From Ukraine to Western Sydney: Focus on Mental Health Recovery
A special delegation of eight Ukrainian Fellows visited WentWest this week to learn about Australia’s psychosocial mental health support and its support for people affected by war in their recovery journey. Led by the NSW Service for the Treatment and Rehabilitation of Torture and Trauma Survivors (STARTTS), the delegation also met with staff at Blacktown […]
New Specific Populations Resource Hub for GPs
The General Practice Mental Health Standards Collaboration (GPMHSC) has developed a new suite of resources to assist GPs in providing inclusive, trauma informed and culturally safe care to patients from diverse backgrounds. These resources, each developed in collaboration with GPs, a carer representative and a consumer representative, are designed to support Mental Health Treatment Plans, […]
Supporting Your Patients During Ramadan
Ramadan is an important month of fasting, reflection and community for many patients across Western Sydney. With 10.7% of Western Sydney residents identifying as Muslim, Islam is the second‑largest religion in our region, meaning a significant number of patients will be observing Ramadan and may require tailored clinical support during this period (1). For GPs, Ramadan presents […]
Powerful Healing in Simple Ways
Refugee trauma, the stress of resettlement and uncertainty can cause great stress, pain and fear and negatively impact on people’s health and everyday functioning. But with timely support, people can begin to heal and live well. NSW Service for the Treatment and Rehabilitation of Torture and Trauma Survivors is a leader in healing for people […]
Supporting Refugee Patients in Western Sydney
In Western Sydney, over half of the region’s population was born outside of Australia, a statistic significantly higher than the state average[1]. In a community marked by diversity, it’s crucial to acknowledge the journey and challenges that people from refugee backgrounds and asylum seekers face, particularly in finding the right health care for them and […]
New Western Sydney Dementia Handbook
Statistics show more than 400,000 Australians are living with dementia and 12,000 of those people live in Western Sydney(1). Around half of the people living with dementia remain undiagnosed. We have developed a Western Sydney Dementia Handbook to assist your patients and their loved ones, in accessing the support needed from the time of a dementia […]
AOD Services for People from Multicultural Backgrounds
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 […]
Encouraging Childhood Immunisation in Western Sydney and CALD Communities
Our annual Immunisation Bike Competition has officially started. This year, WentWest is celebrating eleven years of running the Immunisation Bike Competition in Western Sydney. Since the annual competition was developed in 2011, there have been 16,422 children immunised through the competition. How Practices Can Get Involved Every child who receives their 12-month, 18-month or four-year-old […]
Preventing and Managing Chronic Health Conditions in CALD Communities
Chronic conditions are an ongoing cause of substantial ill health, disability and premature death, making them an important health concern that often requires long-term management by individuals and health professionals. The Western Sydney population has a higher prevalence of health risk factors than the Metropolitan Sydney population, including smoking, physical inactivity and obesity. These […]
WentWest Stories, STARTTS: Aidah’s Story
The NSW Service for the Treatment and Rehabilitation of Torture and Trauma Survivors (STARTTS) is a non-profit organisation providing culturally appropriate psychological treatment, support and community interventions. WentWest has commissioned STARTTS since 2015 to implement culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) mental health literacy and suicide prevention programs for refugees, asylum seekers and other diverse […]