Bi-cultural work program

When developing programs, policies or projects that involve culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities or community groups, it is best practice to work in collaboration with all parties involved.

cohealth bi-cultural program

Bi-cultural workers can be instrumental in facilitating effective community engagement, co-design and community-led practice

A bi-cultural worker is employed to use their cultural knowledge, language skills, lived experience and community connections to work with people who they share a lived experience with and with mainstream organisations. Bi-cultural workers elevate community voices, advocate for their needs, co-design and deliver programs, share information and facilitate cultural safety.

cohealth’s bi-cultural program is the proud winner of the Health Award at the Victorian Multicultural Awards for Excellence 2022.

bicultural workers

Bi-cultural workers:

  • identify and advocate for community needs
  • lead community engagement and co-design
  • deliver community-led projects
  • review materials, resources and services to make sure they are accessible and culturally safe
  • assist in recruitment
  • support evaluation, planning and service design
  • share information in relevant language and culturally appropriate ways
  • educate community members about services and support with access.

cohealth bi-cultural workers

cohealth hosts a network of highly skilled, multi-lingual bi-cultural workers who have graduated from our bi-cultural internship program. They have extensive community networks, an in-depth understanding of different cultural perspectives.

Meet our team of bi-cultural workers.

Victorian bicultural workers network  

The Victorian bicultural workers network has over 250 members. The network provides regular capacity building, networking, and peer support for bicultural workers from across Victoria.  Events are delivered both in person and online 

If you are a bicultural worker and would like to join the network and mailing list you can register here: https://forms.office.com/r/DRmDPqfjPp  

Request a bi-cultural worker for your project

Organisations and businesses can contract bi-cultural workers as consultants through cohealth. If you would like to learn more about how the bi-cultural work program can support your project, email Jasmine.Phillips@cohealth.org.au.

Step 1

These documents will help you plan for your project or activity so you can provide us with all the information we need to link you with the right bi-cultural worker.

Read the Bi-cultural worker payment policy (PDF 169KB) and Bi-cultural worker position description (PDF 82KB).

Step 2

After you have completed Step 1, request a bi-cultural worker using the form below.

Professional standards for bi-cultural work

To build on bi-cultural workers’ expertise and develop organisational capacity to employ bi-cultural workers in a culturally safe way, cohealth has developed a set of professional standards in collaboration with bi-cultural workers and other staff from across the community sector.

Professional development for your organisation

cohealth delivers online ‘Professional Standards for Bi-cultural Work’ training.

In this training you will learn about cohealth’s professional standards for bi-cultural work and approaches to implement them in ways relevant to your work. You will learn new strategies to collaborate effectively with bi-cultural workers, to deliver culturally safe community led projects and effective community engagement.

This training is for people who work with or employ bi-cultural workers and for bi-cultural workers interested in developing new strategies to improve cultural safety, effective community engagement and community led practice.

Topics covered:

  • Roles and responsibilities of bi-cultural workers
  • The benefits and challenges of bi-cultural Work
  • Inclusive recruitment strategies
  • Cultural safety
  • Ethical considerations

The training is delivered across 2x three-hour sessions.

Cost:

  • Internal and external Staff – $250
  • Bicultural workers (who are unemployed or do not have training budget) – Free

To register your interest in the training, please email jasmine.phillips@cohealth.org.au.

Bi-cultural worker internship program

cohealth runs a bi-cultural internship program for people from refugee-like backgrounds who want to work as a bi–cultural worker. This program develops participant’s skills and expertise to work as bi-cultural workers and lead their own community-based projects. To register your interest, email jasmine.phillips@cohealth.org.au.

Bicultural worker evaluation video

Hear from our bicultural workers about the program, and how they’ve been able to support their communities.

Resources

Contact information

For more information about the bi-cultural work program, email jasmine.phillips@cohealth.org.au or call 0448 411 734.

About us

cohealth is a not-for-profit community health organisation. We provide essential health and support services in Melbourne’s CBD, inner-north and inner-west, and the east coast of Tasmania.

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