From little things big things grow: Towards a framework for sector reform to support people from refugee backgrounds in their recovery

Service sectors such as health, education, employment and community services play a crucial role in supporting recovery of individuals, families and communities from refugee backgrounds. The Victorian Foundation for Survivors... [ view full abstract ]

Service sectors such as health, education, employment and community services play a crucial role in supporting recovery of individuals, families and communities from refugee backgrounds. The Victorian Foundation for Survivors of Torture has a unique integrated trauma recovery model that includes improving the capacity of services systems and client communities to promote the wellbeing of survivors.

This paper will focus on successful approaches to long term sector reform based on the work of the Victorian Foundation for Survivors of Torture in the areas of education, health, employment and community services using policy and practice examples.

The interventions to support sector development include: establishing dialogue between refugee-background communities and service providers; active partnerships between specialised and mainstream services, policy advisors and researchers to support service-level and broader sector development using principles of co-design; supported by professional and organisational development and resource development. A key part of the success is early strategic investment to develop and trial models of program delivery that can then be scaled up. Research partnerships play a crucial role in building the necessary evidence regarding effectiveness of particular approaches.
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