We’re here to help LGBTQ+ people and people with HIV take control of their mental health by providing a range of counselling services and a care coordination program for people with complex needs.
Information
Mental Health Basics
While many sexuality and gender diverse people live happy, healthy and productive lives, there are a range of preventable experiences of mental distress which affect a disproportionate number of people in the LGBTQ+ communities compared to the general population.
According to La Trobe University’s Private Lives 3 study, our communities report much higher rates of mental health challenges, particularly depression and anxiety, high and very high levels of psychological distress as well as suicidal ideation and suicide attempts, than is observed in studies of the general population in Australia. Within our communities, trans people experience higher rates of distress than cisgender people, and pansexual and bisexual people tend to report higher levels of distress than those who identify as gay or lesbian.
TransHub is a digital information and resource destination for all trans people, loved ones, allies and health providers, and has more information on mental health and trans and gender diverse people.
Suicide Prevention Resource
HERE.org.au is ACON’s digital hub for information on suicide and situational distress, connecting people of diverse gender and sexuality, their loved ones, and service providers in NSW to care, support, and resources.
HERE.org.au includes links to services and contact options for 24/7 crisis care, mental health and support services. Where possible we have included insights into what to expect when reaching out to these services, and where to find trans-affirming, cultural and community support.
HERE.org.au offers practical information and resources for our communities to better understand and talk about suicide, how to stay safe and find care options and how to take care of somebody else that is experiencing thoughts and feelings of suicide.
‘Dealing With Stress and Anxiety During COVID-19’ Resource
The outbreak of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) may lead to stress and anxiety for some of us. Feeling overwhelmed by strong emotions during times like these is totally understandable. Coping with distress and fear in a healthy way will help ensure that you, your loved ones and everyone in our communities stay strong and resilient during this time. To assist our communities, we’ve developed a resource on how to deal with stress and anxiety during COVID-19.
Dealing With Stress During COVID-19 PDF
How To Rise Above The Noise Of The “Religious Freedoms” Debate Resource
In light of the likely emotional distress being caused by the harmful debate surrounding “religious freedoms”, ACON has put together support resources that we hope will help everyone within our communities, particularly LGBTIQ people of colour and of faith, who may find themselves most vulnerable to hate speech at this time.
You can download the full-sized resources below:
Trans and Strong Resource
Trans and Strong Text-Only PDF
More support and information for trans and gender diverse people, allies, and health providers can be found at TransHub.
Trans Vitality
Trans Vitality is ACON’s resilience-building program for all trans adults in NSW – binary and non-binary. Trans Vitality focusses on trans people supporting trans people, and centres self-determination, autonomy and agency, while uplifting trans voices.
A Resilience Toolkit is one part of Trans Vitality and it includes information, activities and resources to help build resilience, community connection, an understanding of our history, and a powerful imagining of our futures.
Trans Vitality also includes virtual peer workshops and online community training, an eLearning on trans-affirming practice, this Toolkit and a full evaluation, gratefully funded by NSW Health.
While we know that trans liberation depends on the structural reforms needed to enable trans people to live free and equal in every community we are part of, the path to trans liberation also needs strong, connected and resilient trans people.
Summer Holiday Safety Tips
We’ve put together a three-part guide to help our LGBTQ+ communities have the best and safest Summer holiday period possible. There are guides offering handy and practical tips on how to manage:
The Rainbow Mental Health Lived Experience Network
How can the Rainbow Mental Health Lived Experience Network engage with your organisation?
People across NSW have called for our mental health and social services to be centred on the people who use them. To achieve this, we must embrace the participation, influence and leadership of people with lived experience of mental distress in service design, delivery, monitoring, reporting, research, evaluation and improvement activities.
As a network of individuals with lived experience of mental distress, The Rainbow Mental Health Lived Experience Network gives the broader mental health sector an increased capacity to engage with people of diverse genders and sexualities in processes of service co-design, consultation work, and focus groups. There is a fee for service; network members are paid for their time.
Our Lived Experience Network can help with:
- Consumer/client consultations
- Focus group testing
- Feedback on resources and materials
- Provide their experiences and ideas for service improvement
- Guest speaker engagements
What is the Rainbow Mental Health Lived Experience Network?
The Rainbow Mental Health Network is a group of sexuality and gender diverse individuals with lived experience of mental distress. The Network currently comprises 32 people from across NSW, including Sydney, Western Sydney, Hunter, South Coast, Northern Rivers and Murrumbidgee regions. The network can be engaged in person, by phone, or online.
How was the Rainbow Mental Health Lived Experience Network established?
People of diverse sexualities and genders experience higher levels of preventable mental distress than other population groups due to minority stress, the cumulative experience of violence, stigma, harassment and invisibility.
With seed funding provided by the Mental Health Commission NSW, in 2019 ACON trained a group of sexuality and gender diverse people with lived experience of mental distress to advocate and represent their communities, with a goal to shift mental health service cultures and assumptions. The Rainbow Mental Health Lived Experience Network was formed.
Get in contact
You can engage the Rainbow Mental Health Lived Experience Network by contacting Samara Shehata, the Program Coordinator for Mental Health Programs at ACON: sshehata@acon.org.au
Download the Rainbow Mental Health Lived Experience Network flyer here
We’re With You: Looking Out for Our Mental Health
LGBTQ people have a long history of caring and looking out for each other. As we’ve weathered the storm of a difficult year, looking out for each other’s mental health is crucial. We spoke to community members about their mental health this year and how they care for each other while caring for themselves.
Find out more about our We’re With You mental health campaign here.
Informing the direction of ACON’s online suicide prevention hub: a review
We are proud to share the recent published report, Informing the direction of ACON’s online suicide prevention hub: a review. Gadigal, Sydney, Australia.
ACON has been funded by the New South Wales (NSW) Ministry of Health Towards Zero Suicides initiative that aims to reduce the rate of suicides across the state.
This scoping review examines the current literature on suicide, suicidality and suicide prevention, and presents the disparities of suicidality between LGBTQ+ individuals and the general population. The review also considers the intersectional needs within the community, outlining the risk and protective factors for the broader LGBTQ+ community, and specific factors for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, with focus on Sistergirls and Brotherboys and other trans mob, the trans and gender diverse communities, people living with disability or long-term health conditions, and LGBTQ+ people from culturally, linguistically and ethnically diverse, migrant, and refugee backgrounds, and people of colour.
The evidence provided in this scoping review has informed the codesign and creation of HERE.org.au for our communities, which launched on Thursday 10 November 2022 and compiles existing and emerging information about suicide for the LGBTQ+ community.
Services
HIV Support Counselling
We provide FREE and confidential counselling to anyone aged 18 years or older living with or affected by HIV including partners, family members and friends. This includes priority follow up for anyone with a recent diagnosis within the past two years and for people seeking HIV prevention information.
The service provides short term (up to 12 sessions) counselling to assist people to manage their health and wellbeing. Counsellors use a solution focused model drawing on a range of approaches to best meet the needs of individuals and couples.
Our Counsellors work in Sydney, Lismore and Newcastle. The service can also be accessed via phone or telehealth.
For more information or to undertake a brief intake assessment, please complete the Online Intake Form or contact your nearest ACON office.
This service is funded by the NSW Ministry of Health.
LGBTQ+ Counselling and Support
We provide low-cost confidential short-term counselling (up to 12 sessions) for sexuality and gender diverse people aged 18 years or older seeking support for their mental health and wellbeing.
Fully qualified volunteer counsellors in Sydney use a solution focused model and a range of other therapeutic approaches to support people to manage life’s challenges. We also provide a limited number of places with our employed counsellors in the regional offices.
This service is a low-cost option prioritised for people seeking counselling support who are not eligible for Medicare or have limited resources to access private options. Fees for this service are negotiated according to individual circumstances.
LGBTQ+ counselling is available via telehealth or in person (in Surry Hills) on Tuesday and Thursday evenings. For appointment options in regional NSW please contact the relevant office.
This service is not suitable for:
- People who use violence
- People with unmanaged mental illness
- People concerned about their substance use
For more information or to undertake a brief intake assessment, please complete the Online Intake Form or contact your nearest ACON office.
This service is funded by the NSW Ministry of Health and income generated through fees.
Substance Support Counselling
We provide FREE and confidential short-term counselling (up to 12 sessions) for people living with HIV and LGBTQ+ people aged 18 years and older seeking support in relation to their use of alcohol and other drugs. We also offer short term counselling support to people who are concerned about the drug and alcohol use of an LGBTQ+ family (chosen or biological) member, partner, friend or other loved one.
We work from a harm reduction approach to assist clients to reach their goals to manage use, reduce or quit.
This service is offered face to face in Sydney. It is also available via telehealth for people living in Sydney or across regional NSW.
For more information or to undertake a brief intake assessment, please complete the Online Intake Form or contact your nearest ACON office.
This service is funded by Central and Eastern Sydney Primary Health Network and the NSW Ministry of Health.
Suicide Prevention Peer Work
Peer Work is a non-clinical alternative support based on mutual lived experience of suicidal crisis mental health challenges.
ACON now offers confidential, free and state-wide peer support for LGBTQ+ people aged 18 years or older seeking support for experiencing mental distress, suicidal thoughts or following a suicide attempt.
Our Peer Workers have lived experience of mental distress and can connect with you through their own previous challenges. They provide non-clinical support as an alternative to, or in addition to ACON’s other services.
Our peer workers can help people:
- Experiencing mental distress
- Experiencing suicidal thoughts
- Following a suicide attempt
Peer Workers typically offer support to clients over 3 months.
This service can take place online or via phone anywhere in NSW or face-to-face in Sydney (Surry Hills) or Newcastle.
For more information or to undertake a brief intake assessment, please complete the Online Intake Form or contact your nearest ACON office.
ACON’s Suicide Prevention and Aftercare services are proudly funded by the NSW Ministry of Health.
Suicide Prevention and Aftercare
Are you finding yourself thinking or recovering from suicidal thoughts or self-harm?
Have you recently been discharged from hospital after a suicide attempt?
Are you concerned about LGBTQ+ loved one?
Would you like further support?
We offer a FREE and confidential suicide prevention and aftercare service comprising non-judgmental short term care coordination support for sexuality and gender diverse people aged over 18 years of age.
- This service is for people who have recently made a suicide attempt or at high risk of suicide.
- The service operates during business hours only. For more information contact our intake officer on 9206 2000 or email intake@acon.org.au
For support outside of business hours or for crisis support please contact:
- Emergency assistance: (triple zero) 000
- Lifeline: 13 11 14
- Suicide Call Back Service: 1300 659 467
- NSW Mental Health Access Line: 1800 011 511
- QLife: 1800 184 527
- Kids Helpline: 1800 043 470
This service is funded by the NSW Ministry of Health for Sydney and South Eastern Sydney LHDs and St Vincent’s Health Network regions.
Suicide Prevention Counselling and Care Coordination
Are you finding yourself thinking or recovering from suicidal thoughts or self-harm?
Have you recently been discharged from hospital after a suicide attempt?
We provide a FREE, confidential and state-wide suicide prevention and aftercare service comprising non-judgmental short-term care coordination and counselling support for LGBTQ+ people aged over 18 years of age living in NSW.
This service is for people who are currently experiencing thoughts of suicide or who have recently made a suicide attempt
For more information or to undertake a brief intake assessment, please complete the Online Intake Form or contact your nearest ACON office.
ACON’s Suicide Prevention and Aftercare services are proudly funded by the NSW Ministry of Health.
Care Coordination
We provide FREE and confidential care coordination support for people living with HIV and sexuality and gender diverse people aged 18 years and older with multiple and/or complex needs. Our Care Coordinators are allied health professionals who can help people to:
- Access relevant healthcare and support services
- Increase their ability to manage their care and treatment
- Reduce social isolation
Needs may relate to:
- HIV or sexual health
- Mental health
- Alcohol and/or drug use
- Housing
- Family/domestic violence
- Finances
- Legal
Care coordinators typically work with clients over 3 months to develop a care plan and provide support to help them achieve their goals.
Priority is given to people living with HIV, and people at risk or affected by HIV.
For more information or to undertake a brief intake assessment, please complete the Online Intake Form or contact your nearest ACON office.
This service is funded by the NSW Ministry of Health and Hunter New England LHD.
Mental Health Peer Work
What is Mental Health Peer Work?
Mental Health Peer work is a form of specialist mental health support, provided by a person who shares a lived experience with a client. Lived experience is an umbrella term that captures a diverse range of experiences or specialties as we like to call it.
At ACON the Mental Health Peer Work Team offer two specialties: Suicide Prevention and Trans mental health wellbeing. Peer Workers support clients by drawing on their own lived experience to provide collaborative non-clinical mentorship, advocacy, system navigation support, community connection, and solidarity.
Our Peer Team has a collective 20 years of professional experience and many of them have extensive experience of advocating and supporting people within their own community networks. They aim to walk alongside you, working with and not for. They staunchly believe in the concept of nothing about me without me. As they acknowledge that they gain valuable insight and wisdom from those that they work with every day.
Peer work is not a replacement for other mental health supports such as counselling, psychology and is not about psychological intervention or treatment. But rather another type of support that often works well alongside traditional mental health supports, for wraparound care.
Outside the specialties offered our Peer Workers may share a lived experience of:
- Complex mental health
- Complex trauma
- Institutionalisation
- AOD use
- Homelessness
- D&FV
- Disability and/or chronic health issues
- Neurodiversity
Peer Workers typically offer support to clients over 3 months.
This service can take place online or via phone anywhere in NSW or face-to-face in Sydney (Surry Hills) or Newcastle.
Is there specific lived experience/s that you would like to share with your worker?
For more information or to connect with the intake team, please contact your nearest ACON office or to make an online enquiry complete the Intake form.
This service is funded by the NSW Ministry of Health.
For support outside of business hours or for crisis support please contact:
- Emergency assistance: (triple zero) 000
- Lifeline: 13 11 14
- Suicide Call Back Service: 1300 659 467
- NSW Mental Health Access Line: 1800 011 511
- QLife (3pm to midnight): 1800 184 527
- Beyond Blue 1300 224 636
- Kids Helpline: 1800 043 470
- Rainbow Sexual, Domestic & Family Violence Service Help Line: 1800 385 578
- Alcohol and Drug Information Service: 1800 250 015
- TransHub – transhub.org.au
- Pivot Point – pivotpoint.org.au
Trans Peer Support
Peer Work is a non-clinical alternative support based on mutual lived experience.
ACON now offers confidential, free and state-wide trans peer support for people aged 18 years or older who are trans, gender diverse or questioning their gender.
Our trans peers have a trans or gender diverse lived and living experience, and recovery from mental ill health or suicidal crisis. They can connect with you through their own previous challenges, providing non-clinical support as an alternative to, or in addition to ACON’s other services.
Our trans peer workers can help people:
- Who may be questioning their gender or who want to better understand their gender
- Seeking support to access and navigate gender-affirming care
By providing mental health support by reflecting intentionally and thoughtfully on their lived experience to guide you through life’s challenges
Peer Workers typically offer support to clients over 3 months.
This service can take place online or via phone anywhere in NSW or face-to-face in Sydney (Surry Hills) or Newcastle.
For more information or to undertake a brief intake assessment, please complete the Online Intake Form or contact your nearest ACON office.
ACON’s Trans Mental Health and Wellbeing service is proudly funded by the NSW Ministry of Health.
Trans Counselling and Care Coordination
We provide a FREE, confidential and state-wide trans Counselling and Care Coordination service comprising non-judgmental short-term care coordination and counselling support for trans and gender diverse people and people questioning their gender living, aged 18 years and older living in NSW.
This service takes a trauma-informed approach to support individuals is for people who are currently experiencing thoughts of suicide or who have recently made a suicide attempt.
For more information or to undertake a brief intake assessment, please complete the Online Intake Form or contact your nearest ACON office.
ACON’s Trans Mental Health and Wellbeing service is proudly funded by the NSW Ministry of Health.
