Drug education and prevention among culturally and linguistically diverse communities in Victoria

1
Drug education and prevention among culturally
and linguistically diverse communities in
Victoria

• Presentation by Louise Olliff
• CLD Access Project Coordinator
• DrugInfo Clearinghouse, Australian Drug Foundation

2
Introduction

• What is the DrugInfo Clearinghouse?
• Background to the CLD Access Project
• Drug education prevention what are the
  differences between working with CLDB
  communities and MESB communities?
• CLD Access Project consultations aims and
  methodology
• Some findings from the consultations
• Concluding comments and future directions

3
The DrugInfo Clearinghouse

• A free service for all Victorians
• Your first port of call for information on
  drugs and drug prevention
• Information on drugs, prevention research and
  practice, current issues in AOD field, links
  and referral
• Prevention network collection, dissemination,
  repository, forum

4
The DrugInfo Clearinghouse

• Resource Centre (409 King St, West Melbourne)
• - Information Officer, librarians, specialist
  library, resources
• Quarterly publications
• - DrugInfo newsletter, research booklet, fact
  sheets
• Website
• - Virtual resource centre, updated daily,
  library catalogue, feedback
• Member services
• - Electronic/print mailing of quarterly
  publications, email alerts, personalised
  services, multiple pathways

5
CLD Access Project

• The purpose of the CLD Access Project is to
  improve the accessibility of DrugInfo
  Clearinghouse information and services to
  workers with culturally and linguistically
  diverse (CLD) communities.
• 12-month project funded by Premiers Drug
  Prevention Council (PDPC) and Victorian
  Multicultural Commission (VMC)

6
CLD Access Project

• This will be achieved through
• communication and awareness raising
• consultations and networking
• identifying priorities for information and
  service development
• resource development and packaging
• staff training
• monitoring and reporting on the projects
  impact and outcomes

7
CLD drug education prevention

• How is drug education prevention among
  culturally and linguistically diverse
  background (CLDB) communities different from
  that of main English speaking background
  (MESB) communities?

8
CLD drug education prevention

• Definitions
• CLD or ethnic communities
• Ethnicity is associated with a sense of
  peoplehood (Jayasuriya 1985), a feeling of
  closeness to others which is symbolised by the
  sharing of some common marker.
• Markers can by physical (e.g. skin colour),
  linguistic (e.g. language or dialect),
  behavioural or cultural (e.g. religion, customs,
  beliefs, values), or environmental (e.g. living
  in a common geographical area).
• (Mullane, Enhancing Cultural Competency, 1993)
• MESB communities (also ethnicity)

9
CLD drug education prevention

• Research
• Inconclusive whether higher, lower or same
  involvement with AOD among CLD communities.
• Vulnerabilities socioeconomic, as well as
  additional vulnerabilities of intergenerational
  conflict, low English proficiency,
  acculturation
• Under-utilisation of AOD services.
• Different understandings of drugs and drug
  harms.
• (Drugs in a Multicultural Community, 2000)

10
CLD drug education prevention

• Drug education and prevention best practices
• Different ways of accessing information
  (shame, disclosure)

11
CLD drug education prevention

• Drug education and prevention best practices
• Different ways of accessing information
  (shame, disclosure)
• Information in community languages (English
  proficiency)

12
CLD drug education prevention

• Drug education and prevention best practices
• Different ways of accessing information
  (shame, disclosure)
• Information in community languages (English
  proficiency)
• Importance of family and community structures
  for information dissemination (trust)

13
CLD Access Project - consultations

• Aims of consultations
• What information resources do services
  currently use when working with CLD clients or
  communities?
• What are the most effective ways to deliver
  drug education and prevention information to
  CLD communities?
• Where are there gaps in resources?

14
CLD Access Project - consultations

• Methodology
• 40 service providers from metropolitan and
  rural areas, including ethno-specific, drug and
  alcohol, mainstream health, education, local
  government, welfare, justice, police and
  correctional services.
• Services working directly with CLD clients or
  within more culturally diverse locales were
  prioritised for face-to-face consultation.
  Others were contacted by telephone or sent
  questionnaires by mail or email.
• 17 face-to-face, 9 telephone, 14 post or email
• Interview schedule and questionnaire

15
Consultation findings

• Lack of CLD-specific resources and research
  generated in Victoria
• Lack of appropriate drug information in LOTE
• Poor quality of resources in languages other
  than English (LOTE)
• Project work with ethno-specific bilingual
  educators short-term
• Best ways to deliver drug education and
  prevention messages ethnic media, parenting
  sessions, pamphlets in LOTE

16
Ways forward

• Access to, and sharing of, existing resources
  in languages other than English (sub-section of
  DrugInfo website being developed)
• DAMEC-style organisation in Victoria?
• Commitment to drug education and prevention
  that recognises different ways of knowing and
  accessing information

17
Contact
Louise Olliff CLD Access Project
CoordinatorDrugInfo Clearinghouse,
ADFlouise_at_adf.org.auwww.druginfo.adf.org.au Tel
9278-8135