Are you from Australia? Welcome!
The Australian national anthem includes the spirit of inclusion and multiculturalism (and reminds us we're all boat people - buy the OOFRAS Tshirt if you dare!)
'For those who've come across the seas
We've boundless plains to share,
With courage let us all combine
To advance Australia fair"
Refugees are some of our newest Australians. However we pause to acknowledge the refugee-like experiences of the first Australians and honour Indigenous Australian people and culture. We welcome the landmark apology of 2008 and the Close the Gap initiative.
In recognition of the Christmas Island tragedy 15th December 2010 - Bill Britton's refugee song offers solidarity in suffering and a simple gesture of good will to "boat people".
Aussie OOFRAS news
Aussie response to refugees & asylum seekers
Government
Department of Immigration & Citizenship highlights include orientating to the humanitarian visa system, the "detention services" for people who apply for a humanitarian visa on-shore without a visa, basic living skill info to orientate to a new context for life roles, the index of fact sheets covering the whole program, the subscription service for media releases, and the ImmiTV channel on YouTube.
Human rights
Amnesty International- Australia offers commentary about refugee and asylum seeker human rights, research and fact sheets useful for general orientation and awareness raising, case studies which offer useful narrative.
Australian Human Rights Commission has vibrant site with highlights including; 2008 Face the Facts Q & A about refugees and asylum seekers, 2010 African Australians Project which highlights human rights and social inclusion including literature review and other resources, a human rights education program for new arrivals, email subscription to human rights news in Australia, summary of 2010 visits to detention centres in Darwin and Christmas Island.
Non-government organisations
UNHCR Australia is about Australians supporting UNHCR often for emergency situations, but their site includes refugee stories from Australia and a video gallery so you can see and understand the occupational implications of living in limbo in a refugee camp.
Refugee Council of Australia heads up A Just Australia campain, and is a hub of national volunteer and employment opportunities with over 130 member organisations, and has a page of research reports including topics for OTs such as funding trends, engaging refugees in education, work, sport, and documenting refugee contributions to our community.
Community engagement
Oxfam heads up the Refugee Realities to engage the public, promote understanding, and action. There's an impressive collection of links to multimedia resources
The Institute for Cultural Diversity is a promising new cross sector response that recognise inclusion and nation building go hand in hand, relevant across all government, civil, and corporate sectors. It's a rich hub of info, research, people, networks with lots of ways to interact by registering!
Refugee services
Quick orientation to National refugee services in Australia courtesy of the Refugee Council of Australia. OTs skills lend themselves to case coordination roles in settlement services, complex case support, and activities with trauma services. Asylum seekers tend to be supported by more grass roots churches and community groups.
Australia has torture & trauma services in each state and territory, each a member of FASSTT (Forum of Australian Services for Surivors of Torture & Trauma). This maps their services in detail around Australia and the resource page has items that might interest OTs eg relaxation tapes, healthy eating etc For more resources go to each FASSTT members website as there's lots!
Help for Aussie Practitioners
The Diveristy Health Institute is a network of public health organisations aiming to improve the health outcomes for CALD (Culturally & Linguisticly Diverse) consumers. There is an extensive collection of resources to download and a clearinghouse
Multicultural Mental Health Australia has an excellent list of publications for download here; of note is the National Cultural Competency Tool for Mental Health Services (2010) which include a set of nation wide standards and audit tools. You can subscribe to their magazine Synergy magazine and also locate translated info for consumers.
This 2006 report is about developing employment pathways in Australia for refugees with a disability.
OT response to the occupational needs
There are fourteen universities in Australia offering accredited programs in occupational therapy. Annecdotally, OOFRAS has contact from students at all levels of engagement; doing papers, projects, practice placements (see folder of tips to get started), and research.
OOFRAS has routine contact from OTs volunteering with refugees and asylum seekers informally as retired OTs in the neighbourhood or church members, too more formally with an refugee school, trauma service, or tutoring organisation.
OOFRAS has also had contact with OTs employed to work with refugees; ranging from local council policy work, employment in settlment service, life skills roles, and not for profit agencies. So there are lots of green shoots in Australia to be proud of.
We still need to monitor engagement, quality, and access so we can monitor gaps, target action and measure progress state-by-state.
We still need to connect more, feedback experiences, transfer learning, share resources to prevent Aussie OT initiatives being the proverbial "mile wide and an inch deep".
Where can I start?
-
Introduce yourself below, comments are automatically approved, so what are you waiting for?
-
Stay in the loop with this site, Facebook page, OOFRAS Twitter, and AUSSIEoofras Twitter
-
Join OOFRAS as a member and directors can help you get active!
|
How'd you get interested? Just curious! If you'd like to talk with us, add OOFRAS as a Skype contact, visit us on Facebook, or email to get phone number! Have you checked out "for students" page? If you want to work in the area, consider being an active member so we can give you a reference! Good luck with final yr/ placements!
in voluntary work with refugees- any tips on how to get started?
Thanks for your post - hope to hear an update on Skype perhaps?
Dep. Immigration & Citizenship is where you can search for settlement service near you by a map:
http://www.immi.gov.au/living-in-australia/settle-in-australia/find-help/where-to-help/
Refugee Council Australia has a volunteering page organised with relevent agencies by state:
http://www.refugeecouncil.org.au/volunteer.php#vic
Under "participate" in student page on this site is a tip sheet for thinking about types of volunteering:
http://www.oofras.com/rs/7/sites/177/user_uploads/File/Where%20to%20Volunteer.pdf
Robert Cox is co-chairing the National Special Interest Group with refugee settlement so email in your expression of interest: rcox@centacare.org.au
Hope you pop-up and say hi on Skype! Add "OOFRAS Inc"
All the best :)
I am a new graduate Occupational Therapist with a bit of time up my sleaves to try and help out in any way i can? I would love to volunteer to assist with any of the services you provide, so feel free to contact me!
I am an OT from Germany. At the moment I am in Maryland, U.S. working with kids with autism. I am interested going to Melbourne and work as an OT- totaly open in which area. I liked your website and maybe you can help me.