Amparo Landman

Amparo Landman is STARTTS’ Student Clinic Coordinator/Counsellor. She has a background in Aged Care, Social Sciences and Counselling, with extensive experience working with older people from refugee backgrounds. Amparo has been a part of the STARTTS team since 2013, starting as a group facilitator for both clinical and nonclinical groups of older people from refugee backgrounds as well as working as a counsellor.

In Amparo’s previous work at Kogarah Community Services, she worked as Assistant Coordinator of aged care services. Her role included home assessments for new referrals and coordinating services for older people from refugee backgrounds. Amparo worked with older migrants suffering from dementia; looking after the area of client assessment and recommendations as well as coordination of government funded aged care services.

Through her work with these clients over the years, Amparo has developed a deep understanding of the issues that present at the intersection between refugee trauma, migration and settlement challenges and ageing. As aged care services in Australia veer towards standardising services across language and culture, further gaps are identified in developing services for older migrants and people from refugee backgrounds. This has highlighted the role of STARTTS as a specialist service; to investigate the needs of this target group, develop new strategies for working effectively with them, and do research, and advocacy.

Amparo is passionate about contributing towards creating a more inclusive space for older people from refugee backgrounds, recognising the strengths and challenges of this diverse group, listening to their experiences, and developing new and better strategies to address their needs.