Providing early support for refugees and asylum seekers makes integration much smoother.
Australia's Humanitarian Settlement Services program (HSS) provides practical support to humanitarian entrants for up to a year after they arrive.
Service providers like Settlement Services International (SSI), in New South Wales, deliver the program on behalf of the Australian Government.
Yamamah Agha is the HSS Service Delivery Manager at SSI. She says several health services are available to refugees.
When it comes to mental health, many asylum seekers are affected by the trauma they faced in their country.
But Samantha Ratnam, the client services manager at Footscray's Asylum Seeker Resource Center, says that what they have to deal with in Australia is also stressful.
Samantha Ratnam also insists that not all asylum seekers have access to mental health services and that even when they do, only a handful of people are qualified to help them.
Then, the language barrier adds another level of difficulty.
Talking about sensitive health issues in a language that’s not your mother tongue is not ideal.
This is why there are interpreters available, but Yamamah Agha says it's not always easy to get them to specialist appointments.
Some medical professionals rely on the patient's family members to interpret - and that can be problematic.
The translation might not be reliable and, sometimes, children are being exposed to heavy issues.
Olivia Nguy is the client service manager at the Liverpool Migrant Resource Centre in Sydney's Western suburbs.
She says they noticed high levels of mental health concerns among their clients.
This is why organisations like the Liverpool Migrant Resource Centre run information sessions around the adjustment process and mental health in general.
They try to demystify mental health concerns and reassure people that it's quite common.
However, mental health services need to go hand in hand with other types of support. Because as Samantha Ratnam says, it's hard to think about your headspace if you're worried about your next meal.
For more information visit dss.org.au or refugeeweek.org.au
