Mater Refugee Complex Care Clinic (MRCCC)
Mater Refugee Complex Care Clinic (MRCCC) is a primary care, psychiatry, and paediatric service for people from refugee and asylum seeker backgrounds. Established in 2002, MRCCC is a Mater mission initiative to improve the health and wellbeing of our communities in south-east Queensland. MRCCC clinicians and nurses have extensive specialist skills and interest in refugee health.
Our clinics and referral information
Asylum Seeker GP Clinic (known as MRCCC)
The Asylum Seeker GP Clinic (MRCCC) provides comprehensive primary care for people seeking asylum throughout south-east Queensland. This is a Queensland Health funded service, with additional support from Mater Foundation's philanthropic partners.
The Asylum Seeker GP Clinic (MRCCC) is a no-cost service for eligible patients.
Referral information
Eligibility criteria:
Adults or children who are seeking asylum in Australia, and who have lodged an application for a protection visa and are waiting on a determination on their refugee status and who are covered by the Queensland Health Asylum Seeker Health Directive.
How to refer:
Patients can self-refer, or referrals can be made by GPs, other healthcare providers, and community organisations.
- GPs and Specialists: Complete a Mater Outpatient Referral Form and select 'Mater Refugee Complex Care Clinic' under 'Other.' Send referrals via email or fax 07 3163 8455.
- Community service providers or self-referral: Complete the Community Referral Form or call 07 3163 2880 for further information.
- Walk-in referrals are welcome
Refugee and Asylum Seeker General Paediatric Clinic
Our general paediatric clinic is a one session per fortnight clinic, provided in partnership with Queensland Children's Hospital (QCH). This is a bulk-billed service for Medicare-eligible patients and no-cost for patients without Medicare.
Referral information
Eligibility criteria:
- Children aged 0-16 years from refugee or asylum seeker backgrounds.
- Children who are eligible or ineligible for Medicare.
How to refer:
Referrals must be made by a GP or Specialist, by completing a Mater Outpatient Referral Form or QCH Specialist Referral Form.
Send referrals via email (addressed to “Dr Ganesh Senthilnathan - MRCCC") or fax 07 3163 8455 or submit via Queensland Health Smart Referrals.
Please note: if your client is an asylum seeker and they do not have a community GP please consider referral to our Asylum Seeker GP clinic (detailed above).
Refugee and Asylum Seeker Psychiatry Clinic
Our psychiatry clinic delivers culturally safe psychiatric assessments for refugee and asylum seekers clients. This is a bulk-billed clinic one day per week for Medicare-eligible patients and no-cost for patients without Medicare.
Referral information
Eligibility criteria:
- Adults aged 18 – 65 years
- Asylum seeker or refugee background
- Patients who do not require acute care (can wait over 6 weeks for an appointment and over 4 weeks between follow-ups).
- Patients unable to access other mental health services (e.g., no Medicare access or cultural/linguistic barriers).
How to refer:
Referrals must be made by a GP or Specialist, by completing a Mater Outpatient Referral Form, selecting Psychiatry Speciality.
Send referrals via email (addressed to “Dr Nga Tran - MRCCC"), fax: 07 3163 8455, or via Queensland Health Smart Referrals.
Please note: if your client is an asylum seeker and they do not have a community GP please consider referral to our Asylum Seeker GP clinic (detailed above).
For additional mental health support for refugees and asylum seekers, please visit Refugee Health Network Queensland
Multicultural Health Coordination Program
Multicultural Health Coordination Program (MHCP) supports people from multicultural backgrounds who have unmet complex health and wellbeing needs.
This program is funded by Queensland Health as part of the Connected Community Pathways program and works in partnership with the local Hospital and Health Services and PHNs to address systemic barriers encountered by participants.
Core activities
- Assessment and care coordination
- Family and carer support
- Promoting health literacy including education on health conditions, medications, and health systems
- Facilitating patient access to community support organisations, including housing, employment services, financial support (e.g. Centrelink), NGO and peer support workers, GPs and medical specialists
- Systemic advocacy to build equitable health system responses and engagement
Referral criteria and pathway
The service is available to people living in Brisbane, Logan and Ipswich regions from a multicultural background, with complex health and/or social needs. MHCP is open to all age groups.
This is a no cost service, and there are no Medicare or visa eligibility requirements.
Referrals can be made by:
- General Practitioners
- Hospital EDs, inpatient or outpatient services
- Community health services
- Social care providers
- Community members, including self-referral.
Referrals can be made by completing this referral form. Referral letters from all clinicians are also welcomed.
Please send completed referrals to Mater Multicultural Health Coordination Program via:
Email referral here
Medical Objects: Mater Refugee Health Service - RM4101000BD
Fax: 07 3163 8455
Phone: 07 3163 4000 - phone referrals are welcome
Interpreter services are available.
Mater Integrated Refugee Health Service (MIRHS)
Mater Integrated Refugee Health Service (MIRHS) is a Queensland Health-funded on-arrival triage, nursing health assessments, and primary care support service for people settling in Brisbane under the Australian Government Humanitarian Program.
We work closely with settlement services, GPs, and other community and health support services to ensure responsive, flexible healthcare.
For further information about Queensland Health’s funded refugee health programs in Queensland please visit Refugee Health Network Queensland or Queensland Health Refugee and Asylum Seeker services.
Eligibility
The service is available for people from refugee backgrounds who have recently arrived in Australia within the past 12 months. Eligibility covers people from a refugee background who are permanent residents. All new arrivals are referred to MIRHS through a partnership between Mater Health Services, Brisbane South PHN and MDA Ltd.
Refugee Maternity Service
Mater’s Refugee Maternity service is a dedicated antenatal clinic, along with the Refugee Midwifery Group Practice, specialise in providing health care, psycho-social support and resources for women of a refugee background birthing at Mater Mothers’ Hospital.
Pregnant women of a refugee background can present with a range of pre-existing medical conditions, such as malnutrition and female genital mutilation, which can impact on maternal, foetal and neonatal health.
The maternity care is provided in a culturally sensitive and supportive environment by midwives, obstetricians, social workers and interpreters for continuity of care across the whole spectrum of pregnancy, birth and the postnatal period.
Eligibility
Any woman who has experience as a refugee is eligible for care within the Refugee Maternity Service. Eligibility covers women who are permanent residents, current asylum seekers, women who are on a spousal visa and are married to a person of refugee experience.
Referral
Any health professional can refer a woman to the Refugee Maternity service, however it is preferred that the referral is made by the family doctor.
To refer a patient to the Refugee Maternity Service please use Mater’s Antenatal Clinic referral form, complete then fax to 07 3163 8053.
For urgent referrals contact the Antenatal Clinic and ask to speak to the Refugee Maternity Service Midwife or the GP Liaison Midwife Ph. 3163 8330
Networks and resources
Brisbane Refugee Health Advisory Group
The Brisbane Refugee Health Advisory Group (known as the ‘G11’) comprises 11 Health Refugee Health Consultants who are all regarded as natural leaders in their respective communities from South Sudan, Eritrea, Burundi, Rwanda, Somalia, Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan, Congo and Myanmar.
The group is a mechanism through which health services can have access to the voice of refugee communities. The group also facilitates training and education of staff, participate in research projects and contribute to developing health literacy resources.
Refugee Health Network Queensland
Mater Refugee and Multicultural Health auspice the Refugee Health Network Queensland.
The Refugee Health Network Queensland was established in 2016 to facilitate greater coordination and collaboration amongst health and community services to provide more accessible and appropriate health services for people of refugee backgrounds.
Resources for clinicians working with patients from a refugee background