Rainbow Communities

SAFE AND INCLUSIVE:

Working with LGBTTIQA+ people

Inclusive Practice
Explore what LGBTTIQA+ inclusive practice means and why services and clinicians need to ensure their practice is inclusive.
Suicide Prevention
Gain insights of what needs to be considered when working with sexually and dender diverse people who are suicidal
Mental Wellbeing
Implement effective mental wellbeing strategies to promote proud and thriving rainbow communities

Equal Not the Same: LGBTTIQA+ inclusive Practice

A learning opportunity to explore what LGBTTIQA+ inclusive practice means and why services and clinicians need to ensure their practice is inclusive.
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, takatāpui, transgender, intersex, queer/questioning, asexual and people of other diverse sexual and gender identifications (LGBTTIQA+) people are over represented in the statistics for people living with a mental illness, an addiction or have died by suicide. Given there are no dedicated LGBTTIQA+ mental health or addictions services in Aotearoa, it is essential that mainstream services, mental health NGO organisations, student health and counselling services and private counselling practitioners ensure that their services and programmes are LGBTTIQA+ inclusive.​LGBTTIQA+ people report that their experience of mainstream services is that they are not inclusive and operate mainly from a heteronormative worldview. They often felt vulnerable in disclosing issues around their sexuality or gender and often had to educate the clinicians and counsellors about sexuality or gender diversity. Despite various mental health, addiction and suicide prevention action plans identifying LGBTTIQA+ as priority, there has not translated into actions to improve responsiveness of services. Two surveys of LGBTTIQA+ service users, conducted 10 years apart, would suggest that there has not been a significant improvement in the inclusivity and responsiveness of mental health and addiction services. In the most recent survey, the numbers of rainbow service users reporting that the services were heteronormative in their approach or that the clinicians were not very knowledgeable of the lived experience of LGBTTIQA+ people had not reduced. Those from diverse sex and gender identities reported high levels of vulnerability in discussing issues around their gender and that often clinicians pathologised their gender or sex diversity.
With the current redesign of mental health and addiction services in this country, this is an opportune time to ensure that workers are LGBTTIQA+ suicide responsive.
A common view held within services is that there is no need for targeted programmes for specific populations as the service “treats everyone the same.” This workshop will define clearly what is meant by inclusive practice for LGBTTIQA+ people and the rationale as to why mainstream services need to consider their responsiveness to LGBTTIQA+ population. Participants will apply the principles inclusiveness from the perspectives of organisational inclusiveness and clinical practice. Developed by the presenter as part of the MindOUT LGBTI Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Project in Australia, the content of the workshop is based on the latest evidence and thinking and has been peer audited by leading international thinkers and clinicians. It has been delivered to mental health and addiction services across Australia and has been adapted to be more culturally inclusive on the New Zealand context. Clinicians and service managers of mental health and addiction services and NGO organisations and primary care are strongly encouraged to attend. With the current redesign of mental health services in this country, this is an opportune time to ensure that the new models are LGBTTIQA+ inclusive.
Explore how social exclusion, discrimination and phobic attitudes impact on the wellbeing of rainbow community members.
Reflect on how unconscious bias, heteronormative assumptions and binary concepts of gender and sexuality can negatively impact on the therapeutic alliance which can lead to the client experiencing the therapeutic space as unsafe
Critique the dominant societal narratives around sexuality and gender and create an alternative rainbow inclusive narrative for working with LGBTTIQA+ people
Audit your scope of practice to embed rainbow inclusive principles and practices
Learning OutcomesParticipants will:- have a working knowledge of the principles of cultural competence and cultural safety as applied to LGBTTIQA+ persons- assess current service delivery against key principles, criteria and recommended actions for LGBTTIQA+ inclusiveness to their service provision- identify opportunities and challenges for improving LGBTTIQA+ inclusive practice in their organisation- be familiarised with the considered practice wisdom in delivery clinical and support services to LGBTTIQA+ people
Topics covered:
  • Unpacking LGBTTIQA+ – Sexuality, Sex and Gender
  • Intersections not collisions - Intersectionality of gender, sexuality, culture and religion
  • Mad, Bad or Sad – The determinants that contribute to positive and poor mental health outcomes in LLGBTTIQA+ people
  • Equal but not the Same – What do we mean by Inclusive Practice
  • LGBTTIQA+ Cultural Competency and Safety – What does it look like?
  • How inclusive is Inclusive – Principles of Inclusive Practice
  • Auditing your service or clinical practice for LGBTTIQA+ inclusive practices
  • Strategies for implementing inclusive practice into organisations and clinical practice
  • Inclusive Practitioners - LGBTTIQA+ practice wisdom

What others have said about the workshop

“This course should be part of all mental health nurses training. Informative, relevant and valuable"
MENTAL HEALTH NURSE
“The clinical examples using the broader sociological lens made the course so much more relevant and of use to all clinicians. Will recommend it to all my colleagues and hope the rest of my team attends”
PsychIATRIST
"The highly skilled presenter with a wealth of knowledge and experience meant I could be confident in the content"
PSYCHOLOGIST
“Realise how much I failed to appreciate the significance of certain life events of rainbow clients I have worked with."
addiction worker
Highligthed to me how non inclusive our service is. Will be going back to work to advocate more strongly for out rainbow clients ”
COUNSELLOR
"Brilliant workshop. The content was easy to understand. It was so relevant and applicable to clinical practice. Will be using it to audit my service"
SERVICE MANAGER

The Sucide Closet: Effective suicide interventions for LGBTTIQA+ people

Suicide in Rainbow communities remains consistently high. Increase your understanding of what can be done to address the underlying reasons.
Recent studies show that mainstream services in New Zealand have not significantly improved in their service delivery to clients who are members of the rainbow communities (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Takatāpui, Transgender, Intersex, Queer, Asexual - LGBTTIQA+)
Many clinicians still fail to ask about gender or sexuality nor take into account the significance of these factors in assessing suicide risk.
Many LGBTTIQA+ people using mainstream services report feeling unsafe or that issues relating to their sexuality or gender are either stereotyped or misunderstood, adding extra stress in a time of acute distress.
Not all suicide risk factors are the same. Evidence shows that rainbow community members have additional factors that are particular their sexual or gender diverse identity that can negatively impact on their mental wellbeing, quality of life and influence their desire to live or die. It is essential that these factors are canvased and included in any assessment of suicide risk.
Learn how the impact of discrimination, heteronormative assumptions, unconscious bias, internalised homo/bi/trans phobia heightens suicide risk and can impact on the therapeutic relationship.
Studies have shown that for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, takatāpui, intersex, queer/questioning, asexual and people of other diverse sexual and gender identifications (LGBTTIQA+ people) suicida thinking, attempts and deaths are far more common than in the broader population. Transgender people have one of the highest risk of suicide among all subpopulations.
There are identified additional risk factors for suicide which often are far more influential in determining suicide therefore the use of a generic risk assessment tool may not assess accurately the suicide risk or acuity in an LGBTTIQA+ person.
This workshop provides participants the opportunity to gain insights and a theoretical analysis of the social and psychological determinants that influence suicide risk in LGBTTIQA+ people so to ensure that they undertake an accurate assessment.
Based on considered practice wisdom on working with LGBTTIQA+ people, the workshop will cover strategies that clinicians, counsellors or support workers need to consider when providing crisis intervention or longer-term counselling or support with LGBTTIQA+ people experiencing suicidal ideation or behaviour. It is essentials that workers have a good understanding of how hetero and gender normative assumptions and unconscious bias can impact on the therapeutic relationship. Evaluation of this workshop shows that attendance is of benefit for LGBTTIQA+ service providers and workers in mental health, addiction, primary health, social and community services, education, youth sectors. Clinicians and support workers in Te Whatu Ora, PHO, NGO, Kauapapa Māori and Pasifika mental health and addiction services, are strongly encouraged to attend. Topics covered:
  • Suicide in LGBTTIQA+ people – What is it and how is it explained
  • The role of social determinants in contributing to poor mental health outcomes and suicidality in LGBTTIQA+ people
  • Not all the same - an understanding of the intersectionality of age, gender, cultural differences and ableness in LGBTTIQA+ suicide
  • Risk and Protective Factors for suicide in LGBTTIQA+ people – Additional considerations when undertaking suicide risk assessment in LGBTTIQA+ people
  • Unconscious bias and heteronormative assumptions and the therapeutic relationship
  • Intervention and support - Issues to consider when working with LGBTTIQA+ people experiencing suicidal ideation or behaviour.

What others have said about the workshop

“Leaving even more determined to ensure my school is a safe place for our rainbow students”
SCHOOL Counsellor
“The easy to understand explanations of trans and intersex was most helpful and shed light on the experiences of groups that I knew little about”
CLINICAL Psychologist
“I wish there had been a course like this when I first started working in mental health. I have learnt so much”
SOCIAL WORKER
“One of the best trainings I have attended. Helped me greatly personally and professionally”
COUNSELLOR
“Your openness and style of presentation created a safe environment to ask questions and for honest group discussion.”
MENTAL HEALTH NURSE
"A lot to consider. Walking away with an extended viewpoint"
SUPPORT WORKER
Workshop DATEs 2024
Location
Date
Location
Date
3 July
15 May
4 September
7 August

Standing Strong:

Wellbeing for Rainbow Communities
Proud and thriving rainbow communities - Wellbeing workshops for rainbow communities
Designed specifically for those who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, takatāpui, transgender, intersex, queer, asexual and other expressions of diverse sexuality and gender. These practical workshops give insights into why we as LGBTTIQA+/Rainbow people experience more mental health issues, provides some practical suggestions about what we can to do to enhance our wellbeing and strategies to look after ourselves and others in our communities who are experiencing suicidal thinking, emotional distress, depression or anxiety.
These workshops are delivered on request. Make contact to discuss the possibility of having any of the workshops being delivered in your organisation or community. The workshop can be adapted to develop a tailor-made training programme to meet your community’s or organisation’s specific needs. The workshops can be delivered at weekends.
Email for Further Information

Proud and Thriving: Wellbeing for LGBTTIQA+ people

A two day participatory workshop for those who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, takatāpui, transgender, intersex, queer, asexual and other expressions of diverse sexuality and gender.
Our journeys to wellbeing as LGBTTIQA+ people can often take many different paths.
Like many others who have experienced marginalization or discrimination, we have had to navigate through ignorance, prejudice and at times hatred or violence in order for us to be true to ourselves.
These experiences can have a long term impact on how we see and value ourselves, the relationships we have and our overall wellbeing.
The over-representation of LGBTTIQA+ people in poor mental health and suicide statistics indicates that there is still much to be done to improve our wellbeing and resilience at both the individual and community levels.
Drawing on the a holistic model of wellbeing and using a critique of heteronormative models of wellbeing, the workshop provides an opportunity to discuss, share and learn about how we can incorporate wellbeing practices in our lives. Using narrative techniques we will make the links between our experience and internalizing of factors such as homo/trans phobia, how we experience perceptions of ourselves now and its impact on our wellbeing and the relationships in our lives.
Topics covered in the workshop:
  • A strength-based inclusive vision for wellbeing
  • Wellbeing for us as LGBTTIQA+ people – What do we need to maximise our wellbeing?
  • Proud and thriving – our journeys of coming into our true selves
  • Intersections of our lives – where sexuality, gender identity, culture, age and ableness meet
  • The journey to self-loving – the impact of internalised homo/trans phobia
  • Fearful no more – Navigating the world of homo / transphobia, personal and institutional discrimination
  • Victims no more – claiming our self determination
  • We are all just a little bit fucked – living and celebrating our flaws and living with others and cherishing their flaws – steps to healthy relationships
  • Minority stress – what is it and what we can do about it
  • Trauma: understanding the impact of trauma in our lives and strategies to respond to the trauma
  • Coming out related trauma
  • Hate speech and hate crime
  • Violence
  • Abuse
  • The Wheel of Wellbeing – Incorporating wellbeing practices into our daily life
Target Audience: Rainbow community members and leaders, friends, family and support people. Workshop Length: The workshop is best delivered as a 2 day workshop to allow the most for group participation and engaging in the process but can be delivered in a day

Rainbow Blues

Wellbeing strategies for rainbow community members living with depression
  • Increase your knowledge about depression and anxiety and how it impacts on a person’s well-being and their ability to function
  • Understand depression and anxiety from our lived experience of being lesbian, gay, bisexual, takatāpui, transgender, intersex, queer or asexual.
  • Be equipped with strategies on how to live with depression or anxiety
  • Feel more confident and competent in supporting someone who is depressed or has anxiety
While depression and anxiety are generally becoming a more common experience in people’s lives, for LGBTTIQA+/Rainbow people the rates of depression and anxiety are significantly higher.
For those experiencing the depression, their friends and partners, it can be a bewildering and frustrating time. This workshop provides some insights into understanding depression and anxiety, why it seems to affect more rainbow community members; helpful hints on living with depression and how to support someone who is depressed or has an anxiety disorder.Topics covered:
  • Sad, Miserable or Depressed: What’s the Difference Understanding Depression from rainbow perspective
  • Living our rainbow lives and the impacts on our mental wellbeing
  • Depressed but not defeated: Strategies for living with depression
  • Being there: Supporting those we care about who live with depression
Target Audience: LGBTTIQA+/Rainbow people who are living with depression and/or anxiety, along with their partners, friends, family and support people. Workshop Length: Minimum of three hours.

Our Lives Matter:

Rainbow action for preventing and responding to suicide in our communities
“Resilience reflects the extent to which communities are able to exercise informal social controls or come together to tackle common problems."
Rainbow people have higher lifetime risk for mental health problems including depression, anxiety, suicide and self-harm, substance misuse and eating disorders. Suicida thinking, attempts and deaths are far more common than in the broader population. Transgender people have one of the highest risk of suicide among all subpopulations. As with all complex sovial health issues impacting communities, evidence repeatedly shows that the most effectkve suicide prevention response is when the impacted rainbow communities take ownership of addressing suicide within our communities and coming up with the solutions the best work for the poeple in our communities. At the strategic level community leaders have been very effective in ensuring the voice and the needs of our communities have been in. cluded in national and regional suicide prevention initiatives. However it is just as vital that our communities have the capacity and capability to offer support and provide care to those who are suicidal. This workshop is designed to assist our communities in that task. Topics include:
  • Suicide in LGBTTIQA+ people – What is it and how is it explained
  • Local community leadership and action to address suicide
  • Facilitating safe and enabling conversations around suicide in our communities
  • Proactively responding to distress in our whānau, friends and members of our communities.
  • Compassionate changemaking - Ensuring aroha and manaakitanga is at the heart of our responses
  • When suicide occurs in our communities - Understanding suicide contagion and what we can do about it
Target Audience: Rainbow community leaders and others who have an interest in preventing suicide and improving the wellbeing outcomes in our communitiesWorkshop Length: Minimum 4 hours but 8 hours is optimsal

For Suicide Prevention & Mental Wellbeing Training. Mentoring or Poilcy Advice

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