BCHS Quality of care 2024 digital - Flipbook - Page 30
HEADSPACE
HEY Diversity program
HEY Diversity is an initiative
aimed at improving the
mental health and wellbeing
of LGBTIQA+ young people.
Our HEY Diversity worker runs
activities, events and education
sessions as well as facilitating
support groups.
A busy year saw an increase
in requests for LGBTIQA+
101 training, with 21 sessions
delivered to three headspace
centres in the Loddon Mallee
region; three sessions to social
workers and staff at Bendigo
Health; as well as other sessions
at State Trustees, NDIS providers,
the headspace national graduate
program and many other Bendigo
organisations. An evaluation by
CERSH of the three headspace
trainings showed excellent
feedback.
“All participants reported an increase in knowledge and:
Events and programs
•
Wear It Purple Day: Our young
people participated in four
panels for the Department of
Families, Fairness and Housing;
Spiire; State Trustees; and the
City of Greater Bendigo Council.
•
Trans Day of Remembrance:
In collaboration with others,
we set up an art installation
at Charring Cross to raise
awareness and remember trans
and gender diverse lives lost.
•
Bendigo Easter Parade: Falling
on Trans Day of Visibility, more
than 50 members walked in the
parade with our PRIDE dragon.
•
Frogs and tadpoles:
Held weekly.
•
YPARC: Held fortnightly.
•
Parent support group:
Still runs with the LGBTI Carers
Project set to go for another
12 months.
•
headspace National Forum:
Our HEY Diversity worker
presented at the annual
conference in Brisbane in the
Gender Affirming Care section.
65% strongly agreed their sexual health knowledge increased.
60% strongly agreed their LGBTIQA+ health knowledge increased.
90% of participants believed they were given ideas they could
implement into their own headspace centres.
65% of participants were very satisfied with the delivery of the session.”
883 young people accessed the program
92 diversity group sessions
16 parent support group sessions
49 community events, reaching 20,180 people
24 training sessions, reaching 693 participants
Hey Maree, we’re proud of you!
When Maree Dixon convened the
first headspace support session
for parents and carers of trans and
gender diverse young people in
Bendigo eight years ago, she wasn’t
sure if it was only going to be the
manager, her husband and herself
attending.
“That wasn’t the case at all,” she
said. “We had a room full of parents
and carers. I knew then how much
this group was needed.”
Since then, the group has continued
to meet twice a month – once for
specific support, and once for a
meal out, helping smooth the path
for – and celebrate the lives of –
local LGBTIQA+ young people and
their families.
“My name is Maree and I use she/
they pronouns,” is how Maree
introduces herself. “I have an
amazing supportive husband, and
we have a beautiful trans daughter
who we are extremely proud of.”
Maree said when they first moved
to Bendigo, she didn’t hear much
about the Queer community, until
it affected her personally.
“I started to do a lot of research
and learning to build up my
knowledge and skills,” she said.
“There wasn’t really a lot here at
the time and it felt rather lonely,
not knowing where to go or who to
talk to.”
Maree is now the all-smiling,
all-loving, all-embracing HEY
30
Diversity worker
at headspace
Bendigo and
presented on
Bendigo’s unique
support offerings
at the national
forum in May
2024.
“With the introduction of the Pride
Festival and other events, Bendigo
has become such a welcoming and
inclusive place to live and work,”
she said.
“I love being part of the Queer
community here, from volunteering,
to attending the events, meeting
new people, making new friends
and making life-long connections
with my chosen family. It really is a
great place to be, and I have found
my tribe.”
