Refugee Counsellor

IHSS – Integrated Humanitarian Settlement Strategy

STTTC – Short-term Torture & Trauma Counselling (Refugee Counsellor Advocate)

What is the IHSS – Refugee Counsellor Advocate?
An IHSS- Refugee Counsellor Advocate provides Torture & Trauma counselling and advocacy and referral for Refugees and Special Humanitarian Program Entrants.

What does a Refugee Counsellor Advocate do?
The Refugee Counsellor Advocate strives to provide services and support which are sensitive, respectful and relevant to the client's individual history and experience of torture and trauma. Providing individualised services and support of the highest quality is a means by which Community Health with Foundation House can play a role in restoring the dignity and human rights of clients, individuals, families and children.

Who can see an IHSS – Refugee Counsellor Advocate?
Offshore Refugee Category including, 200, 201,203 and 204,
Offshore – Special Humanitarian Program, 202
Offshore – Temporary Humanitarian Visas (THV) 447,451and 786
Onshore Protection Program, 866 and 785

• You have experienced torture, war-related trauma or persecution before you came to Australia
• You are having problems now
• You would like someone to assist you with these problems

It is normal for people to have difficulties as a result of their previous experiences of torture and persecution.

The services can be accessed by:
Telephoning Goulburn Valley Community Health personally or being referred by the IHSS- Case Coordinator or the Department of Immigration and Citizenship.

Where is the service provided?
At Goulburn Valley Community Health Service, 399 Wyndham St., SHEPPARTON.
The Refugee Counsellor Advocate is also available for home visits.
Phone: Goulburn Valley Community Health Service on (03) 58233 200

The services are free.

• You can tell us what you need.

• We keep your concerns private and confidential.
• We support your rights.
• We can work with interpreters if you would like to.
• You have the choice to change an interpreter if you are not comfortable with the interpreter allocated. Let us know.

The interpreters we work with must also keep your concerns private and confidential.

For all Individual and Agency enquires for this service, please click on the button to the right.