Refugee Mental Health Clinic
Making Medicare-funded mental health services accessible for asylum seekers and people from refugee backgrounds
Many people from refugee backgrounds find it difficult to access mainstream Medicare-funded services that understand the refugee experience and use interpreters, as interpreting is not covered for psychology or mental health social work appointments.
Since 2008, STTARS has hosted a number of registered visiting mental health practitioners with specialist expertise to provide a dedicated service to asylum seekers and people from refugee backgrounds under Medicare funding, including the ‘Better Access to Mental Health Care’ initiative.
STTARS provides administrative, interpreting and casework support to help people accessing the Clinic overcome practical and settlement difficulties and be connected with essential services. Clients attending the Clinic can also be easily linked in to other services within STTARS such as groups or counselling support if required, and may contact the duty worker if they need urgent support between appointments with their specialist.
To see our current Clinicians please visit Our Staff page.
To be eligible for the Refugee Mental Health Clinic a client must be an asylum seeker or person from a refugee background with a Mental Health Care Plan from their GP. Referrals are managed by STTARS’ Intake & Clinic Coordinator.
For more information about the Clinic contact Alica Varesanovic, our Intake & Clinic Coordinator, on 8206 8900 or via email: intake@sttars.org.au
