Mental Health

Australian Refugee Health Practice Guide – Experiences of torture and trauma booklet

Phoenix Australia (formerly Australian Centre for Post traumatic Mental Health)

Australian Guidelines for the Treatment of Acute Stress Disorder and Post traumatic Stress Disorder –
Australian Guidelines for the Treatment of Acute Stress Disorder and Post traumatic Stress Disorder Specific Populations and Trauma Types: Refugees, asylum seekers and PTSD

Interactive referral pathways for primary health care professionals to use with patients from refugee backgrounds (Updated March, 2020)

Queensland wide

Qld Program of Assistance to Survivors of Torture and Trauma (QPASTT)
Qld Transcultural Mental Health Centre Consultation Service
Multicultural Mental Health Coordinators
Headspace – A free or low-cost youth mental health service for 12–25 year olds

Brisbane

Refugee & Asylum Seeker Psychiatric Assessment Service at Mater Refugee Complex Care Clinic (MRCCC) (June 2019)

GP Referral Form – word doc
GP Referral Form – rtf version
Community Referral Form April 2019 – PDF

Culture in Mind – a community-based service that supports the social, emotional and mental well-being of migrants, refugees, and people seeking asylum in the greater Brisbane area.

Harmony Place – a community-based multicultural organisation that provides culturally responsive services to strengthen the mental health and well-being of people from Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) backgrounds.

Brisbane South – Multicultural Psychological Therapies Services (formerly known as ATAPS) – Intake through World Wellness Group

NOTE: Contact Brisbane South PHN regarding the availability of free interpreting services for Allied Health Professionals. More information here.

Harmony Place at Access Community Services Ltd are funded to provide National Psychosocial Support (NPS) and Continuation of Support (CoS).

Brisbane North

Low Intensity Psychological Therapies – Problem management Plus – Culture in Mind – A CALD specific mental health support program.

Brisbane North PHN – Brisbane MIND for people with moderate mental illness

NOTE: Contact Brisbane North PHN regarding the availability of free interpreting services for Allied Health Professionals. More information here.

Darling Downs & West Moreton

PHN – Mental Health Programs

NOTE: Contact Darling Downs West Moreton PHN regarding the availability of free interpreting services for Allied Health Professionals. More information here.

Gold Coast

GCPHN Psychological Services Program

Way Back Support Service (Beyond Blue) supports people in the critical weeks and months following a suicide attempt.

South East Queensland

Mental Health Referral Pathway for patients from refugee backgrounds March 2020 – This online interactive Referral Tool is designed for Health Professionals to find mental health referral options for children and adults of a refugee background in SE Qld (Updated March 2020) . This list is not exhaustive and is to be used only as a Guide.

Resources for Health Professionals

Perceptions of mental health and perceived barriers to mental health help-seeking amongst refugees: A systematic review (Feb, 2020)
Interviews with Refugee Health Advisory Group members from refugee backgrounds – Comments for the Mater Refugee Heatlh Advisroy Group (‘G11’)
Refugee Transitions
Supporting culturally and linguistically diverse people – Australian Dept Health – Health to Health
Watch Specialist Clinicians present about Refugee Mental Health (22 mins)
Tips for Mental Health Services (working with people from CALD backgrounds) (QLD, 2015)
Refugees and asylum seekers: Supporting recovery from trauma (Trauma and Grief Network)
Queensland Transcultural Mental Health Centre – New additions posted to website monthly.
Cultural diversity and assessment: a resource for mental health practitioners (July 2018) – Victorian Transcultural Mental Health. More info here.
Cross-cultural Mental Health Care: A Resource Kit for GPs and Mental Health Professionals (NSW)
Refugees advice to physicians about how to ask about mental health
Emerging Minds – The National Workforce Centre for Child Mental Health offers innovative online, free courses available 24-7, specifically designed to support practice.
Liver Health and Mental Health Worker Resource – designed to raise awareness of the links between mental health and liver health Download it here.
Mental Health Literacy of resettled Iraqi refugees in New South Wales: Paving the way for mental health education and promotion in vulnerable communities – University of Western Sydney and Refugee NSW Refugee Health
5 podcasts about mental health that you have to hear

Resources for Community Members

The Queensland Program of Assistance to Survivors of Torture and Trauma have developed a brochure for community leaders about mental health. Download the English brochure Information for Community Leaders about Mental Health and to download versions written in Tigrinya, Kirundi and Somali see the QPASTT website.

Translated mental health resources

Beyondblue bring together a series of reputable translated resources covering a range of topics including pregnancy and new parents, information for families, general mental health information, and information for health professionals. Visit the page HERE

Queensland Health have translated fact sheets about the Mental Health Act.

NEWS – Mental Health

Refugee and Asylum Seeker Mental Health Pilot

Throughout the 2017-18 financial year Brisbane South PHN collaborated with the Mater Refugee Complex Care Clinic (MRCCC), Mater Emotional Health Unit and Qld Program of Assistance to Survivors of Torture and Trauma (QPASTT) to trial a Refugee and Asylum Seeker Mental Health pilot that aimed at facilitating access for people from a refugee and asylum seeker background to psychiatric services and build capacity in primary care to support mental health presentations.

The 11 month pilot was based in MRCCC and was funded for one session (4 hours) per week of psychiatric assessment and review time and one session (4 hours) of capacity building activities with referrers and primary care.

Throughout the trial a total of 25 referrals were received and 24 were accepted. Most referrals were for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and depression and 58% of patients were seen for a review appointment. MRCCC provided an additional four hours of refugee health nursing support to assist with assessments, consent and administering the K10. Patients of the pilot spoke 11 different languages and were born in 12 different countries. An interpreter was used in 30 of the 36 appointments attended. Additionally, capacity building activities included both formal and informal education and seminars, these were delivered via practice visits, case conferences and workshops.
The Refugee and Asylum Seeker Mental Health and Wellbeing Pilot was an effective partnership between Brisbane South PHN, MRCCC, QPASTT and Mater Emotional Health Unit to address an unmet need for this patient cohort. Qualitative and quantitative data indicated that there are ongoing needs and barriers in terms of affordability and cultural appropriateness of psychiatric services available to refugees and asylum seekers. A major success of this pilot has been the capacity to successfully embed the service in MRCCC and to secure Mater resources to continue a refugee and asylum seeker mental wellbeing service, including an extension of scope to provide ongoing care. It is credit to all the partners and staff that this relatively small pilot yielded a long lasting impact and patients from refugee and asylum seeker background now have a specialised psychiatric service at MRCCC.
If you would like further details on this program contact MRCCC on (07) 3163 2880.