Support services for culturally and linguistically diverse young people
If you're from a culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) background, finding someone to support you who truly understands your experience can be tough. Maybe advice like ‘talk to your parents’ doesn’t work for you, or past support services may not have felt right.
But you don’t have to deal with tough times or mental health challenges on your own – you only need to know where to look for support. Here’s our guide to support services for CALD young people.
Why is getting help important?
Getting support early can make a big difference. When you’re going through a tough time, negative thoughts and habits can build up and start to feel automatic. The longer this cycle goes on, the harder it can be to break it. Reaching out sooner can help you to take back control, shift your mindset and start feeling better.
Urgent help
If you or someone you know is in immediate danger, call 000.
Feeling distressed and want to talk to someone right now? You can find a list of free, confidential helplines on our Urgent Help page.
For mental health support in your language, call TIS National on 131 450 or visit the TIS National website to get an interpreter. TIS National covers more than 100 languages and is available 24/7 for the cost of a local call.
Finding support in your community
Want to get support from your local community or through your network? Try one of the following:
Talk to someone you trust, like a friend or teammate. You might find they’ve been through similar things.
Talk to a family member. It doesn’t have to be a parent – it could be a sibling, cousin, aunt or uncle, or another relative you feel comfortable talking to. Check out some tips for talking to a parent or older family member about your wellbeing.
Chat with a community leader in your cultural, religious or social group. They often have some experience of supporting the young people around them.
Find a GP who can refer you to a mental health professional and create a Mental Health Care Plan for you (if you have a Medicare card). Check out Heartchat to find multilingual practitioners in your area.
Talk to a counsellor at your school/uni/TAFE. Most educational institutions have free, confidential counselling, and you don’t need to tell your teachers or parents to access help. Check the website for your school/uni/TAFE for information on how to book an appointment.
Ask HR or your manager if your workplace offers an Employee Assistance Program (EAP), which provides free and confidential mental health and wellbeing support. If you’re of age and no one is at risk of harm, your employer, colleagues or manager won’t know that you’ve used the program.
Find your local headspace centre for free or low-cost health and mental health support for young people aged 12–25. You can ask for someone with a similar cultural background.
Check out your local library, council or place of worship for meet-ups or support groups where you can connect with others from your cultural background.
Look for social media accounts run by therapists and community leaders by searching terms like your cultural group + ‘mental health’ or ‘wellbeing’. (Although social media isn’t therapy, and the information that’s available might be general, you may be able to find like-minded people who can provide some support.)
If you’re worried about what your family or community might think, remember that there’s no shame in seeking help. Being able to reach out for support is a sign of strength, not of weakness.
If you’re of age, you also don’t have to tell anyone that you’re getting help. Any conversations with support services or health professionals are strictly confidential, unless someone is at risk of harm. Read more about the age of confidentiality in your state.
National support services for culturally and linguistically diverse young people
Resources, services and information in a range of languages.
Visit the Embrace Multicultural Mental Health website for more information.
Offers support for newcomers, refugees and migrants, including support services for disability, health and wellbeing.
Visit the SSI website for more information.
Provides end-to-end settlement services, including English-language and vocational training and employment and accommodation services.
Visit the AMES Australia website for more information.
Provides services to people who are humanitarian entrants or are from a refugee background and who have experienced torture or trauma in their country of origin, during their flight to Australia or while in detention.
Visit the ASeTTS website for more information.
Offers support and rehabilitation services for survivors who have come to Australia from overseas, such as refugees or asylum seekers.
Visit the FASSTT website to find your nearest FASSTT agency.
National body for refugees and people seeking asylum and those who support them. You can find factsheets, as well as lists of services, for each state.
Visit the Refugee Council of Australia website for more information.
State/territory-based services for culturally and linguistically diverse young people
NSW Service for the Treatment and Rehabilitation of Torture and Trauma Survivors (STARTTS)
Offers free culturally appropriate counselling (individual, family and group) to refugees, asylum seekers and people from refugee-like backgrounds. They also provide a range of services, such as health education groups, psychiatric assessment and treatment, pain management, and excursions and camps for young people.
Call 02 9646 6800, or visit the STARTTS website for more information.
NSW Transcultural Mental Health Centre (TMHC)
Offers mental health information translated into a range of languages.
Visit the TMHC website for more information.
NSW Multicultural Health Communication Service (MHCS)
State-wide health service with a multilingual health information database.
Visit the MHCS website for more information.
Queensland Transcultural Mental Health Centre (QTMHC)
Clinical consultation service that can provide information and advice in your language.
Call 07 3317 1234 or 1800 188 189 (toll free). Visit the QTMHC website for more information.
Queensland Program of Assistance to Survivors of Torture and Trauma (QPASTT)
Provides culturally responsive services to promote the health and wellbeing of people in Australia who have sought safety from persecution, torture and war-related trauma.
Visit the QPASTT website for more information.
AMPARO Advocacy Inc.
Provides individual advocacy for vulnerable people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds with disability to defend, protect and promote their rights and interests.
Visit the AMPARO website for more information.
Victorian Transcultural Mental Health
Resources, webinars, support and interpreter services for Victorians.
Visit the Victorian Transcultural Mental Health website for more information.
Action on Disability within Ethnic Communities
Offers culturally responsive services for young people from refugee backgrounds healing from trauma.
Call 03 9480 7000, or visit the ADEC website for more information.
Foundation House
Trauma-informed professional learning and consultancy services, for organisations and individuals working with survivors of torture and other traumatic events who are from refugee backgrounds.
Call 03 9389 8900, or visit the Foundation House website for more information.
Asylum Seeker Resource Centre (ASRC)
Provides help for asylum seekers, including food/materials aid, support services, health care and legal aid.
Call 03 9326 6066, or visit the ASRC website for more information.
Health Translations VIC
Free library of multilingual health and wellbeing information from the Victorian Government.
Visit the Health Translations VIC website for more information.
Migrant and Refugee Settlement Services
Advocacy and referral services, including immediate assistance in times of financial crisis. They also offer English classes, family and community programs, sports and healthy living programs, and transport assistance.
Call 02 6248 8577, or visit the Migrant and Refugee Settlement Services website for more information.
Multicultural Hub Canberra
Helps migrants, refugees and asylum seekers to access services and resources in the ACT. A broad range of programs are provided, including support for newly arrived migrants and refugees, youth services, employment, women’s services and counselling services.
Call 02 6100 4611, or visit the Multicultural Hub Canberra website for more information.
Multicultural Council of the Northern Territory
Provides advocacy and services for communities, families and individuals from refugee and migrant backgrounds in the Northern Territory.
Call 08 8945 9122, or visit the Multicultural Council of the Northern Territory website for more information.
Multicultural Community Services of Central Australia (MCSCA)
Community-based organisation that delivers quality and confidential services to people from CALD backgrounds.
Call 08 8952 8776, or visit the Multicultural Community Services of Central Australia website for more information.
Refugee Advocacy Service of South Australia (RASSA)
Community legal centre offering pro-bono migration assistance to asylum seekers in South Australia who are eligible to apply for a Temporary Protection Visa (TPV) or a Safe Haven Enterprise Visa (SHEV).
Visit the RASSA website for more information.
Australian Migrant Resource Centre
Provides comprehensive settlement support to migrants, refugees and humanitarian entrants in South Australia.
Visit the AMRC website for more information.
Migrant Resource Centre
Provides community services for migrants, humanitarian entrants and refugees living in Tasmania.
Call 03 6221 0999, or visit the Migrant Resource Centre website for more information.
Tasmanian Refugee Legal Service
Free legal services to people of refugee background, humanitarian entrants and people seeking asylum in Tasmania.
Call 03 6169 9473, or visit the Tasmanian Refugee Legal Service website for more information.
Multicultural Services Centre Western Australia (MSCWA)
Provides a range of programs and services to migrants and refugees, including for mental health, housing, emergency relief and disability.
Call 08 9328 2699, or visit the MSCWA website for more information.
Ishar Multicultural Women’s Health Centre
Provides counselling, health checks, classes and support groups for women from diverse cultural backgrounds in Perth’s northern suburbs.
Visit the Ishar Multicultural Women’s Health Centre website for more information.
What can I do now?
Check out these culturally diverse LGBTQIA+ support services.
If you’ve tried a couple of options and are feeling discouraged, find out what you can do if nothing is working.