Details f PCP cntact Refugee Service Crdinatin Case study Name f PCP Cntact Persn Psitin/Title Central West Gippsland Primary Care Partnership Selena Gillham Acting Executive Officer Phne N. (03) 5127 9159 Email Address selena.gillham@lchs.cm.au Identified Partners Partner Organisatin Central West Gippsland Primary Care Partnership (CWGPCP) Latrbe Cmmunity Health Service (LCHS) Central West Gippsland Divisin f General Practice (CWGDGP) Rles and respnsibilities with regard t the prject Day t day management f Prject Auspice the Planning Cmmittee, Respnsibility fr financial bligatins and insurance cver Assistance with design f the mapping tl and supprt t GP practices t cmplete this Cntact persn details (name, psitin) Debra Carnduff Refugee Service Crdinatin Prject Wrker (authr) Michelle Crsby Manager Health Prmtin & Educatin Marg Bgart Practice Capacity Crdinatr Case Study Title Refugee Service Crdinatin Prject Summary/Abstract (200 wrds) Latrbe City has welcmed many new refugee families since 2006 with an estimated 450 t 600 nw residing in the regin. The lcal cmmunity health service was funded t establish a Refugee Health Nurse (RHN) Prgram in recgnitin f the challenges f meeting the diverse and cmplex health and wellbeing needs f these new arrivals. As part f this funding CWGPCP develped and prmted effective service crdinatin mdels t supprt refugees. Three majr issues were addressed thrugh the Prject. Imprved access fr refugees t health services Refugees have increased their use f health services (250% increase in usage at LCHS) including GPs with the primary benefit being the imprved transitin, settlement and adjustment f refugees t ur cmmunity and imprved health utcmes. Imprved understanding f agency rles and service prvisin prcesses Services have defined their rles and respnsibilities and develped prcesses f cllabratin with ther service prviders. Increased awareness f refugee health issues this prject has delivered increased knwledge and understanding f the refugee s jurney, the basic supprts needed fr the cmmunity t integrate and an understanding f the multiple and cmplex health needs that many f the refugees present with. Refugee Service Crdinatin Case Study Page 1 f 7
Backgrund Name f Prject Pririty gal Pririty issue(s) Target grup Backgrund Refugee Health Service Crdinatin Prject T imprve access t services and health utcmes fr refugees in Latrbe City. Imprved access t health services Imprved understanding f agency rles and service prvisin prcesses Increased awareness f refugee health issues Refugees and Humanitarian Entrants (New Arrivals) Secndary migratin f Sudanese humanitarian entrants t Latrbe Valley had emerged as a significant issue as identified by the Central West Gippsland Planning Cmmittee in late 2007 and early 2008. Department f Immigratin and Citizenship (DIAC) agreed that the needs f new settlers t Gippsland had emerged as a pririty. T supprt health services in meeting the diverse and cmplex health and wellbeing needs f these new arrivals t the Regin LCHS was funded fr the RHN prgram. CWGPCP was funded as part f this prgram t develp and prmte effective service crdinatin mdels t supprt refugee clients. A Refugee Service Crdinatin Prject Wrker was appinted t map health services and develp clear referral pathways. This wrker was supprted by Health West t guide and facilitate the develpment and implementatin f the Latrbe Prject. The Prject Wrker designed a data cllectin tl in cllabratin with CWGPCP, LCHS and the CWGDGP t cver all areas f service crdinatin and delivery. Nearly 50 agencies were apprached t cllect data n the services they ffered t peple frm a refugee r humanitarian backgrund seeking supprt and/r assistance. A Refugee Health Pamphlet was als designed and widely distributed t highlight supprt ffered under the Prject, in cllabratin with the RHN prgram at LCHS. A Refugee Health and Wellbeing Plan was presented t the Refugee Health Wrking Grup, prject arm f the Central West Gippsland (Latrbe) Settlement Cmmittee. Objectives Imprving the health and wellbeing f refugees in Latrbe City is a gal under the CWGPCP strategic pririty. The refugee service crdinatin prject is a strategy under the bjectives f increase the capacity f health and cmmunity rganisatins t wrk with diverse grups and mre specifically refugees and imprve access t needed services. The Prject s key bjectives included: Service mapping and pathway develpment Raising awareness f refugee health issues Identificatin f training needs Refugee Service Crdinatin Case Study Page 2 f 7
Prject participants As part f the prject, a list f identified agencies was assembled thrugh discussins with PCP partner agencies. Service prviders wh cntributed t the Prject were : Latrbe Reginal Hspital Directr f Nursing General Manager, Sub-Acute Services General Manager, Supprt Services Manager, Infectin Cntrl Manager, Scial Wrk Grup Manager, Acute Care Unit Manager, Maternity Maternity Staff Outreach Midwife Sexual Health Clinic Manager, Accident and Emergency I-Med Imaging Gippsland Pathlgy Breastscreen Central West Gippsland Divisin f General Practice General Practice Clinics Gippsland Multicultural Services Department f Human Services Latrbe Cmmunity Health Service Manager, Cunselling Services Manager, Health Prmtin and Cmmunity Educatin Mental Health Prmtin Officer Cmmunity Nurses Manager, Dental Services Manager, Cnsumer Services Service Access Officers Manager, Service Crdinatin Allied Health Team Latrbe City Cuncil (LCC) General Manager, Cmmunity Liveability Manager Child and Family Services Family Services Officer Manager, Cmmunity Capacity Building Manager, Cmmunity Health and Wellbeing Children Services Crdinatrs Pre-Schl Prgram Childcare Maternal and Child Health Prgram Maternal and Child Health Nurses Enhanced Maternal and Child Health Nurse Mayr and Chair f Latrbe Settlement Planning Cmmittee Cmmunity Develpment Facilitatr Refugee Service Crdinatin Case Study Page 3 f 7
Cmmunity Engagement Officer, Refugee Actin Plan Gd Beginnings Nah s Ark Office f Husing Cmmunity Husing Ltd Quantum Supprt Services Family Services Crdinatr Yuth Services Crdinatr Manager Husing Services Crdinatr Anglicare Refugee Minr Prgram Berry Street Manager Cultural Liaisn Officer Emplyment and Supprt Relatinships Australia Department f Educatin ESL Crdinatr ESL teachers Schl Nurse GippsTAFE ESL Teacher ESL Team Leader Gippsland Emplyment and Transitinal Training (GETT Centre) Centrelink Multicultural Services Officer Gippsland Emplyment and Skills Training (GEST) Victria Plice GippSprt HealthWest Service Crdinatin Prject Wrker Adult Migrant Educatin Service (AMES) Fundatin Huse DIAC Latrbe Valley Mental Health Service Headspace Gippsland Wmen s Health Service The Smith Family Victrian EyeCare Service Sudanese Cmmunity Leaders Methdlgy and apprach The Prject Wrker develped a Data Cllectin Tl under the guidance f CWGPCP, LCHS and CWGDGP. Infrmatin surced frm Agencies targeted (see abve) included details abut: Cst fr services Refugee Service Crdinatin Case Study Page 4 f 7
What interpreter services were used? Service Crdinatin tls used Referrals in and ut Initial Needs Identificatin Any assessment needs Health Service Directries used Referral pint t gain services Specific issues encuntered in delivering services t refugees including: Access Referral Care crdinatin Refugee specific Health service infrmatin The data cllected frmed the basis f the Refugee Health and Wellbeing Mapping Plan. The CWDGP encuraged all GP members t participate in the cllectin f data and issued the cllectin tl via their netwrk which included all GP Clinics in Latrbe City and Baw Baw Shire. The Divisin ensured that the final Plan was GP user-friendly and was an essential link t GPs acrss the Regin. The Service Crdinatin Prject Wrker and the RHN participated in training delivered by the Divisin t GP Clinic staff n Refugee Specific Care. With the supprt f the CWGDGP, infrmatin frm the Service Crdinatin Prject and the RHN Prgram was distributed via their netwrk t encurage imprved care crdinatin between GPs and ther health prviders. The Prject Wrker als supprted the CWGDGP in resurcing infrmatin fr develping a Refugee Specific Link n their website. During the prcess f cllecting data, the Prject Wrker was able t distribute supprtive resurces and infrmatin t build the capacity f agencies t deliver culturally apprpriate health services. The Wrker raised awareness and knwledge abut the imprtance f the need t crdinate the delivery f services t their refugee clients. It was als an pprtunity t prmte the use f interpreters in ensuring clear cmmunicatin between agency and client, leading t mre effective utcmes fr bth parties. A number f cultural awareness training sessins were delivered t key service prviders with the supprt f the RHN, ensuring a clear understanding f the RHN s rle in supprting service delivery t refugee clients. Sessins were delivered t Maternity staff at LRH, Allied Health at LCHS and Managers and Staff at LCC. Results Impacts and utcmes The Prject was instrumental in highlighting t service prviders the imprtance f culturally apprpriate service delivery and care. Service prviders and refugee clients alike benefit by the intrductin f imprved service crdinatin. The Prject was key in encuraging LCHS t appint, in the first instance, culturally apprpriate Service Access Wrkers, befre appinting a New Arrivals Wrker (Sudanese). The New Arrivals Wrker, wh is multi-lingual, assists refugee clients seeking health and wellbeing supprt, including emergency relief, educatin, husing and welfare supprt. The Prject Wrker was relcated in 2010 t LCHS s Refugee Health unit t prgress the issues that were identified thrugh the data cllected and t supprt the full utilisatin f the RHN psitin. Refugee Service Crdinatin Case Study Page 5 f 7
LCHS has mre recently received funding frm DIAC s Settlement Grants Prgram and emplyed a Prject Wrker t prvide Orientatin t Australia, Develping Cmmunities and Integratin SGP services t all eligible clients in the Latrbe Valley. These services include mentring and cmmunity develpment, activities prmting a greater participatin in sprt, emplyment related prgrams and a husing educatin prject. A key success f this Prject has been the number f Sudanese humanitarian arrivals that have accessed LCHS services acrss Gippsland. The 2010 Quality f Care Reprt frm LCHS cnfirms that there were 19 clients in 2008 with an increase t 49 utilising the service in 2009. This trend is expected t cntinue and even duble in 2010. The Service is building strnger cmmunity relatins and prviding infrmatin that is relevant and easy t understand. Status and sustainability The prject has develped a Mapping Plan which is an nging tl that can be annually updated as funding streams and services change. The tl is a useful rientatin resurce fr agencies t use when new staff are appinted t psitins f service access. The data cllected by the prject has als been develped int a resurce that can and has been utilised fr the distributin f valuable refugee specific resurces thrugh an email link. That data is currently being develped int a Refugee Specific Service list f health and wellbeing resurces in a frm that details the name f the rganisatin, its primary rle, cntact details and referral pints, as well as detailing csts and whether interpreter r refugee specific services are available. The Refugee Health Prject Wrker has cnslidated the service crdinatin rle int her psitin, and cntinues t raise awareness and knwledge abut the imprtance f a cllabrative apprach t service delivery. The Prject Wrker, wrking alngside the RHN and New Arrivals Wrker, cntinue t supprt ther agencies in meeting the specific demands f the refugee client. Cnclusins Key agencies prviding health and wellbeing supprt, including LCC, Centrelink, LRH and CWGDGP are cllabrating t deliver culturally sensitive services. Health Educatin Sessins and ther health prmtin activities cntinue t be delivered directly t the refugee cmmunity. Tpics f interest are discussed and relevant translated resurces are prvided in an nging effrt t imprve and prmte the need fr health awareness. Service prviders are invited t jin these sessins r hst them with the Refugee Health Team s supprt. The effectiveness f the Prject has cntributed t the increase in peple frm a refugee backgrund accessing LCHS fr services and supprt. There has been an increase f ver 250% with high numbers accessing services acrss all areas f care, including dental, cmmunity nursing, emergency relief, cunselling and rientatin supprt frm the New Arrivals Wrker. The RHN cntinues t wrk alngside GPs and ther service prviders in ensuring that clients receive hlistic supprt in meeting multi-disciplinary demands fr Refugee Service Crdinatin Case Study Page 6 f 7
treatment and services. There have been challenges t the Prject. Data cllected frm agencies identified a cntinued reluctance by services t access interpreter services. This issue remains a key task t address. The Refugee Health Team at LCHS cntinues t ffer cultural awareness training and supprt, including hw t use an interpreter effectively. There als cntinues t be a reluctance t intrduce any refugee specific service, believing that generic delivery f services is effective. The Prject Wrker cntinues t advcate fr enhanced culturally apprpriate cmmunicatin, crdinatin and referral pathways between lcal primary care and specialist care prviders. This will imprve access fr refugee clients, especially fr thse clients with multiple and cmplex health care needs. Service crdinatin cntinues t be advcated thrugh the Refugee Health Wrking Grup under the Latrbe Settlement Cmmittee. The Grup has develped a Strategic Plan that has been drawn frm infrmatin resurced frm the Refugee Service Crdinatin Prject and includes cllabrative strategies t increase the capacity f services t meet their duty f care t their refugee clients. The Grup will cntinue t identify the barriers t effective and culturally cmpetent service delivery and wrk twards addressing thse barriers. References: LCHS 2010 Quality f Care Reprt http://lchs.cm.au/assets/files/quality%20f%20care%20reprt/lchs_quality_f_care_r eprt_2010.pdf Refugee Service Crdinatin Case Study Page 7 f 7