Reducing Suicide and its Impact in Culturally Diverse Communities in Tasmania

Counselling in an outdoor setting

Project overview

Reducing Suicide and Its Impact In Culturally Diverse Communities in Tasmania aims to increase capacity for suicide prevention in refugee and culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities in Tasmania. This aim is achieved through activities such as counselling sessions for former refugees and training service providers. The project helps former refugee and CALD clients to access services available to them, and service provider training aims to ensure cultural appropriateness for these clients.

About the project officer

Gillian Long has an Honours degree in Psychology and will complete a PhD with the School of Psychology at the University of Tasmania in 2009. Long has worked on a range of research projects with the University of Tasmania and is particularly concerned about the psychological wellbeing of people from refugee backgrounds. Her education and experience working on large projects led to her to take on the role of senior project officer for Reducing Suicide and Its Impact In Culturally Diverse Communities in Tasmania.

Location and origination

Reducing Suicide and Its Impact In Culturally Diverse Communities in Tasmania commenced in July 2007 and operates throughout Hobart and Launceston.

One-on-one therapy with a project participant

Activities

Support services
The project provides support for refugee and CALD communities through a variety of activities including:

• face to face and/or group counselling
• home visits
• outdoor therapies like fishing and walking
  
• assistance in accessing appropriate services
  

Training
The project also operates training for service providers including police, social workers, counsellors, emergency services and therapists. This training educates service providers on appropriate and culturally sensitive ways to respond to the needs of former refugees and CALD clients.

Challenges

The cultural divide
Many of the major challenges the project faces concerns language barriers and cultural differences between the Australian project workers and the international client base.

'We are constantly learning about the cultures of the refugees we work with. From the way our clients view mental health, gender roles, and systems in Australia, to the way they view catching a bus, we are constantly learning and adapting our practices.' says project officer Gillian Long

Lessons learnt

• Every culture is different in many subtle ways, and those differences need to be understood when supporting former refugees and CALD clients. 
• Within a country’s culture many sub-cultures may exist, for example between African tribes. These differences cannot be ignored.
• It is important to learn about clients’ culture, not just to teach them about ours.
  

Evaluation information

The project is being externally evaluated by the Tasmanian Institute of Law Enforcement Studies at the University of Tasmania.

Umbrella organisation

The Phoenix Centre at the Migrant Resource Centre (Southern Tasmania) Inc. The Phoenix Centre is a Forum of Australian Services for Survivors of Torture and Trauma (FASSTT) agency.

Project partners

• Department of Rural Health (University of Tasmania)
• Tasmanian Institute of Law Enforcement Studies (University of Tasmania)
  

Contact

Email Gillian Long, senior project officer, or call 03 6234 9411.