Vol.2 Issue: 4 - Drug Education Programs for Vietnamese in the City of Yarra

The Drug Education Program for Vietnamese Tenants is a joint program between Mary of the Cross Centre and the Inner Western Region Migrant Resource Centre. This is a preventative program for tenants who live in the high rise estates of Richmond, Fitzroy and Collingwood. It aims to provide Vietnamese tenants with information about drug problems in the community and strategies for improving safety in the environment.

There were three four-session programs offered in the Community Halls in Richmond, Collingwood and Fitzroy every fortnighty from the beginning of September until the end of October this year. Vietnamese tenants were provided with basic information about what drugs are, types of drugs, how drugs does affect people and local Drug and Alcohol services. The tenants discussed their concerns about living in the high rise flats where they believe drug use is an issue, and talked about what the community could do to change this. The Education Program also offered some information for residents to deal with safe disposal of syringes and how to respond to a drug overdose.

Chau Tran, the Cambodian/Loatian/Vietnamese (CLV) worker in the Education Unit of Mary of the Cross Centre has undertaken two training courses for Bilingual Drug Educators to facilitate these Drug Education Sessions for Vietnamese-Australians in Richmond. In the future, Chau will continue to provide Drug Information sessions focussing on school parent groups, the Young Mothers Group, the Womens Group and the Elderly Group in the area of Richmond.

Vietnamese Families Connexions Support Program is another joint project between Mary of the Cross Centre and three other agencies: Parenting Australia, Northern Juvenile Justice Unit, North Richmond Community Health Centre.

This is a structured eight- week program for Vietnamese parents and carers of young people with the difficulties of Drug and Mental Health issues. The program is aimed to offer Vietnamese parents and carers an opportunity to participate in a group which will honour and build on the strengths of families and provide information and support to deal with the difficulties they live with. It commenced on Thursday 17 October 2002 and will run weekly until Thursday 5 December 2002 at Mary of the Cross Centre. The program was advertised on Vietnamese radio and magazines and other Vietnamese agencies and workers were informed about it.

The ideal group size is eight to ten people. By working together in a small group, Vietnamese people feel more comfortable to share their experiences with the problem and to find out about how to access the services available in Australia.

This is a pilot program for residents in the City of Yarra only. In the future, the program will run throughout next year for the Vietnamese community beyond the City of Yarra. For more information about this program, please contact Hien Bui at Parenting Australia on 0418 319 414 or Chau Tran at Mary of the Cross Centre on 9495 6144.

Chau Bao Tran