about
about
About Coelho Networks
Coelho Networks offers a unique service combining decades of experience working directly with people from refugee and migrant backgrounds, asylum seekers and mobile population with expertise in public health, disease control and management, prevention, and health promotion. These capabilities make Coelho Networks a distinctive and effective tool in enabling your organisation to work better with diverse communities and improve the health of multicultural communities.
We believe in community led initiatives where communities drive decision-making processes in programs that impact their lives. Acknowledging the intrinsic value and expertise that exists within communities. We are committed to improving evidence building, inclusive practice, and influencing policy makers and funding bodies to create a more equitable health care system for all.
Coelho Networks has long established relationships with governments at all levels, funding bodies, research institutions, health services, peak bodies, private corporations and community organisations. Most importantly, all our work engages directly with communities.
Reach out to us so we can support you to collaborate, co-create and innovate for change.
Pictured: CALD data collectors training workshop on engaging CALD communities in research as part of the Optimise Study. Burnet Institute.
“Working with Alison Coelho has been a professional delight over the past two decades. Her sector acumen in areas of health, wellbeing and organisational strategy are invaluable assets. In addition to these strengths, her energy and affable nature make working with Coelho Networks a personal joy.”
- Tasneem Chopra
Diversity, equity and inclusion consultant
About Alison Coelho
Alison Coelho is a passionate public health advisor and an expert in co-design and community engagement, committed to improving health access and outcomes for people from refugee and migrant backgrounds, asylum seekers and mobile populations. Alison is the Director of Coelho Networks and utilises intersectionality, the social determinants of health and social epidemiology as pillars in her work.
Alison has significant Local Government experience, coordinating population based health planning, and has developed and implemented the first prevention-based Municipal Public Health and Wellbeing Plan. She has also managed the development of Diversity Strategies, Reconciliation Policies and a Women’s Health Initiative for local Government.
Alison is committed to evidence building and for many years has provided advice and support to researchers from across the country on research design, data collection adaptation and evaluation. She works to ensure the voices of diverse communities are included in academic research and to inform government and policy makers on key health and social issues such as COVID-19.
Formerly the Co-manager of the Centre for Culture, Ethnicity and Health (CEH), for nine years she managed the Multicultural Health Support Service (MHSS), a program of CEH at North Richmond Community Health. While in the role she embedded community led health initiatives and designed and established the first AoD service for refugees as the manager of the Multicultural Drug and Alcohol Partnership (MDAP).
Alison was a sitting member of the Victorian Ministerial Blood Borne Viruses Advisory Committee, a member of the Victorian Hepatitis B Alliance (VHBA) and former Board member of the Australian Federation of AIDS Organisations (AFAO). She is the founding member and Chair of the new Australian Multicultural BBV/STI Alliance (AMBA), and the Chair of the International Students Sexual Health Network and was on the board of the Ethnic Communities Council of Victoria.
Alison is respected for her work with people from refugee and migrant backgrounds, and her commitment to the issues of social justice and health, especially in the areas of blood borne viruses (BBV) and sexually transmitted infections (STI), the prevention of violence against women, youth justice social policy change and is dedicated to Reconciliation and Truth Telling. She is a human rights and health and gender equity advocate.
In 2020 Alison’s work was recognised by the Premier of Victoria when she was highly commended in the Multicultural Awards for Excellence in Health.
