The Victorian Department of Health is looking for members for a Refugee Advisory Group! We want our free dental care to reach refugee school students. Can you help us? Members are paid $237 per meeting.
We want our free dental care to reach refugee school students. Can you help us?
Smile Squad is a free school dental program, run by the Victorian Department of Health. It visits government primary, secondary and special schools to do dental checks and treatments. It also provides information about how to care for teeth. The service is completely free – there are no costs for families. All students at government schools are eligible. Students do not need to have Medicare.
We are looking for members of a new Refugee Advisory Group to help us make Smile Squad better for students from refugee and asylum seeker backgrounds.
The Refugee Advisory Group will tell us what we can do so refugee students and their families know about the program and how to take part. The Group will also tell us how we can provide information about dental health that is helpful and reaches communities in the right way.
Who we are looking for
We are looking for members from a wide range of backgrounds to bring different skills and experiences from their lives and their work.
We want to hear from you if you:
- are from a refugee or asylum seeker background (including people on temporary protection visas (TPVs))
- have experience working with refugee communities in health services or health promotion, or in government schools.
- people who have worked in public dental services, oral health promotion, or in schools to support communication with refugee families
- people with experience in designing communications for refugee communities, ideally about health
- young people aged under 25 who attended a government school.
We would especially like to hear from:
What’s involved
- Meetings will mainly be online
- Meetings will be in English – with interpreters if needed
- You do not need to read and write in English or any other language
- We can help you to join online meetings if you need. For example, we could find an office space and a computer if you don’t have one, or someone could sit with you through the meeting to help you. Meetings will be 1.5 hours, once a month from February 2023
- You will be paid $237 per meeting. This pay covers the meeting and 2.5 hours of work before and after the meeting each month.
More information
If you have any questions, you can call or email Eleanor Bentham on 0476 177 510 or eleanor.bentham@health.vic.gov.au.
The Smile Squad website is www.smilesquad.vic.gov.au
How to apply
Please apply by writing to us at eleanor.bentham@health.vic.gov.au. Please describe your experience and the skills you think will be helpful to the group and the program. So that we can ensure a diverse group, please also let us know your cultural background and how many years you have lived in Australia/if you were born in Australia.
Applications will close 5pm Friday 24 March 2023.
☎ If you can’t apply in writing for any reason, please phone Eleanor instead on 0476 177 510.
