People from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) or refugee backgrounds can be more vulnerable to alcohol and other drug (AOD) use due to a history of torture, trauma, grief and loss. This can also be exacerbated by family stressors, unemployment, language barriers, and lack of awareness of culturally appropriate services available[1].
AOD Multicultural Programs
We proudly commission Odyssey House’s Multicultural Programs which deliver specialised AOD services to people from CALD communities in Western Sydney. Odyssey House helps people of all ages and backgrounds break their dependency on AOD and takes a client-focused approach to meet the needs of their clients and their families.
Services offered include:
- Counselling for individuals, couples and families
- Information and referrals to other services and programs
- Culturally appropriate treatment
- Home visits
- Education
- Training for other services to provide CALD appropriate treatment
These services are delivered by bilingual counsellors who can speak a number of languages, including Akan, Arabic, Cantonese, Ewe, Farsi, Ga, Khmer, Lao, Mandarin, Samoan, Teo Chiew, Thai, Vietnamese and more.
Transitions Program
In addition, Odyssey House runs the Transitions Program as part of the Multicultural Program to help individuals who are just released from incarceration, reintegrate back into society. The Transitions Program provides AOD support services, counselling, housing, accommodation and referrals to other culturally appropriate services. Case managers will work with participants for up to 12 weeks before leaving prison and up to six months following prison. The case managers at Odyssey House are culturally informed and speak a variety of languages, including Arabic, Chinese, Samoan, Vietnamese and some African languages.
Please visit the Odyssey House website for more information about the Odyssey Multicultural Programs.
Animated Videos for Patients
To help community members find the right path from AOD dependence back to wellness, we have an animated video available that has been translated into four languages:
These videos are also available in GoShare for health professionals to access, view and share.
Stories from Odyssey House Clients
The WentWest Stories project aims to highlight the vital work of our communities and primary care providers in addressing the health priorities in our region. The following WentWest Stories describe the real experiences clients have had at Odyssey House:
Information is correct as of 18 April 2024.
[1] Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (2023), Alcohol, tobacco & other drugs in Australia. Retrieved from https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/alcohol/alcohol-tobacco-other-drugs-australia