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. 

For more information or to undertake a brief intake assessment, 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. 

LGBTQ+ Counselling

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 deal with 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 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 and income generated through fees. 

Substance Support (AOD) 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 work from a harm reduction approach to assist clients to reach their goals to manage use, reduce or quit. 

This service is offered in person 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 contact your nearest ACON office or to make an online enquiry complete the Intake form. 

This service is funded by Central and Eastern Sydney Primary Health Network and the NSW Ministry of Health. 

Care Coordination

We provide FREE and confidential care coordination support for people living with HIV. 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 three months to develop a care plan and provide support to help them achieve their goals. 

For more information or to undertake a brief intake assessment, please complete the Online Intake Form or contact your nearest ACON office. 

ACON’s HIV Support services are funded by the NSW Ministry of Health and Hunter New England LHD. 

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? 

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 contact your nearest ACON office or to make an online enquiry complete the Intake form. 

This service is proudly funded by the NSW Ministry of Health. 

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 specialities as we like to call it.

At ACON the Mental Health Peer Work Team offer two specialities:  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 specialities 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.

Home-Based Care

 1. ACCVS (Aged Care Volunteer Visitor Scheme) 

While loneliness and isolation can affect anyone’s mental health, the impact can be more severe for older people.  

ACON’s ACCVS aims to reduce social isolation and loneliness, and to build community connection for older LGBTQ+ community members. It does this by arranging volunteer visitors to our older community members to provide friendship and companionship.  

Our trained volunteer visitors provide peer connections, friendship and support to older LGBTQ+ folk. Some activities could include home visits, chat over a cuppa, listen to music, watch a movie or participate in a hobby, game or other activity. 

ACON’s ACCVS is a FREE service that is funded to operate across the Greater Sydney area.  

This program is available to recipients of Australian Government subsidised Home Care Packages or Residential Aged Care Facility. 

The service is proudly funded by the Commonwealth Department of Health. 

2. Community Support Network 

For more than 30 years our Community Support Network (CSN) program has supported the quality of life, independence, and choices of people living with HIV in New South Wales.  

CSN provides FREE practical assistance to help people living with HIV live as independently as possible in their own homes.  

This program is available to people who have a diagnosis of physical or cognitive impairment as a result of, or in the presence of, HIV infection resulting in impaired capacity for independent living. 

CSN has trained volunteers that offer services around 

• basic cleaning 
• gardening 
• grocery shopping 

• doing the laundry 
• meal preparation  
• transport to and from medical appointments 

If you are interested or would like to refer someone to ACON’s CSN program, please complete the Online Intake Form or email hbcare@acon.org.au or visit your nearest ACON office. 

ACON’s CSN service is funded by the NSW Ministry of Health.  

How to get involved with Home Based Care: 

Recipients: 

If you are interested or would like to refer someone to ACON’s CVS or CSN program please complete the Intake form or email hbcare@acon.org.au or your nearest ACON office. 

A Client Service Officer from the Home-based Care team will undertake an intake assessment and discuss your eligibility and suitability for the programs.  

Potential volunteers: 

If you would like to volunteer for ACON’s CVS or CSN program, please complete the form  at Volunteer at ACON or email hbcare@acon.org.au for any queries.  

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. 

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.