Treatment Accessibility

Alcohol and other drug treatment services in Australia report lower attendance by people born in overseas countries in the Australian population, and by people who speak languages other than English at home. CALD communities can experience significant barriers to accessing and engaging in Western treatment programs. Other than language difficulties, reasons include lack of cultural relevance and appropriateness of treatment programs, concerns about trustworthiness and inclusivity of mainstream services, fear of consequences of service involvement (e.g. problems with immigration) or confidentiality breaches. Greater understanding of cultural issues is needed in the development and delivery of treatment services in mainstream and specialist settings.