how we work
how we work
Collaborate for Change
We develop meaningful with governments at all levels, funding bodies, research institutions, health services, peak bodies, private corporations and community organisations. Most importantly, all our work engages directly with communities.
Co-create for Change
We work directly with communities and stakeholders, striving for better health outcomes for people from refugee and migrant backgrounds, asylum seekers and mobile populations. Acknowledging the expertise that exists within communities ensuring they have a say on initiatives that impact their lives. Communities are at the heart of what we do and enabling self-determined leadership at all stages is key. This process challenges some of the usual practices of community engagement that can perpetuate inherently colonial and patriarchal systems of service delivery. We are committed to reciprocity and skill building. This process recognises the intersectionality of people lives and experiences. It supports the development of multifaceted approaches to address the complex needs of communities.
Innovate for Change
By working collaboratively with key stakeholders across the public health spectrum we hope to influence change in policy, strategic direction, funding allocation, research /evidence building and practice. We want systemic change across the healthcare system to improve the lives of all and promote the involvement of communities to be the catalyst for this change. By working in this way we hope to influence the social and political determinants of health for diverse communities. We aim for a healthcare system that is culturally competent, culturally safe and culturally just.
why we exist
why we exist
Diversity in Australia
Almost one third of all Australians were born overseas. Just under half of our young people have at least one parent born overseas. In Victoria, we speak more than 200 languages and practice more than 130 faiths.
The population of young people is greater for people born overseas than their Australian born counterparts. People born overseas have more babies, are more likely to be engaged in precarious employment situations, have a greater burden of disease overall.
People from refugee and migrant backgrounds, asylum seekers and mobile populations experience overall poorer health outcomes compared to the broader Australian population. Multicultural communities encounter significant barriers when it comes to having good health due to a number of issues including: accessing culturally competent and safe health services, language barriers, service navigation issues, varying levels of health literacy and have different health belief systems and modalities for help seeking, settlement issues and experiences of racism, discrimination and stigmatisation.
Multicultural Health
COVID-19 has shown us the levels of disparity affecting ethnic communities. Overall CALD deaths attributed to C-19 are double that in people born overseas. (ABS 2022)
75% of people living with Hepatitis B in Australia are from CALD backgrounds, many do not know that they have it. (Doherty)
The last 10% of people in Australia with undiagnosed HIV who are not on treatment are born overseas. (Kirby, AFAO 2022)
It is estimated that around half of refugees internationally experience post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (48.7%) (Hamrah et al., 2020), anxiety and psychological distress (40–50%) and that one-sixth have severe mental illness (16%) (Chen, Hall, Ling, & Renzaho, 2017; Guajardo et al., 2018; Taylor et al., 2014).
Justice issues: young people from CALD backgrounds, particularly African-Australian young men) experience over policing and are overrepresented in the justice system compared to their Australian born counterparts. (Journal of Criminology, 2020)
The majority of the burden in Australia is experienced by people from CALD backgrounds (Grattan Report on health condition 2021or 22), but by far the worst health outcomes experienced in Australia are those attributed to our First Nation’s people.