Awtur: 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.
Gwerriera tal-qawsalla jingħaqdu!
Moreland ospitat wieħed mill-akbar avvenimenti tal-qawsalla tagħha bħala parti mill-Jum Internazzjonali Kontra l-Omofobija, il-Bifobija, u t-Transfobija (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 L-uffiċjal tal-proġett YGLAM ta' Russ Pirie qal li l-purċissjoni tal-qawsalla wriet l-impenn ta' Moreland biex toħloq komunità aktar sigura u inklużiva.
“Hija opportunità għall-komunità biex tingħaqad flimkien u turi li jimpurtahom mill-benesseri tal-persuni queer li jgħixu f’Moreland, filwaqt li joħolqu spazji siguri għal kulħadd,” qal is-Sur Pirie.
Is-Sindku ta’ Moreland Cr Helen Davidson qalet li r-rilaxx tal-vidjo tal-avveniment se jiżgura li Moreland ikompli jirrikonoxxi u jaċċetta l-komunità queer tagħna lil hinn minn IDAHOBIT.
"Huwa tant importanti li ningħaqdu flimkien mhux biss meta jiġi l-IDAHOBIT, iżda kuljum."
“Id-diversità ta’ Moreland hija waħda mill-akbar punti ta’ saħħa tal-muniċipalità u dik hija xi ħaġa li għandha tiġi ċċelebrata,” qal Cr Davidson.
IDAHOBIT hija ċelebrazzjoni annwali tad-diversitajiet sesswali u tal-ġeneru, li tqajjem kuxjenza dwar il-vjolenza u d-diskriminazzjoni li jesperjenza dan il-grupp.
L-avveniment huwa mmexxi minn Merri Health L-ensemble taż-żgħażagħ queer YGLAM u appoġġjat mill-Kunsill tal-Belt ta' Moreland. Dan jimmarka l-anniversarju tal-kampanja fuq il-midja soċjali tal-YGLAM This Campaign Is Queer li tappoġġja liż-żgħażagħ queer permezz ta' konnessjonijiet fuq il-midja soċjali.
Aħna lkoll nappartjenu: niċċelebraw lin-nies
Iltaqa' mat-tim divers wara Merri Health .
It-Tlieta, 20 ta’ Marzu jimmarka Jum l-Armonija, jum li jiċċelebra d-diversità kulturali – jum ta’ rispett kulturali għal kull min isejjaħ l-Awstralja dar.
Grazzi lill-membri meraviljużi tat-tim tagħna li jidhru f'dan il-filmat u jaqsmu l-messaġġ tagħna; nitgħallmu minn xulxin, nirrispettaw lil xulxin u niċċelebraw id-differenzi tagħna. Aħna lkoll nagħmlu parti minn xulxin.
Aqsam il-messaġġ tiegħek ta' appoġġ għal Jum l-Armonija fuq il-paġna tagħna ta' Facebook u għarrafna kif qed tiċċelebrah.
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 tniedi Għodda ġdida għall-Analiżi tas-Sessi
Merri Health ħolqot Għodda ġdida għall-Analiżi tal-Ġeneru biex tgħin lill-istaff japplika lenti tal-ġeneru fid-disinn u l-implimentazzjoni tal-programm.
It-timijiet jistgħu jużaw l-għodda waqt l-ippjanar, id-disinn, ir-reviżjoni u/jew l-evalwazzjoni tal-proġetti biex jiżguraw li jkunu inklużivi, sensittivi għall-kwistjonijiet tal-ġeneru u aċċessibbli.
L-għodda tuża strumenti differenti f'diversi organizzazzjonijiet, b'bidla 'l bogħod mil-lingwaġġ binarju biex tipprovdi definizzjoni aktar inklużiva tal-ġeneru. Tħeġġeġ lill-persunal biex jikkunsidra l-firxa ta' bżonnijiet u esperjenzi tan-nies fil-komunità, fir-rigward tal-identità tal-ġeneru tagħhom.
Cassie Zurek, Uffiċjal tal-Promozzjoni tas-Saħħa f’ Merri Health , qal li permezz tal-użu ta’ din l-għodda, il-persunal se jkun jista’ jipproduċi proġetti li huma aktar sikuri għan-nies kollha, inklużi proġetti li jirrispondu għall-inugwaljanzi bejn is-sessi fil-komunità tagħna.
“Dan il-proġett ġie minn ħtieġa identifikata għal għodda li tgħin lill-istaff biex jiżgura b'mod attiv u intenzjonali li x-xogħol ta' Merri jkun dejjem inklużiv u jirrispondi għall-bżonnijiet tan-nies ta' kull sess,” qalet Cassie.
"L-għodod kollha li stajna nsibu użaw definizzjoni binarja ħafna tal-ġeneru, għalhekk iddeċidejna li nadattaw tagħna stess. Il-membri tat-tim li jipparteċipaw fil-proċess jistgħu jistennew li jkollhom diskussjonijiet profondi dwar il-ġeneru u l-ekwità. Huwa proċess riflessiv li jippermettilek titgħallem matul it-triq."
Dan il-proġett se jgħinna naħdmu biex insaħħu u nifformalizzaw l-impenn tagħna għall-inklużività u s-sigurtà bejn is-sessi. Nistennew bil-ħerqa li nimplimentawh”.