Supports for culturally and linguistically diverse people

Culturally and linguistically diverse people
People from different cultures

Culturally and linguistically diverse is used to describe the wide range of cultures, religions, and languages that people in Australia identify with.

 

Culturally and linguistically diverse is known as CALD for short.

Person working on a computer

For more information about CALD people go to https://www.idmhconnect.health/culturally-and-linguistically/ER

Person using the internet

Below are services and supports for CALD people.

Mental health words

There is a lot of information.

 

Some words can be hard to understand.

Talking to someone you trust

You can ask someone to read this information with you.

Advocate talking to two people

The Multicultural Disability Advocacy Association provides advocacy services for people with disability from CALD communities.

Man and woman with speech bubble

Advocacy is having your voice heard so your rights and needs are met.

 

You can have needs in many areas of your life. 

Rights are rules about how everybody should be treated fairly.

 

A right is something everyone has.

Three people sitting at a desk

The Multicultural Disability Advocacy Association also supports people with NDIS appeals and reviews.

 

An appeal is when you ask someone to have another meeting.

Person using the internet

For more information about the Multicultural Disability Advocacy Association go to http://mdaa.org.au/services/

ndis logo

The Ethnic Community Services Co-operative provides

  • NDIS services and information
Advocate talking to two people
  • Advocacy
Person volunteering
  • Volunteer projects for people with disability

 

When you volunteer you give your time to help someone.

 

You do not get paid for your help.

Meeting at a job centre

They also provide  

  • Support for people looking for work experience and paid work
Person using the internet

For more information about the Ethnic Community Services Co-operative go to https://ecsc.org.au/

Supporting person with mental illness

Open Minds has support services for people from CALD communities with mental health problems.

 

A mental health problem is when your feelings start to worry you.

Speaking up

Action on Disability within Ethnic Communities has services and information including

  • Advocacy support
Television
  • Videos about the NDIS in different languages
Support group
  • Social support groups

 

A support group is a small group of people you meet with to communicate about mental health.

Communication

To communicate is how you understand and share your feelings or information.

Person using the internet

For more information about Action on Disability within Ethnic Communities go to https://adec.org.au/

Speaking up

Kin provides advocacy support for people with disability from CALD communities.

 

For more information about Kin go to https://kinadvocacy.org.au/

ndis logo

The Federation of Ethnic Communities Councils of Australia has a program that supports people from CALD backgrounds to access the NDIS.

 

For more information about the program go to https://fecca.org.au/communityconnectors/

Translation and interpreter services
Interpreter

An interpreter is a person who changes words from your language to a language someone else understands.

Talking on the phone and looking happy

Translating and Interpreting Service provide onsite and on phone interpreting.

 

To contact the service

  • Call 131 450

 

Nurse asking questions

NSW Health Care Interpreting Services have free and confidential interpreters.

 

These interpreter help you if you go to hospital for your care.

No information

Confidentiality means that information about you must not be shared with others unless you say that it is OK to share.

Person using the internet

For more information about the NSW Health Care Interpreting Services go to https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/
multicultural/Pages/Health-Care-Interpreting-and-Translating-Services.aspx

Talking on the phone with a professional

Lifeline Australia provides crisis support in different languages.

 

You can ask to speak to someone in your language.

 

To contact Lifeline

  • Call 13 11 14

 

Translated information for people from CALD communities
Not Easy Read

Below is a list of websites with information in different languages.

 

The information from the websites below is not in Easy Read but can still be helpful.

 

If you want you can ask someone to support you to read them.

Person using the internet

Embrace Multicultural Mental Health provides mental health information in different languages.

 

For more information go to https://embracementalhealth.org.au/

Amparo Advocacy Inc has information on the rights of people with an NDIS plan.

 

To read the information go to https://www.amparo.org.au/ndis-and-participants-rights/

ndis logo

Your NDIS plan says what supports you need.

Person reading

The Cerebral Palsy Alliance has some information translated into different languages.

 

To read the information go to

https://cerebralpalsy.org.au/resources-in-other-languages/

Languages other than English

Centrelink information about the Disability Support Pension has been translated into different languages.

 

To read the information go to https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/disability-support-pension-translation

Document

UnitingSA has factsheets to help people from CALD communities to use the NDIS.

 

To read the factsheets go to https://unitingsa.com.au/community-services/ndis-disability-support/

Languages other than English

The Transcultural Mental Health Centre has mental health information in different languages.

 

To read the information go to https://www.dhi.health.nsw.gov.au/transcultural-mental-health-centre-tmhc/resources/in-your-language

Screen capture of the Wordlist on the Intellectual Disability Mental Health Connect website.

There are some tricky words on this Easy Read page.

 

For more information about these words go to

https://www.idmhconnect.health/word-list