Services and Programs

Services offered at ADEC include:

Individual Advocacy

The individual advocates support and empower clients to obtain the services they require. They provide information about services and refer clients to services that can assist them. The advocates can also support clients to address their complaints to relevant government departments and other services.

Multicultural Carers' and Disability Support Groups

The groups provide members with the opportunity to meet other people of similar background in similar circumstances and to share experiences. The facilitators provide members with information and organise educational sessions on the various services available to them. Occasionally excursions and day retreats are organised for the members and their families. The groups meet monthly.

Language specific mental health self help groups

The groups provide members with the opportunity to gain information on their mental illness in their own language. Guest speakers including psychiatrists, psychologists and workers from the Mental Health Legal Service are invited to speak with the members on various mental health issues and their legal rights. On occasion outings are organised including visiting the Melbourne Aquarium and Melbourne Museum.

Transcultural Mental Health Access Program

This program promotes and develops culturally responsive strategies and models within Mental health services. This is achieved by working with psychiatric services to help them develop ethnic access plans and strategies; initiating and conducting action research projects looking at the needs of people with psychiatric disabilities of non-English speaking backgrounds; advocating for more culturally appropriate psychiatric services; conducting cross-cultural training sessions for organisations and workers.

Education Unit

This unit promotes the provision of culturally relevant services within Disability, Aged Care and Primary Health Services. ADEC is a registered training organisation and offers a nationally accredited course to assist agencies in planning for culturally relevant services.

Multicultural Family Respite Program

This is a friendly visiting service that matches bi-lingual volunteers to people with a disability, giving carers time to pursue other activities. The program also organises camping, weekend activities and regular day retreats for carers and their families including the person with a disability, if appropriate.

Equity and Access Program

This program actively assists aged and disability service providers across Victoria to improve their cultural responsiveness through training, planning, development of action plans and practical resources.

Northern Region Cultural Planning Project

This project actively assists HACC providers in the Northern Region to develop and implement annual cultural plans by providing resources, education, direct assistance and networking with communities.

Consultancy

This agency provides consultancy services such as service development projects, training, consultation with ethnic community groups and policy development.

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