The Hume Mentoring and Service Engagement Program (MASE)

The role of the Bicultural Family Mentor in normalising newly arrived families experiences through supporting access to local community universal services and family violence services.

HUME MASE: Who is a “ Bicultural Family HUME MASE: Who is a “ Bicultural Family Mentor”?Mentor”?

An acknowledged and trusted community leader An acknowledged and trusted community leader bridging local service providers and children from bridging local service providers and children from newly arrived communities newly arrived communities

A bicultural facilitator sharing the language and A bicultural facilitator sharing the language and culture of the families with whom she worksculture of the families with whom she works

Qualified in Human Services from either or both of her Qualified in Human Services from either or both of her country of origin and Australia. country of origin and Australia.

Provides complementary individual family mentoring Provides complementary individual family mentoring and group support together with service providersand group support together with service providers

Provides intercultural training and support to services. Provides intercultural training and support to services.

Hume Bicultural Mentoring and Service Hume Bicultural Mentoring and Service Engagement Program Engagement Program

HUME MASE Program Logic

Program Objective:To support families and community /universal services towards improved access to community based prevention and early intervention approaches

Target Group families of preschool/and primary aged childrenUniversal, community and secondary services, preschool services providers and schools.

Hume MASE Program Logic – Needs Characteristics of linked primary and secondary service systems

Overwhelmed by the demands of a growing population in Hume

Focus on families in crisis, with limited opportunity for early intervention and prevention and service systems.

Variable understanding regarding settlement needs of newly arrived migrant children/families

Families difficulties in navigating and accessing Services systems

Requests from service providers seeking advice on cultural competence

McDonald, M VICSEG Family Mentoring Programs: Evidence into Action paper , Centre for Community Child Health (2014)

Hume MASE Program Logic – Demographic Characteristics of a changing city

53,971 people live in the City of Hume were born overseas, 19% of whom arrived in Australia within the last 5 years. (ABS)

43.7% of couples with children under 8 speak a language other English at home. (Hume Best Start Action Plan 2010 – 2014)

In some Hume neighbourhoods up to 80% of the community is bilingual. (Hume Best Start Action Plan 2010 – 2014)

Four of the largest ranked newly arrived CALD communities in Hume are from Iraq, India, Lebanon and NZ/ Pacific Islands

Hume Program Logic: MASE Social Policy Drivers

Early Years Framework (EYLF) and the National Frameworkfor Protecting Children Supported Outcomes (NFCP)

EYLP: “culture and the context of family as central to children’s sense of being and belonging, and to success in lifelong learning”

NFCP 2nd Action Plan: Building partnerships with community based primary and

secondary services AND community activities towards stronger engagement of culturally and linguistically diverse communities

Enhancing newly arrived cultural groups understanding, wellbeing and available support systems, and

Modelling and supporting agencies to understand the needs and experience of newly arrived families and communities.

Hume MASE Program Logic: Conceptual FrameworkCulture, Inter-Competency and Cultural Intelligence

“Culture is not static but changing … the way the family organises their life constitutes a micro culture (of the wider culture), …the implication of which (for services) is the bridging of culture and practice… It doesn’t exclude other cultures”

- Ngai Fen Cheung, Plenary Session, 2014 International Confederation of Midwives

“Culturally competent practice (1) values diversity, (2)supports

ongoing reflective practice, and (3) manages the dynamics of difference in all aspects of services policy making, practice and partnership with our families”.

- National Centre for Cultural Competence, Centre for Child & Human Development, George Town University and

Belonging, Being and Becoming

The Four Factor Cultural Intelligence: provides a way of “understanding and working with variability in coping with diversity and functioning in new cultural settings”. Cultural Intelligence is perceived by the authors as a means of embedding long term beneficial outcomes for individuals, groups and cultures in a state of change.

- Earley, Gibson and Ang et al (2003, 2005)

HUME MASE: Evidenced Outputs and HUME MASE: Evidenced Outputs and Outcomes of Bicultural Family Mentor Outcomes of Bicultural Family Mentor

Practice Practice Evidence measured against the Four Factor Model of

Cultural Intelligence - meta cognitive CQ; i.e. consciousness of cultural

awareness during cultural interaction - cognitive level CQ; i.e. knowledge of norms including how

a family or authority system works - motivational CQ; i.e. capacity to direct attention in

culturally diverse situations - behavioural CQ; ie capacity to be culturally flexible

through verbal and non verbal action. VICSEG Family Mentoring Programs: McDonald, M,

Evidence into Action paper , Centre for Community Child Health. 2014

Evidence: OutputsEvidence: OutputsCultural Intelligence Examples from ‘Evidence Into Action Paper’ and Practice

Output Type Descriptor Programs and activities provided

Meta-cognitive CQ  

Consciousness of cultural awareness during cross cultural interaction 

Families receive•Information and education about early childhood services , (ECS), myths and facts about family violence services/court approaches - Individual relationships are developed during direct practice. The Family Mentor acts to promote and model trust and reassurance for families

Service providers receive•Opportunity to attend VICSEG staff meetings and local Partnership and Network forums fostering and modelling cross cultural interaction – includes Berry Street Family Violence as well as Intouch Multicultural Services. .  

Cognitive level CQ -  

knowledge of norms such as how a family or authority system works 

Families receive•Support to transition to specialist services and Supported Referrals  Service providers receive•This often involves the MASE Family Mentor providing advice on transition issues, family functioning and customs •Education regarding culturally responsive, accessible service delivery for refugee families

Evidence: OutputsEvidence: OutputsCultural Intelligence: Examples from ‘Evidence Into Action Paper’ and Practice

Output

Type Descriptor Programs and activities provided

Motivational CQ -  

the capacity to direct attention in culturally diverse situations

Families receive:•Encouragement and assistance to: access; communicate with; and utilize Early Childhood, MCHN and School based services. Examples have included participation in co-facilitated Speech Language Groups, MCHN Groups and School activities to support improved inclusion of marginalised communities. Service providers receive:•Support for professionals (e.g. maternal and child health nurses in their work with families in service and case planning and co-facilitated groups as above.

Behavioural CQ - 

the capacity to be culturally flexible through verbal and nonverbal action

Families receive:Advocacy and modelling to support acquisition of knowledge and understanding of legal requirements to respond to issues such as family violence, child protection and school attendance. Service providers receiveCultural competence support to facilitate culturally and linguistically responsive, accessible service delivery for families

Evidence: Immediate Evidence: Immediate OutcomesOutcomesCultural Intelligence: Examples from ‘Evidence Into Action Paper’ and

other MASE Practice Immediate Outcomes

Type Descriptor Direct Results expected

Meta-cognitive CQ  

consciousness of cultural awareness during cross cultural interaction 

Families experience•Increased willingness and confidence to access and utilize early childhood programs/activities/ services (and other services), e.g. negotiated and supported use of public transport, and community health services such as audiology screening. Service providers •Staff in relevant services have increased knowledge and skills regarding engaging and working effectively with vulnerable families e.g., developed through complementary case work practice and groups with Bicultural Facilitators.

Cognitive level CQ -  

knowledge of norms such as how a family or authority system works 

Families receive•Supported referrals, and in situ education towards transitioning to specialist services, e.g. with in groups jointly run with universal service providers. Service providers receive•VICSEG – Centre for Excellence in Child and Family Welfare have partnered to provide cultural competence training to agencies and education to enable culturally responsive, accessible service delivery for families

Evidence: Immediate Evidence: Immediate Outcomes Outcomes

Cultural Intelligence: Examples from ‘Evidence Into Action Paper’ and other MASE Practice Immediate Outcomes

Type Descriptor Direct Results expected Motivational CQ -  

capacity to direct attention in culturally diverse situations

Families receive:•Encouragement and assistance to support: access; communicate with; and utilize Early Childhood, MCHN and School based Services. Examples have include participation in co-facilitated Speech Language Groups, MCHN Groups and School activities to support improved inclusion of marginalised communities. Service providers receive:•Support for professionals (e.g. maternal and child health nurses in their work with families in service and case planning and co-facilitated groups as above.

Behavioural CQ - 

the capacity to be culturally flexible through verbal and nonverbal action

Families receive:•Advocacy and modelling to support acquisition of knowledge and understanding of legal requirements to respond to issues such as family violence, child protection and school attendance. Service providers receive•Tailored advice to support culturally and linguistically responsive, accessible service

Evidence: Medium Term Evidence: Medium Term Outputs Outputs

Cultural Intelligence: Examples from ‘Evidence Into Action Paper’ and MASE Practice Medium Outcomes

Type Descriptor Results expected in the medium-term  

Meta-cognitive CQ  

consciousness of cultural awareness during cross cultural interaction 

Children experience•Increased exposure to early childhood activities and primary health programs and services, e.g. supported participation in specialist Speech Language Groups, and universal Playgroups and Kindergartens

Families experience•Increased willingness and confidence to access and utilize early childhood programs/activities/ services (and other services

Service providers experience•Staff in relevant services have increased awareness of cultures and communities to begin engaging and working effectively with families  

Evidence: Medium Term Evidence: Medium Term Outputs Outputs

Cultural Intelligence: Examples from ‘Evidence Into Action Paper’ and MASE Practice Medium Outcomes

Type Descriptor Results expected in the medium-term  

Cognitive level CQ -  

knowledge of norms such as how a family or authority system works 

Families receive•Supported Referrals to full range of services including housing, family violence, community based and universal and family support services

Service providers receive•Critical reflective practice based support through joint work and supported referral •VICSEG – Centre for Excellence for Cultural Competence Training accredited agencies Education regarding culturally responsive, accessible service delivery for refugee families  

Evidence: Medium Term Evidence: Medium Term Outputs Outputs

Cultural Intelligence: Examples from ‘Evidence Into Action Paper’ and MASE Practice Medium Outcomes

Type Descriptor Results expected in the medium-term  

 Motivational CQ

the capacity to direct attention in culturally diverse situations

Families receive:•Encouragement and assistance to: access; communicate with; and utilize Early Childhood, MCHN and School based services. Examples have included participation in co-facilitated Speech Language Groups, MCHN Groups and School activities to support improved inclusion of marginalised communities. Service providers receive:•Support for professionals (e.g. maternal and child health nurses in their work with families in service and case planning and co-facilitated groups as above).

Behavioural CQ -

the capacity to be culturally flexible through verbal and nonverbal act

Families receive:•Advocacy and modelling to support acquisition of knowledge and understanding of legal requirements to respond to issues such as family violence, child protection and school attendance. Service providers receive•Education regarding culturally and linguistically responsive, accessible service delivery for families

Evidence: Long term outcomes Evidence: Long term outcomes

Cultural Intelligence: Examples from ‘Evidence Into Action Paper’ and MASE Practice Projected Long-term outcomes  

Type Descriptor Changes in the population expected as a result of the approach  

Meta-cognitive CQ  

consciousness of cultural awareness during cross cultural interaction 

Families experience•Continued increased community engagement and developed sense of safety. Service providers experience•Services and the service system as a whole effectively aware of the needs, culture and capacities of newly arrived families and their communities.

Cognitive level CQ -  

knowledge of norms such as how a family or authority system works 

Families experience•Improved family functioningService providers experience•Services and the service system as a whole effectively responds in a more timely way to the needs of newly arrived families and their communities  

Evidence: Long term outcomes Evidence: Long term outcomes Cultural Intelligence: Examples from ‘Evidence Into Action Paper’

and MASE Practice Projected Long-term outcomes  

Type Descriptor Changes in the population expected as a result of the approach

Motivational CQ -  

the capacity to direct attention in culturally diverse situations

Families receiveAs for CQ above. Service providers receive:•Services demonstrate increased capacity to work in a systematic and collaborative way to respond to the needs of families, e.g. whilst funding and resources are diminishing, agencies and schools have begun to systematically embed Social Interpreter Facilitator CALD dedicated activities into their mainstream activities

Behavioural CQ - 

the capacity to be culturally flexible through verbal and non verbal action

Families receive•Improved independence and empowerment in negotiating service systems•Engagement in VICSEG based programs such as Learning Together, and Certificate and Diploma courses•Employment in Peer Led Parenting Programs. Service providers experience •Increased employment of bilingual staff and programs dedicated to newly arrived families, e.g. Farsi speaking women’s group.