Phoenix Centre

Funded by the Department of Health, The Programme of Assistance for Survivors of Torture and Trauma (PASTT) provides survivors of torture and trauma with appropriate counselling and related support services.  The programme provides specialist services tailored to the requirements of clients whether this involves short, medium or long-term support.  No diagnosed mental illness is required for access to PASTT.

Eligibility to receive PASTT services is open to Humanitarian Programme entrants permanently resettled in Australia and people on Temporary Substantive Visas (TSVs).

PASTT aims to:

• improve the psychosocial health and wellbeing of people who have experienced torture and trauma prior to their arrival in Australia;
• increase the responsiveness of mainstream health and related services to the needs of people who have survived torture and trauma prior to arriving in Australia, through the provisions of training and other support; and
• build the confidence of refugee communities to access mainstream health and related services through capacity building activities.

Our counselling is free and confidential, and conducted by qualified counsellors, along with accredited interpreters as needed.

To make a referral for counselling, please complete the Phoenix Referral form, available below:

How to refer to the Phoenix Centre

Click here to download the Phoenix Centre Referral Form

 

Click here to download the Phoenix Centre Referral Form (FOR SCHOOLS)

Natural Therapies provided by the Phoenix Centre include remedial massage and exercise.

Amplify Ability is a 6-month program for anyone from a migrant or refugee background and looking to make new connections, set and achieve goals and improve their emotional health and wellbeing.

Amplify Ability is ideal for people interested in:

• Goal Setting: Discover and share their passion, wisdom and set personal and social goals with others.
• Working together: Co-design the program. Share skills and knowledge with their peers to achieve their goals.
• Skill Building: Increase self-care, emotional health,
  self-management, computer and digital literacy skills.
• Community Engagement: Learn how to best access volunteering and other social connections and opportunities.
• Speaking out: Learn consumer rights, how to access services and make sure their needs are being met.
• Peer Support: Stay focused on goals and participate in 1 to 1 and group mentoring to achieve success.
• Celebrating Learning: Share successes and learning with participants, family, friends and carers.

When
Southern Tasmania: Spring intake is now open (27 Sept 2021)
Northern Tasmania: Intake is now open (25 Oct 2021)

Where
Southern Tasmania: Migrant Resource Centre Tasmania, Level 2, 1A Anfield St Glenorchy
Northern Tasmania: Ground Level, 27 Paterson Street, Launceston

Eligibility
Participants need to be 18 years or older, interested in the aims of the program and identify with being from a migrant or refugee background. There are no restrictions regarding visa status.

Commitment:
Participants will need to be able to commit to 2-3 hours per week of group work for the first 12 weeks.

Contact:

Southern Tasmania: Adam Hammer at ahammer@mrctas.org.au or 03 6221 0999 Monday to Wednesday. For an Interpreter (TIS) call 131 450
Northern Tasmania: Ruby Wood at rwood@mrctas.org.au or call 03 6724 2820. For an Interpreter (TIS) call 131 450

Numbers are limited. Please express interest as soon as possible.

Spring intake is now open

Download service provider flyer (Southern Tasmania spring intake)
Download  participant flyer (Southern Tasmania spring intake)
Download participant flyer (Northern Tasmania)
Download referral form

The Early Intervention Program targets 0-25 year olds and their families who are from a humanitarian migrant background. The program provides individual and family counselling as well as structured psycho-social group work. In addition the program provides professional development and self-care awareness for staff and key stakeholders who work with former refugees. This program is funded by the Tasmanian Government Department of Health and Human Services.

Friday Village is an applied English literacy group who meet fortnightly. It is targeted at participants from a refugee background who are unable to access English classes or are not making progress in traditional learning environments. Apart from improved English skills other outcomes of the program include reducing social isolation, increasing capacity to manage daily tasks, increasing understanding of other cultures including Australian, knowledge of services and confidence to access them. This project is funded by the Scanlon Foundation. 

The Phoenix Centre Suicide Prevention Project operates from both Hobart and Launceston offices and assists service providers to work effectively with culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities, and supports CALD community members to build capacity in their responses to suicide by:

• Promotion of help seeking and positive lifestyle choices
• Promotion of local responses to suicide and other related issues within CALD communities
• Contribution to the development of community capacity to respond to issues around suicidality
• Engagement with the broader community to enhance understandings of risk and protective factors
• Advocacy of CALD perspectives and issues when networking with service providers and health practitioners, and sharing insights to increase cultural competency
• Organised Activities, including group activities specifically for Men, for Women and for people who are isolated and/or particularly vulnerable to suicide

Through these organised events the Project aims to raise awareness of suicidal ideation and the warning signs, reduce stigma associated with mental health and suicide, increase culturally aware approaches to mental health and suicide, and increase awareness of how community members can help one another and be confident to refer to the appropriate services.

This Project is supported by Primary Health Tasmania under the Australian Government’s Primary Health Networks Program.

The Tasmanian Transcultural Mental Health Network (TTMHN) builds the capacity across sectors, including the Tasmanian mental health workforce to increase cultural competence, appropriate use of interpreters as well as raise mental health literacy of CALD communities. This program is funded by the Tasmanian Government Department of Health and Human Services.

The Phoenix Centre provides community education in the form of health and wellbeing sessions, psychoeducation, community information sessions and mental health awareness to communities from refugee backgrounds.

Additionally, we work with other service providers offering information and training in how to best work with people who have escaped war and persecution. We can assist services in understanding the impact of torture and trauma on individuals, families, communities, children and young people, and help the to ensure that their services are appropriate and accessible for people from refugee backgrounds. To access our training information, please visit: www.mrctas.org.au/training/

The Phoenix Centre is a member of the Forum of Australian Services for Survivors of Torture and Trauma (FASSTT – https://www.fasstt.org.au) – a network of eight specialist rehabilitation agencies that respond to the needs of survivors of torture and trauma who have come to Australia from overseas. There is a FASSTT member agency in each state and territory of Australia. FASSTT is supported through funding from the Commonwealth Department of Health under the Program of Assistance to Survivors of Torture and Trauma (PASTT).