Referrals to specialist services for refugees 005-02060040

A Services Australia MSO provides support to Service Officers in relation to customers who come from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds. They may also assist customers with more complex needs. MSOs also promote the agency's services to the community. Customers requiring a referral to an MSO will be referred to the closest MSO available.

The agency has social workers in each of its service centres and in most smart centres.

Referrals to social workers may be necessary where customers are in severe distress, experiencing both personal and family problems and are in hardship.

The main objective of the FIS is to provide expert and independent information on financial issues to customers so that they have the confidence and knowledge to make informed decisions and to help people improve their standard of living.

The agency has Assessors (Health and Allied Health Professionals) in each of its service centres. Assessors conduct Employment Services Assessments (ESAt) and Job Capacity Assessments (JCA) to provide a comprehensive assessment of a customer’s:

• work capacity
• barriers to participation
• referral to an appropriate employment service provider

Medicare provides information for new arrivals in 11 languages outlining the public health services available throughout Australia. See Referring newly arrived residents to Medicare.

The Department of Home Affairs provides funding for Migrant Resource Centres and Migrant Service Agencies to provide settlement assistance for recently arrived migrants, refugees and humanitarian entrants.

Victims of torture and trauma can access assistance provided by external agencies.

The Humanitarian Settlement Program provides Specialised and Intensive Services (SIS) to humanitarian entrants and other eligible visa holders who have complex needs. SIS offer clients short-term support to help them access appropriate mainstream services and develop the necessary skills to manage their needs independently.

The Department of Home Affairs will assess the eligibility of a person referred and notify the referrer of the outcome.

AMEP is provided to newly arrived migrants, refugees and humanitarian entrants as well as people already in Australia who have a less than functional level of English.

Note: holders of Temporary Protection Visas (TPV), Removal Pending Bridging Visa (RPBV) and Return Pending Visas (RPV) are excluded from participating in AMEP.

One of the aims of SEE is to help migrant job seekers to increase their English language skills to overcome individual English language barriers to employment or participation in vocational education and training.