Symposium highlights holistic support services best practice

Access to timely and collaborative support services during their first years in Australia is critical to migrant and refugee families, ensuring a smoother transition to a new life here. This was highlighted at today’s Cultural Shift symposium on supporting migrant and refugee families through settlement.

“It’s during the first few years of settlement that families face some of their greatest challenges, so it’s vital that NGOs and Governments alike provide innovative and holistic responses to these challenges,” said Settlement Services International (SSI) CEO, Violet Roumeliotis “Services that build capacity in the process of settlement and the associated adjustments to a new country’s social, cultural, legal and other systems, allow migrants and refugees to achieve a ‘cultural shift’ in their settlement journey.”

Ms Roumeliotis said that the diversity and calibre of the symposium presentations and case studies showcased the effective services and delivery models in place to support migrants and refugee families through settlement. “The symposium provided the opportunity to focus on the specific and unique needs of migrant and refugee families, needs that can sometimes be lost in general discourse about families,” says Ms Roumeliotis.

Designed as a day of learning, the symposium was aimed at professionals who work with migrants and refugees to shed light on key challenges and increasing awareness of key responses to these challenges. Presentations focused on best practice strategies and cross cultural issues in the areas of health, education, law, early childhood initiatives, parenting, early intervention, and mental health.

Media enquiries: SSI Communications Officer, Rekha Sanghi, 0422 304 578
SSI Marketing and Communications Manager, Angela Calabrese 0401 284 828