How do I refer a client to bilingual or bicultural services?
In this category, you will find listings and online directories to help you connect with bilingual/bicultural professionals such as GPs, allied health specialists, social supports, family youth and children’s services, aged care and disability support, migrant and settlement services, and legal services.
Check the ‘Category’ column to find general services, directories, and services available for specific languages and/or cultural communities.
Health Services
General Practitioners & Specialists
| Category | Service | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Directory | Cabrini Health – Find a Doctor | Search for bilingual/bicultural GPs and other specialists under ‘specialty’, ‘name’, ‘hospital or consulting location’ and ‘language’. |
| Directory | Healthpages.wiki | Search for bilingual/bicultural GPs and other specialists under ‘providers’ or ‘GPs’, then click ‘browse’ from pop up box and select ‘language’. |
| Directory | InfoXchange | Service Seeker: search for bilingual/bicultural GPs and other specialists through the ‘advanced search’, then search by ‘location’ and ‘language’. |
| Chinese | Australian Chinese Medical Association of Victoria – Doctor Directory | Features list of practitioners by name, specialty, languages and location. |
| Chinese | Australian Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine Association (AACMA) | Find a Practitioner: search by area of interest, location and language. |
| Indian | Indian Business Directory Australia | Features a ‘medical’ category which includes listings for GPs and a wide range of medical specialists. |
| Iranian | Iranian Australian Association of Health Professionals | Search for Australian-Iranian GPs and other specialists under ‘specialties’. |
| Iraqi | Iraqi Health Professionals Association | Search for Australian-Iraqi GPs and other specialists by name, profession or specialty. |
| Macedonian | MCWA – Macedonian speaking doctors in Melbourne | List of Australian-Macedonian GPs and other specialists by name and location. |
| Muslim | Centre for Muslim Wellbeing - Professionals List | Find Australian-Muslim GPs and other specialists by ‘languages spoken’. |
Specialist Clinics
| Category | Service | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Directory | Asylum Seeker Health Services | The Victorian Refugee Health Network (VRHN) provides a directory of services supporting the health and wellbeing of people from refugee and asylum seeker backgrounds in Victoria. |
| Directory | Agencies delivering the Refugee Health Program | The Victorian Government’s Refugee Health Program (formerly the Refugee Health Nurse Program) operates in 17 local government areas of Victoria. The program is delivered by community health services (CHSs), and employs community health nurses, allied health professionals and assistants, and bicultural workers. |
| Directory | Victorian Refugee Health Network | The Victorian Refugee Health Network collates information on resources and referral pathways to health services (primary, specialist, mental health) that work with refugee/asylum seeker clients. |
| General | Asylum Seeker Resource Centre Health Services | The ASRC Health Clinic has been offering free health services to people seeking asylum in Victoria since 2002 and is the facility of its kind in Australia. |
| General | Cabrini Asylum Seeker and Refugee Health Hub | The Asylum Seeker & Refugee Health Hub (The Hub) was established in 2016 to provide comprehensive primary health care and specialist mental health services to people seeking asylum who are Medicare-ineligible or who have Medicare but no income. |
| General | Monash Health Refugee Health and Wellbeing service | Monash Health Refugee Health and Wellbeing service provides primary care services together with tertiary services including infectious diseases, paediatrics and psychiatry. |
| General | The Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne – Immigrant Health Service | Multidisciplinary medical and developmental assessment for recently arrived children from refugee backgrounds and education for service providers. The service has bilingual/bicultural clinicians and close links with primary care providers, refugee health teams and community organisations working in refugee health. |
| General | Utopia Refugee and Asylum Seeker Health | Utopia is a refugee and asylum seeker health service providing primary care at no or low cost to refugees and asylum seekers regardless of their Medicare status. |
Allied Health
| Category | Service | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Directory | Australian Clinical Psychology Association - Find a Clinical Psychologist | Search for bilingual/bicultural psychologists by 'other languages spoken'. |
| Directory | Australian Physiotherapy Association: Find a Physio | Search by 'suburb' or 'postcode', then 'refine your search' where you will find 'select language' |
| Directory | Gambler's Help - In-language Counselling | Information on services that provide bilingual/bicultural gambling harm and financial counselling services in a number of languages. |
| Directory | Heartchat Multicultural Mental Health - Find a Professional | Search for bilingual/bicultural mental health professionals by 'language', 'faith', 'location' and/or 'specialisation'. |
| Directory | InfoXchange - Service Seeker | Search for bilingual/bicultural mental health and allied health practitioners through the 'advanced search', then search by location and language |
| Directory | Psychology Today - Directory | Find bilingual/bicultural counsellors and social workers by using 'filters' and selecting 'ethnicity' and/or 'language'. |
| Directory | Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia | Find a Therapist directory: search for bilingual/bicultural counsellors and psychotherapists by 'language'. |
| Directory | The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists - Find a Psychiatrist | Search for bilingual/bicultural psychiatrists under 'languages spoken'. |
| General | Settlement Services International - Multicultural Gambling Harm Prevention Service | In-language support for people affected by gambling harm, their families and friends. Services include counselling, referral, online support and group therapy. |
| General | The Forum of Australian Services for Survivors of Torture and Trauma - Witness to War | A national multilingual telephone line for people affected by overseas conflicts. |
| General | The Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne - Immigrant Health Service | Multidisciplinary medical and developmental assessment for recently arrived children from refugee backgrounds and education for service providers. The service has bilingual/bicultural allied health practitioners and close links with primary care providers, refugee health teams and organisations working in refugee health. |
| African | Mercy Health - Multicultural Services African Liaison | Australian-African liaison worker supports African women and their families while they receive care at the Mercy Hospital for Women in Heidelberg Victoria. |
| Asian | Shapes and Sounds - The Asian Australian Mental Health Practitioner List | List of Australian-Asian psychologists, counsellors and mental health social workers from across Australia. |
| Chinese | Chinese Peer Connection | Telephone peer support service: for individuals from the Australian-Chinese community affected by gambling harm. |
| Indian | Indian Business Directory Australia | Features a ‘medical’ category which includes listings for a range of Australian-Indian allied health practitioners such as occupational therapists, speech pathologists, physiotherapists and psychologists. |
| Iranian | Iranian Australian Association of Health Professionals Directory | Search for Australian-Iranian psychologists and other allied health professionals under ‘Specialties’. |
| Iraqi | Iraqi Health Professionals Association – Health Professionals Directory | Search for Australian-Iraqi psychologists and other allied health practitioners by name, profession or specialty. |
| Muslim | Centre for Muslim Wellbeing – Professionals List | Lists Australian-Muslim counsellors, psychologists and other allied health practitioners by ‘languages spoken’. |
| Muslim | Hayat Line | National, Muslim-specific telephone crisis and support line offering confidential mental-health, family support and wellbeing assistance for Muslim communities across Australia. |
| Muslim | Muslim Mental Health Professionals – Find a Professional | Lists counsellors, social workers and psychologists from an Australian-Muslim backgrounds. |
| Somali | Somali Health Care Professionals – Professionals Association | Connect with Australian-Somali allied health practitioners. |
| South Asian | Shakti Mental Health - South Asian Mental Health Professionals List | Lists South Asian mental health professionals ranging from clinical and counselling psychologists to art therapists. |
| South Asian | South Asian Therapists | Search for South East Asian counsellors and mental health practitioners. Search by city or region and explore detailed therapist profiles to find the right support. |
Health Education
| Category | Service | Description |
|---|---|---|
| General | Bendigo Community Health Services’ Cultural Diversity programs | Bendigo Community Health Services’ Cultural Diversity team works to improve health and wellbeing outcomes for people of refugee and migrant backgrounds in Bendigo. |
| General | Family & Reproductive Rights Education Program ( FARREP) | Provides support and education to women from places where female genital mutilation (FGM) is practiced. This service is available to women and health professionals across Victoria. |
| General | Multicultural Centre for Women’s Health | Provides free health education workshops presented by bilingual/bicultural educators in a range of languages. Setting include workplaces, social clubs and groups, organisations, faith groups and sporting groups. |
| General | Multicultural Health & Support Service | Community education and workforce development provider focused on the health and wellbeing of people from refugee and migrant backgrounds, asylum seekers and international students. |
| General | The Water Well Project | The Water Well Project improves the health and wellbeing of communities from migrant, refugee and asylum seeker backgrounds by improving their health literacy. The charity provides free, interactive, community-based, health education sessions delivered by volunteer healthcare professionals across Victoria, Tasmania and New South Wales. |
Migrant & Settlement Services
There are hundreds of organisations in Victoria delivering support services to specific cultural and linguistic groups, from long-established ones employing a large workforce to small, volunteer-based ones with no paid staff. Services range from settlement to disability and aged care, and some offer English classes, employment and training support, or playgroups.
Unfortunately, and in part because of the constantly evolving nature and numbers of such organisations, there is no definite list nor directory. We have listed two directories below that provide links to large organisations. We also recommend the Ethnic Council of Victoria list of member organisations, updated annually in their Annual Report, as an up-to-date, if not exhaustive, list.
General
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| Category | Service | Description |
|---|---|---|
| General | Services Australia: Centrelink – Multilingual Phone Service | Phone service covering 69 languages. Bilingual/bicultural service officers provide information on Centrelink payments and services. |
| General | Services Australia Refugee Servicing Network (RSN) | National government program that provides newly arrived refugees, humanitarian entrants and people granted permanent protection visas with support to settle in Australia. RSN helps individuals access financial assistance and health services, offers interpretation and multilingual support and arranges an initial new-claim interview to ensure entitlements and services are established promptly upon arrival. |
| General | Status Resolution Support Services | Status Resolution Support Services (SRSS) is an Australian Government funded program that provides case management, accommodation, financial support and community services to to people seeking asylum while their immigration status is being resolved. The program is delivered nationally by by Settlement Services International and Life Without Barriers, helping clients meet basic living needs and access support while awaiting decisions. |
| Directory | Adult Migrant English Program (AMEP) | AMEP offers free English classes to help new migrants and refugees build language skills and settle into life in Australia. The program is delivered by contracted service providers in community and education settings across the country. |
| Directory | Ethno-Specific Organisations List - Sylaba Translations | Sylaba Translations has produced a Directory of Ethno-specific Organisations in Australia, which includes many key organisations and contacts. Ethno-specific organisations are usually staffed by bilingual/bicultural workers who deliver case work and advocacy services in a range of areas including settlement, family and social support, disability and aged care. They also play an important role in community engagement. |
| Directory | Humanitarian Settlement Program (HSP) | The HSP Program provides initial settlement support to newly arrived refugee and humanitarian entrants, typically within six to eighteen months of arrival. AMES Australia delivers the HSP in Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania, alongside consortium partners and sub-contractors. In Victoria, they include migrant resource centres and community and health organisations, many of which employ bilingual/bicultural workers. |
| Directory | This directory from Boroondara Council has a focus on the Eastern suburbs of Melbourne but also includes many statewide ethno-specific agencies. | |
| Directory | Settlement Engagement and Transition Support (SETS) Program | Services that facilitate the settlement of migrants and refugees within the first five years of arrival. This includes information and referral, language and employment support as well as community development initiatives. Several organisations are funded to deliver SETS including settlement and health service providers and ethno-specific agencies, many of which employ bilingual/bicultural workers. This link will take you to a list of funded agencies. |
Direct Services
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| Category | Service | Description |
|---|---|---|
| General | Brotherhood of St Laurence | The Brotherhood of St. Laurence (BSL) offers settlement services to help refugees, asylum seekers, and migrants. Programs include employment support through Given the Chance, Stepping Stones to Small Business for Women, the Youth Transitions Support Pilot, and children and parenting programs. |
| General | Latrobe Community Health's migrant and refugee support | Latrobe Community Health supports migrant and refugee communities in Gippsland to better access services and information. The program works alongside communities and service providers to support needs like housing, English, or navigating the health system. |
| General | Local Council Community Connectors | Sometimes known as Service Navigators or CALD Outreach Workers, this role supports CALD communities to access local and government services. |
| General | Settlement Services International | Settlement Services International (SSI) in Victoria provides support for refugees, asylum seekers, and migrants, including settlement services, employment pathways and community hubs. Key locations include Broadmeadows, Cheltenham, Cranbourne, Croydon, Epping, and Mill Park. |
| General | South East Community Links (SECL) | Provides emergency relief, financial counselling, youth/family services, housing support, and refugee/asylum seeker resettlement to people experiencing poverty, housing insecurity, and new arrivals in the City of Greater Dandenong and surrounding. |
| General | Whittlesea Community Connections | WCC supports newly arrived migrants and refugees on humanitarian and family stream visas who hold a permanent residency visa and are not yet Australian citizens, living in the City of Whittlesea or surrounding suburbs. They provide English classes, study support, civic courses, and focus on helping people settle in the local community. |
| General | Wyndham Community and Education Centre (Wyndham CEC) | Wyndham CEC offers a range of training courses, community programs and employment services to the disadvantaged, youth, refugee and humanitarian entrants, and other new and emerging communities. |
| General | West Welcome Wagon | A volunteer-powered organization providing practical support, including furniture, clothing, and household goods to asylum seekers and refugees in the West. |
Ethnic Community Councils
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| Category | Service | Description |
|---|---|---|
| General | Home - Ethnic Communities Council of Victoria | The Ethnic Community Council of Victoria (ECCV) is the peak body for Victoria’s migrant and refugee communities. It develops policy and advocacy and runs projects in aged care, disability, youth and other areas relevant to multicultural communities. It also manages the Statewide Disability Network. |
| Directory | Regional Victoria - Ethnic Communities Council of Victoria | The ECCV has a range of partners in regional Victoria, themselves peak bodies in their respective regions. You will find the list by scrolling to the bottom of this page from ECCV. |
Migrant Resource Centres
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| Category | Service | Description |
|---|---|---|
| General | Spectrum Migrant Resource Centre | Offers migration support, settlement services, family support, employment help and youth services for migrants and refugees in metropolitan Melbourne. |
| General | Southern Migrant & Refugee Centre (SMRC) | Provides settlement support, casework, English for citizenship, employment pathways and community services in Dandenong and South-East Melbourne. |
| General | Migrant Information Centre (Eastern Melbourne) | Offers culturally responsive practical assistance, settlement casework, community engagement and advocacy. |
| General | Migrant Resource Centre North-West Region Inc. (MRCNW) | Provides settlement, employment, aged care and community programs across Melbourne’s north-west. |
| General | Phoenix Westgate Migrant Centre | Offers settlement support and multicultural community services at the local level. |
Social Support & Cultural Connection
| Category | Service | Description |
|---|---|---|
| General | The Australian GLBTIQ Multicultural Council | Provides a directory of ethno-specific LGBTIQA+ groups and contacts. |
| Directory | Ethno-specific Clubs, Associations and Religious Centres | Many ethno-specific community-based groups, clubs, associations and faith-based centres are connected to specific cultures, languages or religions. Often run by bilingual/bicultural volunteers and community leaders, they provide opportunities for social connection, cultural activities and community support. Check out Service Seeker's ‘advanced search’ function and look for social groups by language in your local area. |
Family, Child & Youth Services
| Category | Service | Description |
|---|---|---|
| General | Community Hubs Australia | An initiative of Scanlon Foundation, these community hubs are places (located in primary schools) where families, especially those from migrant and refugee backgrounds, can come to connect, share and learn. Through these hubs, families can connect with organisations that provide health, education and settlement support. |
| General | FKA Children’s Services | FKA employs bilingual/bicultural support workers that offer consultation services and work with staff, parents and children to support newly arrived children engage and settle in their education setting. |
| General | In-Touch | InTouch supports individuals and communities from migrant and refugee backgrounds across the family violence continuum with culturally informed case management, legal and migration services, crisis recovery and capacity-building initiatives for the sector. |
| General | Newly Arrived Youth Specialists (NAYS) | NAYS, funded by the Department of Social Services Reconnect Program, are youth services delivered by various community organisations across Australia. These services support young people aged 12 to 21 who have been in Australia for less than five years, assisting with settlement, family mediation, education, and community engagement. |
| General | The Victorian Inclusion Agency | The Victorian Inclusion Agency is funded by the Australian Department of Education to deliver the Inclusion Support Program (ISP) in Victoria. The Agency offers free inclusion support to eligible education and care services, including long day care, family day care and outside school hours care services. The program ensures children have the support they need to thrive in early childhood education and care. |
| General | Youth Transition Support (YTS) | Youth Transition Support (YTS) services help young humanitarian entrants and eligible migrants aged 15 to 25 to take part in work and education, strengthen vocational skills and build social connections and confidence through sporting programs. |
| Directory | CALD Outreach Initiative | The initiative employs bilingual workers that provide support to families from CALD backgrounds to access and participate in kindergarten and early childhood services. They also work with educators to strengthen engagement with CALD families and promote the use of language services. The service is available through 26 local councils. |
| Directory | Language-specific Playgroups | Local, community-based groups for preschool children and their parents/carers that support play and social connection. Find local playgroups by contacting Maternal and Child Health nurses or your local council. VICSEG also runs playgroups in Melbourne’s north and west and Playgroup Victoria has an online map to search for culturally specific playgroups. |
Aged Care & Disability Services
| Category | Service | Description |
|---|---|---|
| General | Action on Disability within Ethnic Communities (ADEC) | This community organisation employs bilingual/bicultural support workers to deliver NDIS and aged care services. |
| General | DnD – Disability and Diversity | DND is a self-advocacy program supporting people with disabilities from an ethnic background living in Victoria. The program is also run by ethnic people with disabilities. |
| General | MiAccess | Multilingual Information Access (MiAccess) is a website developed by Cultural Perspectives that brings together available translated information relevant to people with disability from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. |
| General | VALID | VALID offers several programs to support people of CALD background living with a disability, as well as their families and carers. 'Power Through Knowledge' and 'I Can Decide' help people connect, understand their rights, and make their own decisions. |
| Directory | ECCV Disability Directory | This directory connects people from CALD communities with multicultural and mainstream disability services, support and resources. It helps users find culturally responsive providers and programs. |
| Directory | Hire Up My Care Space | Online portals can provide help to access language specific services. Contact these services directly to request assistance in finding bilingual/bicultural supports. |
| Directory | InfoXchange - Service Seeker | Search for bilingual/bicultural home and personal care attendants, support workers and NDIS support coordinators through the 'advanced search', then search by 'location' and 'language'. |
| Directory | My Aged Care - Find a Provider | Search for providers that employ bilingual/bicultural allied health and support workers (including home and personal care) by 'location' or 'name', then further refine by 'location', 'support type', 'language' and 'faith'. |
| Chinese | Chinese Nurse Association Australia | This organisation employs Australian-Chinese nurses and personal care workers. Services include community education, planned activity groups, seniors’ social groups and consultation services. |
| Indian | Indian Business Directory | Features ‘accommodation’ and ‘domestic services’ categories which include listings for aged care homes, nursing care, housekeeping, gardening services and disability care. |
Legal Services
| Category | Service | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Directory | InfoXchange - Service Seeker | Search for bilingual/bicultural representation and other legal support in the 'advanced search', then search by location and language. |
| General | Migrant Information Centre Eastern Melbourne | Migration Advice Fee-Paying Service provides migration advice and casework support provided by bilingual/bicultural migration agents. Languages covered include Cantonese, Mandarin, Farsi and Dari. |
| General | Migrant Workers Centre (MWC) | Offers workplace rights advice, advocacy and referrals for migrant workers. This includes the Bicultural Rights Ambassadors Program which trains community leaders to promote workplace rights in their native language to their communities as well as free legal advice for international students facing challenges at work. |
| General | Refugee Legal | Provides free specialist legal assistance to people seeking asylum, refugees and disadvantaged migrants. Also provides legal hotlines for people from particular conflicts, such as Afghanistan or people impacted by the Gaza-Israel crisis. |
| General | Victorian Legal Aid (VLA) - Multilingual Phone Service | Phone service providing legal information and advice in a number of languages. |
| Asian | Asian-Australian Lawyers Association - Lawyers Directory | Search for Australian-Asian legal practitioners by ‘type’, ‘area of practice’, and ‘language spoken’. |
| Indian | Indian Business Directory | Features a ‘professional services’ category which includes listings for Australian-Indian lawyers and migration agents. |
| Muslim | Muslim Legal Network | A legal referral service run by Australian-Muslim volunteer lawyers and students that provides advice, referral to legal assistance and court representation. |
Alcohol & Other Drugs (AOD) Services
| Category | Service | Description |
|---|---|---|
| General | YSAS Transformer Program | The Transformer Program runs out of Dandenong and uses outreach to connect with young people from new and emerging communities as well as their peers and families. |
| African | Afri-Aus Care | Afri-Aus Care partners with the Alcohol and Drug Foundation to run Local Drug Action Team (LDAT) workshops to provide information to the community about the dangers of Alcohol and Drug use and its effects on Physical and Mental Health. |
| African | NAS Recovery Centre | NAS is Melbourne’s first African-led rehabilitation centre, providing culturally responsive, trauma-informed support for substance use and mental health recovery. NAS is based in Cranbourne. |
| African | Project Sunrise | Project Sunrise is an African-led project that provides AOD education and outreach services to African Australian youth and their families. The project is a collaboration between Odyssey House Victoria, African Australian Welfare Bureau (AAWB), Positive Mental Health Program (PMHP), and Youth Support and Advocacy Services (YSAS). |
| Vietnamese | The Australian Vietnamese Women’s Association (AVWA) provides alcohol and other drug (AOD) support and information to the Vietnamese community in the northern and western suburbs of Melbourne. |
Have feedback? Email us at enquiries@ceh.org.au
