---|
| Translating and Interpreting service agency registration page | Interpreting service provided by the Department of Home Affairs for people with limited English proficiency and for agencies and businesses that need to communicate with their non-English speaking clients. |
| RACGP Factsheet: Telephone consultations with patients requiring an interpreter | Guidance and support for general practitioners (GPs) providing telehealth consultations with patients who require an interpreter. |
| Service NSW - Help in your language | Language translation and interpreter services that you can access in person, by video or over the phone. |
| Western Health's CALD assist app | CALD Assist™ is an app which offers a simple and dynamic way for healthcare workers to communicate with patients from CALD backgrounds when an interpreter is not available. |
| Centre for Culture, Ethnicity & Health factsheet: Interpreters: an introduction to role and responsibilities | Guide on interpreter role and responsibilities. |
| Centre for Culture, Ethnicity & Health factsheet: Booking and Briefing an Interpreter | Guide on how to get in touch with an interpreter. |
| Centre for Culture, Ethnicity & Health factsheet: Communicating via an Interpreter | Guide on strategies for working with an interpreter. |
| Centre for Culture, Ethnicity & Health factsheet: Using teach-back via an interpreter | Guide to improving your use of teach-back with a patient when communicating via an interpreter. |
Communication strategies
Multicultural Health - A Guide for Health Professionals | Queensland Health
Interactive Online Learning | VTMH
Support for people from different cultural backgrounds | Head to Health
Health literacy support tools
Help your patients/clients to make informed decisions about their health by ensuring your write in plain language. Aim to write for a reading level of an 8th grade student. Here are resources to help you to write in plain language:
| Resource | Description |
|---|---|
| Sydney Health Literacy Lab: SHell Editor | A web-based software which grounded in health literacy and plain language principles. SHell Editor gives objective, real-time feedback on words and sentences to help authors to write health information which is easy to understand. |
| Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality: Patient Education Materials Assessment Tool (PEMAT) and user guide | Checklist to evaluate and compare the understandability and actionability of patient education materials. |
| Tasmanian Government Department of Health: Health Literacy Workplace Toolkit | Information and practical tools to help health and community workers respond to health literacy needs. |
| Centre for Culture, Ethnicity & Health: Written Communication | Factsheet with tips to make written information more accessible. |
| Centre for Culture, Ethnicity & Health: Verbal Communication | Factsheet with tips to make verbal communication more accessible. |
| The Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne: Guide to writing in plain language | Factsheet on strategies to make written information more accessible. |
| Canberra Health Literacy Hub: Make it Easy: A Handbook for Becoming a Health Literate Organisation (2019) | Guide to make it easy for anyone to find, understand, and use information and services. |
CALD and refugee specific services
Ethnic Communities' Council of NSW (ECCNSW)
ECCNSW is the peak body for all culturally and linguistically diverse communities in New South Wales. Its main activities are advocacy, community education and community development.
Multicultural Disability Advocacy Association of NSW (MDAA)
MDAA is the peak body for all people in NSW with disability and their families and carers, with a focus on those from a CALD/non-English speaking background with disability.
NSW Legal Aid Immigration service
This service provides free legal advice, assistance and representation about refugee law and other immigration matters.
NSW Service for the Treatment and Rehabilitation of Torture and Trauma Survivors (STARTTS)
STARTTS provides culturally relevant psychological treatment and support and community interventions to help people and communities heal the scars of torture and refugee trauma and rebuild their lives in Australia. STARTTS also fosters a positive recovery environment through the provision of training to services, advocacy and policy work. STARTTS is the FASSTT member agency for NSW.
NSW Refugee Health Service (RHS)
The NSW Refugee Health Service (RHS) is a state-wide service, funded by the Ministry of Health. It provides a range of clinical services and medical assessments for recently arrived refugees and asylum seekers. Activities also include policy input, research, projects and a range of health promotion initiatives.
NSW Multicultural Health Communication Service
This service is funded by NSW Health. It helps health workers to communicate with non-English-speaking people. The website has health information translated into a large selection of languages other than English.
NSW Multicultural Health Communication Service
Transcultural Mental Health Centre (TMHC)
TMHC works with health practitioners and communities across New South Wales to support positive mental health for people from culturally and linguistically diverse communities.
Youth Action
Youth Action is the peak organisation representing young people and youth services in NSW. Youth action gives a particular focus to regional young people, First Nations young people, those doing it tough, those with disability, LGBTIQA+ and young people from culturally and linguistically diverse communities, including migrants and refugees.