International Journal of Social Work and Human Services Practice Horizon Research Publishing Vol.2. No.3 Jun, 2014, pp. 76-87 Access Issues for Kurdish and Turkish Migrants in Relation to Health and Community Services in Regional Victoria, Australia Seher Ozonal Ozer * , Margarita Frederico Department of Social Work and Social Policy, School of Allied Health La Trobe University, Victoria Australia *Corresponding Author: s2ozonal@yahoo.com.au Abstract Social inclusion is recognised by the World Health Organisation as one of the key determinants of health. For newly arrived migrants and for some cultural groups the structures established by the Australian Government do not always facilitate inclusion. This paper highlights the particular needs of Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) communities living in regional areas of Australia. In particular the paper reports on a study of access to health and community services for Kurdish and Turkish migrants in a regional town in Victoria, Australia. The study found that these people experienced and are still experiencing barriers to accessing essential health and community services and this impacts on their social inclusion. Barriers to access include language, concerns of privacy, and issues of shame and stigma in relation to mental health issues. The findings suggest that services need to be more culturally aware of cultural barriers in order to provide better access to services. The participants of the study identified strategies of making services more accessible such as making advertisements more culturally appropriate, employing bilingual workers and establishing a community house. Keywords Access; Health and Community Services, Kurdish and Turkish Migrants, Regional Victorian Town, Social Inclusion, Social Exclusion Introduction Social inclusion is measured by surveying the social capital and social cohesiveness of people and also focuses on identifying the strength of social ties, networks and trusting relationships (Department of Economic and Social Affairs, 2010; Spoehr et al, 2007). The Australian Government has identified that being socially included means that people have the resources, opportunities and capabilities they need to ‘learn’ (participate in education and training), ‘work’ (participate in employment, unpaid or voluntary work including family and carer responsibilities), ‘engage’ (connect with people, use local services and participate in local cultural, civic and recreational activities), and ‘have a voice’ (influence decisions that affect them) (Chenoweth & Stehlik, 2001; McDonald et al, 2008; Social Inclusion in Australia: How is Australia Fairing, 2010). Achieving social inclusion is now recognised as a preventative factor against a number of social risk factors. In 2009 the Australian Rudd Government launched the Stronger Fairer Australia policy to promote social inclusion in Australia. This agenda aimed to ensure that every Australian ‘has the capability, opportunity and resources to participate in the economy and their community while taking responsibility for shaping their own lives’ (A Stronger Fairer Australia, 2009, p. 3; Vinson, 2009). The policy recognises the multi facet nature of diversity and the social, political and economic factors which can lead to the exclusion of specific individuals and groups. In 2014 the current Australian Abbott Government announced the new focus of their policy which is to support vulnerable groups in society. The Parliamentary Secretary Minister for Social Services (2014) further articulated this government policy of its relevance to newly arrival migrant communities in a speech for the Settlement Council of Australia. This speech highlighted that in order to achieve policy targets the government from all levels and, community organisations need to work in collaboration to ensure that services are not duplicated and meets the needs of newly arrived migrant communities. Reference was made to the Scanlon Foundation’s Mapping Social Cohesion 2013 Report which indicated that there were higher levels of discrimination in Australia compared to previous years (Parliamentary Secretary Minister for Social Services, 2014). This speech is relevant to two studies which explored the perceptions of refugees in Western Australia in relation discrimination and well-being. Fozdar & Tozezani (2008) and Fozdar & Hartley (2013) reported that economic stability and income were of the highest priorities amongst these refugee groups. Discrimination was found to be a ISSN: 2332-6840 (Online) 2332-6832 (Print) Copyright © 2014 Horizon Research Publishing