LGBT Youth Suicide Prevention Project Opening Doors

1. LGBT Youth Suicide Prevention ProjectOpening Doors Open Doors Youth Service Inc. Sally Morris Suicide Prevention Project Worker 3 Julia St, Fortitude Valley, Qld 4006 suicideprevention@opendoors.net.au www.opendoors.net.au (07) 3257 7660 Project funded by Queensland Department of Communities

2. Workshop Aims • To gain awareness of the needs and experiences of LGBT young people • To identify local supports that are available and accessible to LGBT young people and identify the gaps in available supports • To consider different types of support structures that will suit this community • To establish a local working group that will work towards providing safe places and accessible services to LGBT young people • To create strong local networks that will support services working with LGBT young people

3. Project Values • All young people have the right to be themselves & express their unique sexual & gender identity • All young people have the right to be safe and to be kept from harm • All young people have the right to have access to education • All young people have the right to have access to health information and health services • All young people have the right to have access to support and support services • All young people have the right to form healthy friendships and relationships • All LGBT young people have a right to participate fully in the life of Queensland

4. 5 Questions • Everyone has a piece of paper with 5 questions on it. • Answer the first question, fold over your answer, and pass the piece of paper on to the person on your left. • Answer the second question on this new piece of paper, fold over your answer, and pass the piece of paper on to the person on your left. • Keep going until you have answered all 5 questions. • No looking at previous answers!

5. Let’s try on some other peoples shoes • For the rest of the morning you are this young person. • You are a young person who lives in this community. • Think about what you might experience as this young person.

6. What we are taught… • We are taught to be heterosexual • We are not taught how to be gay • We are taught not to be gay

7. The Journey of Identity Formation • Identity Confusion - This is the "who am I?" stage, associated with feelings of difference and personal alienation. Begins to be conscious of same-sex feelings or behaviors. “I might not be 100% straight.” “I am different to everyone else” • “Identity Comparison - Rationalising and bargaining stage. Questioning what these feelings mean and possible futures. Great deal of isolation. “If I am gay, what does that mean for me?” “Does this fit with who and what I am supposed to be?” Viv Cass Gay and Lesbian Identity Development Model (1979)

8. The Journey of Identity Formation • Identity Tolerance May begin to meet other LGBT individuals to counter loneliness, but merely tolerates rather than accepts identity. “I am gay, what are other gay people like? Is this me?” “Where do I fit?” • Identity Acceptance - Continued and increased contact with other LGBT individuals. More positive view of other gays and lesbians. Greater sense of belonging and identity. “I am gay, that’s ok” Life can become a gay bubble or split heterosexual/gay life to balance responsibilities. Viv Cass Gay and Lesbian Identity Development Model (1979)

9. The Journey of Identity Formation • Identity Pride - Greater feeling of "these are my people." Begins to see incongruity between pride in identity and societal rejection. More involvement and immersion into culture and lifestyle. Often intense anger at heterosexuals - a "them" and "us" attitude. • Identity Synthesis - Begins to see less of a dichotomy between heterosexual and homosexual worlds. Less anger. The gay/lesbian identity becomes an integral part of the individual's complete personality structure. Viv Cass Gay and Lesbian Identity Development Model (1979)

10. Let’s take these shoes for a walk • What impact do heterosexist and homophobic messages have on how you might view yourself? • How might these messages impact on your journey through identity formation to form a positive self image? • Who might fare better or worse? • Why? Why not?

11. Homophobia • If your sexuality doesn’t match what is being taught this is a traumatic experience, and there is a journey that needs to be taken for LGBT people to have a positive identity • Negative cultural messages about sexual differences are often assumed by LGBT young people as part of their self-image, resulting in a sense of shame, guilt and self-loathing. • Homophobia is a barrier to self acceptance and developing a positive self image • Each individuals experience will be different • The environment around a person impacts significantly on identity formation, and how LGBT young people feel about themselves in the early stages of realisation. • Cultural, gender, religious, disability etc. difference also effects an individuals experience of identity formation.

12. Homophobia • Positive gay role models, other out people who have been accepted, a school which promotes diversity, supports use gender neutral terms Verses • No gay role models, reinforcement of gay stereotypes, regularly hearing homophobic messages, silence about homosexuality, rigid religious beliefs, cultural barriers, disability

13. Let’s take these shoes for a walk • Who is visible as being gay? • Who is experiencing isolation? • What are the impacts of this? • Who has a positive role model? • Who has access to positive support?

14. Invisibility and Isolation • Invisibility of gay people is a silent form of homophobia. • Research indicates that most suicide attempts occur before a young person ‘comes out’ to others as gay. • In other words, the young people most at risk are not necessarily identifiable and indeed may be going to great lengths to remain invisible. • Invisibility is compounded by other forms of difference, such as culture or disability.

15. Let’s take these shoes for a walk • Who is experiencing bullying or violence? • Where is this occurring? • What messages does this give to other young people? • Who would be at risk of bullying/violence if they came out? • Who would feel safe to disclose their sexuality?

16. Bullying and Violence • Bullying and violence are visual forms of homophobia. • Those who do not conform to gender and sexuality norms are more likely to experience bullying and violence including verbal, physical and sexual abuse. • Young people are most likely to experience this at school, with young men most likely to be targeted.

17. Let’s take these shoes for a walk • Who thinks that they (as your alter ego) could be at risk of suicide? • Why? Why not? • What are your protective factors?

18. Suicide • LGBT young people are at much higher risk of suicide due to a variety of experiences including isolation, bullying, violence and a lack of support. • Protective Factors: • supportive family and friends • social connectedness • supportive environments and sensitive support people • positive role models • local service delivery • supports who respond to homophobia

19. It’s important to be yourself because….

20. Morning Tea 15 minutes How and where can LGBT young people feel safe to be themselves?

21. What would we like to see for LGBT young people in this community?

22. What are we already doing to support LGBT young people to feel safe to be themselves?

23. What are the gaps in service delivery?

24. What are the barriers to working with LGBT young people in this community?

25. Being an Advocate for LGBT Young People • Break up into small groups. • What are your top 3 concerns about providing support to LGBT young people?

26. Being an Advocate for LGBT Young People • Swap your list of concerns with another group. • What are some possible solutions to these concerns?

27. Safe Places for LGBT Young People • Break up into 4 small groups. • Each group has a case study of a model of delivery for an LGBT group. • Discuss 3 pros and 3 cons of this model if it were to be implemented in this community.

29. Safe Places for LGBT Young People • Which aspects of these models of support would suit this community and its LGBT young people?

30. Safe Places for LGBT Young People • Which meets the needs of the community and fills the identified gaps?

31. Safe Places for LGBT Young People • Which ensures safety and confidentiality of the young people participating?

32. Safe Places for LGBT Young People • What can we do with what resources we do have?

33. Safe Places for LGBT Young People • What space would suit you (your alter ego)?

34. What needs to be thought about before creating a safe space? Safe Places for LGBT Young People

35. Target Group • Target Group • Age group • Under 18s • Over 18s • Lower age group • Mixing different age groups • Rigid verses flexible • Gender • Cultural groups

36. Location and Venue • The location of a activity can occur in numerous places, including • youth service • health service • café • park • virtual spaces • Before deciding upon a venue, the safety of the young people must be considered, taking into account: • Who else uses that space? • Would the young people be vulnerable to others who may be abusive or prejudiced? • Would the young people be vulnerable to older people who may wish to take advantage of them? • Will the activities annoy other people who use that space? • Would the young people want to access that space? • Is there regular and reliable transport?

37. Supervision • Local Working Group members • Staff members of local service providers • Volunteers who are deemed appropriate • Number of staff supervising • Role of staff members • Roster systems • It is essential that any service provider or volunteer supervising the safe place possess a current Blue Card

38. Confidentiality • Risk of exposure can stop young people from participating. • Significant consequences if the sexuality or gender identity of a young person is divulged without their knowledge or consent. • Implementation of a confidentiality or privacy policy. • Discussing the identity of young people to participate in any planned activities without their prior consent.

39. Safety and Risk Management • LGBT young people often have numerous risk factors that increase their vulnerability. • The safety of participants should be taken into consideration when creating a structure and planning activities, including: • young people travelling to and from the group/service • supporting young people to make safety plans re: coming out and existing bullying • minimise risk of the young people being exploited by adults involved • advertising location of space • monitoring who attends the space

40. Promotion • Posters • Flyers/brochures • Contact with key referral pathways • School Based Youth Nurses • Guidance counsellors • Youth services • Health Services • Centrelink social workers

41. Resources • Resources and information should be made available to young people participating in the safe place. • Resources created by Open Doors can be ordered by emailing admin@opendoors.net.au or phoning (07) 3257 7660. • Numerous additional downloadable resources and links to relevant organisations can be found at www.opendoors-youthservice.org

42. Funding • Grants of up to $5000 are available from Queensland Association of Healthy Communities, Healthy Community Fund for initiatives that promote the health & wellbeing of LGBT Queenslanders. • Application forms can be found at www.qahc.org.au/fund

43. Afternoon Tea15 minutes

44. Local Working Group • A group of local service providers working together towards developing and implementing effective and specific solutions for LGBT young people of the local community • To help local service providers who provide support to LGBT young people to be connected, informed and supported. • Local Working Group Guide

45. Local Working Group - Goals • To promote diversity and reduce isolation, homophobia and discrimination in organisations, schools and the community generally. • To develop and implement approaches to working with LGBT young people, including spaces where LGBT young people can feel safe to be themselves. • To support the ongoing maintenance of LGBT safe spaces. • To encourage and support local services to become more accessible and meet the needs of LGBT young people. • To provide support to services and individuals who are working with LGBT young people. • To encourage collaborative working relationships between organisations throughout the community in the design and delivery of support to LGBT young people. • To distribute information and resources about sexuality and gender identity to local service providers.

46. Local Working Group - Roles • The group will nominate a member to act as convener for meeting purposes. • The convener will be responsible for: • arranging meeting times and locations that are convenient to the majority of participants • communicating with members about meetings, decisions, plans and progress • communicating with the Suicide Prevention Project Worker at Open Doors about meetings, decisions, plans and progress • facilitating discussions at meetings • ensuring that participants are suitable for membership and act in accordance with the values and purpose of the project. • The group is able to determine and approve the need for further designated roles, such as minute taker, resource collector and distributer, funding seeker, etc.

47. Local Working Group - Responsibilities • To ensure that the safety and privacy of LGBT young people is maintained. • To hold regular meetings to plan how to establish and maintain a safe place for LGBT young people. • To consult with the community about what is to be implemented. • To make informed decisions about what to implement. • To carry out decisions and implement support structures. • To consult with the Open Doors Youth Service Suicide Prevention Project Worker about plans, recommendations and activities. • To regularly seek advice/guidance/feedback from the Suicide Prevention Project worker.

48. Local Working Group – Communication • Meetings • Meetings should be held every month. • It is expected that members of the Local Working Group attend meetings and participate in the discussion of plans and decision-making. • With Local Working Group members • Members of the Local Working Group should be kept informed about meetings, plans and progress via an email list or forum. • With Suicide Prevention Project worker • The Open Doors Suicide Prevention Project worker should be included in any communication and be informed about meetings, plans and progress throughout the length of the project (currently until August 2009).

49. Local Working Group – Support • The Open Doors Suicide Prevention Project Worker will: • Remain in regular contact with the Local Working Group and other local service providers who are supporting LGBT young people and provide guidance, support, information and assistance where possible. • Provide the community with relevant LGBT resources and information. • Promote the project and participation in the project to the community. • Open Doors Service Providers website (www.opendoors-youthservice.org) will provide access to: • Service Providers Network • Service Providers Forum • downloadable resources including posters, brochures and pamphlets • relevant research papers • links to relevant LGBT organisations and support structures throughout Queensland and Australia

50. Local Working Group – Membership • Membership should reflect a mix of individuals with relevant skills and expertise from across the community, including • local youth and welfare services • local health services • local schools and education support staff • LGBT young people • Other relevant agencies that provide support to young people • All members of the Local Working Group shall accept and act in accordance with the project’s values and purpose. • It is highly recommended that participants hold a Blue Card.