Author: Kath Spencer
New drug and alcohol intervention to help hundreds
A new drug and alcohol intervention service is set to help hundreds of vulnerable people in the north.
Q Health will provide individual, couple and family counselling to anyone that identifies same-sex attracted and gender diverse, and is experiencing alcohol and drug issues.
The service will help people like 22-year-old Sasha who attends drummond street services.
“When I was stressed or fought with my family so they would accept me, I would take lots of drugs and it wasn’t good for me. All we needed was a safe space to get help. We’ve now been able to sort through our issues a lot better,” Sasha said.
Drummond street services chief executive Karen Field said partnering with Merri Health will help support a large group of at-risk people across the north.
“We know that there are minimal alcohol and drug specialist services for the queer community and yet, they are among the most disadvantaged groups. Discrimination, homophobia and transphobia all play a part and we’re here to address that. One size does not fit all when it comes to support; they face unique challenges – Q Health will look at the root causes of substance misuse,” Ms Field said.
Merri Health chief executive Nigel Fidgeon said the initiative would build on the many alcohol and drug services offered by Merri Health, including group education, early intervention for young people, counselling and drop-in support.
“Q Health will help us extend support to those most at-risk that have limited service access,” Mr Fidgeon said.
Q Health is a free and confidential service and will be available to anyone living in Brimbank, Darebin, Hume, Maribyrnong, Melbourne, Moreland, Wyndham and Yarra. Anyone can self-refer to the service by calling 1800LGBTIQ or emailing [email protected].
Q Health is a partnership approach to meeting emerging needs of marginalised groups, from Rainbow Tick accredited provider, Merri Health and founder of Queerspace, drummond street services.
Rainbow warriors unite!
Moreland played host to one of its largest rainbow events as part of International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, and Transphobia (IDAHOBIT).
The live art exhibition saw more than 500 Moreland students and locals take part in the large-scale filming which we’ve released today, in support of IDAHOBIT. Messages of support are projected via a choreographed exhibition using rainbow umbrellas and captured via a drone.
Merri Health’s YGLAM project officer Russ Pirie said that the rainbow procession showed Moreland’s commitment to creating a safer and more inclusive community.
“It’s an opportunity for the community to come together and show that they care about the wellbeing of queer people living in Moreland, creating safe spaces for all,” said Mr Pirie.
Moreland Mayor Cr Helen Davidson said that the video release of the event will ensure Moreland continues to acknowledge and accept our queer community beyond IDAHOBIT.
“It is so important that we come together not just when IDAHOBIT comes around, but every day.
“Moreland’s diversity is one of the municipality’s greatest strengths and that is something to celebrate,” said Cr Davidson.
IDAHOBIT is an annual celebration of sexual and gender diversities, raising awareness of the violence and discrimination experienced by this group.
The event is led by Merri Health’s queer youth ensemble YGLAM and supported by Moreland City Council. It marks the anniversary of YGLAM’s social media campaign This Campaign Is Queer that supports young queer people via social media connections.
We all belong: celebrating people
Meet the diverse team behind Merri Health.
Tuesday, 20 March marks Harmony Day, a day that celebrates cultural diversity – a day of cultural respect for everyone who calls Australia home.
Thank you to the wonderful members of our team that appear in this video and share our message; we learn from each other, respect one another and celebrate our differences. We all belong.
Share your own message of support of Harmony Day on our Facebook page and let us know how you’re celebrating.
YGLAM officer recognised for his work with young queer people
Congratulations to Russ Pirie, who was awarded as one of the 20 finalists in the world for The Commonwealth Youth Worker Award 2016!
As the YGLAM Project Officer, he has led its theatre programme for young queer people, as a way of supporting them, and developing their drama skills and self-confidence.
Alongside of this year’s theatre production, YGLAM have been working on #ThisCampaignIsQueer, a social media campaign aimed to show young queer people that they are not alone.
Keep up the fabulous work, Russ!
Residents’ labour of love
Residents have had their artwork, a mosaic table, chosen by Minster Martin Foley to feature on his 2016 Christmas card!
The artwork creation was part of a garden transformation by The Queens Lodge art group, who set out to create a communal and relaxing space for residents of the lodge with the support of Merri Health and Arts Access.
The Queens Lodge is a supported residential service that offer accommodation and low level of care for people who need support in everyday life, such as people who are frail or have a disability.
After 18 months of hard work, the residents now have a space that they can enjoy! The project, named “Bringing Country Home,” had residents involved in the design, creation and helping in the manual labour of the garden.
The garden is an important space for the residents as it is where most of them meet and walk through on a daily basis. As such, different spaces were created so that there were quiet and social areas.
Not only has this been a busy time for the residents, it has been a journey that has empowered them to have ownership of the space in which they live. The residents said that it has been a rewarding and productive process.
The Queens Lodge art group has existed for a number of years and in this time has developed many projects. The first of these was “Connecting to Country,” which had the residents creating art to explore their relationship to Australia’s native landscape.
To find out more about how we support Supported Residential Services and its residents, go to mental health services.
Merri Health launches new Gender Analysis Tool
Merri Health has created a new Gender Analysis Tool to assist staff in applying a gender lens to program design and implementation.
Teams can use the tool during planning, design, review and/or evaluation of projects to ensure they are inclusive, gender-responsive and accessible.
The tool draws on different instruments across multiple organisations, with a move away from binary language to provide a more inclusive definition of gender. It encourages staff to consider the range of needs and experiences of people in the community, in regard to their gender identity.
Cassie Zurek, Health Promotion Officer at Merri Health, said through using this tool, staff will be able to produce projects that are safer for all people, including projects that respond to gender inequities in our community.
“This project came from an identified need for a tool that would help staff to actively and intentionally ensure Merri’s work is always inclusive and responsive to the needs of people of all genders,” Cassie said.
“All the tools we could find used a very binary definition of gender, so we decided to adapt our own. Team members who participate in the process can expect to have deep discussions about gender and equity. It is a reflective process that allows you to learn along the way.”
This project will help us work towards strengthening and formalising our commitment to gender inclusivity and safety. We look forward to implementing it”.