Diversity Advisor
Commonwealth Home Support Program (CHSP) and Home and Community Care Program for Young People (HACC-PYP) Services include but are not limited to:
• Home help
• Meals on wheels
• Shopping assistance
• Community health services
• Personal care
• Aged Care Assessment Service
The Access & Support Program works specifically in the area of linking people in to CHSP and HACC-PYP services and funded health programs. The aim is to achieve improved access to services and outcomes for culturally and linguistically diverse clients (CALD).
Eligibity
The Access & Support Program is tailored for people who are:
• Experiencing financial disadvantage
• Homeless, or at risk of homelessness (e.g. in a rooming house)
• Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander
• Gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender or intersex (GLBTI)
• CALD (Culturally and Linguistically Diverse)
• Living in rural or remote areas
• Living with dementia
Diversitat Aged Support specializes in supporting people from a CALD background living in the Greater Geelong Region.
These people may also have:
• Poor physical health or chronic illness
• Mental health issues or psychiatric disability
• An acquired brain injury
• Drug and/or alcohol dependency
• An intellectual or physical disability
Program
- Delivers intensive, short term, episodic support at key stages of access to services with a maximum involvement of 12 weeks.
- Provides a bridge between the client/carer and service providers.
- Promotes understanding of diversity considerations on behalf of particular clients or client groups.
- Service is free of charge.
- Works with an Active Service Model focusing on capacity building.
The Program is not:
- A client service worker
- A case manager
- An interpreter
- An advocacy role
- A replacement for a service
Referral
There are multiple access points to the Access & Support Program.
- You can be referred through My Aged Care by calling 1800 200 422
- You can ring the Access & Support Worker to refer yourself
- Someone else can call the Access & Support Worker on your behalf; a family member, friend, doctor or another person
- Service providers (agencies) are encouraged to contact the Access & Support Worker directly to seek further information regarding the Access & Support Program eligibility and the referral process.
Contact
Anne Reilly
Access and Support Worker
Phone: (03) 5222 7275
Email: anne.reilly@diversitat.org.au
25-41 Arunga Ave, Norlane 3214
The Community Connections Program is funded jointly by the Commonwealth Home Support Program and the Home and Community Care Program for Young People (HACC – PYP) through the Department of Health.
Barwon South West Diversity Adviser
The Barwon South West Diversity Adviser role is designed to focus at a systemic, regional level on facilitating the implementation of Diversity Planning and Practice. Diversitat are the auspice agency for this role, which works closely with the Department of Health in the Barwon South Western Region and the Person-Centered Care Advisory Committee.
Diversity planning and practice aims to improve access to Commonwealth Home Support Program (CHSP)/ Home and Community Care – Programs for Younger People (HACC-PYP) services by eligible people who are marginalized or disadvantaged and to improve the capacity of the service system to respond appropriately to their needs. Diversity planning and practice is designed to contribute to equitable, accessible, person-centered, responsive and high quality HACC service system and ensures alignment to the Victorian Health Priorities, as outlined below:
- Developing a system that is responsive to people’s needs
- Improving every Victorian’s health status and experiences
HACC Diversity planning and practice is underpinned by three core principles:
- A desire to achieve equitable access to HACC services by eligible people, regardless of their diversity or disadvantage
- The belief that effective service planning acknowledges a community, group and/or individual’s uniqueness and complexity of need and is conducted in a manner that is respectful of each individuals characteristics, circumstances, preferences and goals and central to strategic planning and leadership
- That diversity planning and practice is a core business for all HACC funded agencies in Victoria
“Department of Health 2011, HACC Diversity planning and practice police, State Government of Victoria, Melbourne.”
Diversity planning and practice
The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) introduced the diversity planning and practice initiative into the HACC program in 2011.
Diversity is a concept that recognises that each person is unique and has different beliefs, values, preferences and life experiences. For some people these differences may result in barriers to accessing or using services. For example, a lack of confidence, a lack of information or a belief that a service will not respond to their needs may impede a person’s willingness or ability to access a service.
Diversity planning and practice aims to improve access to services for Commonwealth Home Support Program (CHSP) and Home and Community Care Programs for Younger People (HACC PYP) eligible cohorts who are marginalised or disadvantaged due to their diversity, and to improve the capacity of the service system to respond appropriately to their needs.
Diversity planning and practice recognises the different characteristics of communities, groups and individuals, including, but not limited to diversity of age, gender identity, sexual orientation, faith and spirituality, and socio-economic disadvantage.
Diversity planning includes a particular focus on the Commonwealth Home Support Program (CHSP) identified special needs groups which align with those identified under the Aged Care Act 1977.
These identified groups are:
- people from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities
- people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds
- people who live in rural and remote areas
- people who are financially or socially disadvantaged
- people who are veterans of the Australian Defence Force or an allied defence force including the spouse, widow or widower of a veteran
- people who are homeless, or at risk of becoming homeless
- people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex
- people who are care leavers (which includes Forgotten Australians, Former Child Migrants and Stolen Generations)
- parents separated from children by forced adoption or removal.
The concept of special needs within the Commonwealth Home Support Program is not intended as a principle for generally prioritising access to services for an individual client over another. Rather, the identification of particular groups recognises that each person is unique and has different beliefs, values, preferences and life experiences, and that for some people these differences may result in barriers to accessing or using services.
Victorian HACC Document: Strengthening diversity planning and practice
- A guide for Victorian Home and Community Care services
- Barwon South Western Regional Diversity Plan 2012-15
Contact Us
Geoff Hicks
HACC Diversity Adviser
The Barwon South Western Region
Phone: (03) 5222 7275
Email: geoff.hicks@diversitat.org.au
