Rainbow Recovery: Mind Australia’s Co-Designed, Peer-Led Recovery College for LGBTIQ+ Young People
Tracks
Norfolk Hall
| Tuesday, March 21, 2023 |
| 1:40 PM - 2:00 PM |
Overview
Shay Eliot, Mind Australia
Speaker
Shay Eliot
Project Lead - Rainbow Recovery
Mind Australia
Rainbow Recovery: Mind Australia’s Co-Designed, Peer-Led Recovery College for LGBTIQ+ Young People
Abstract
Sixty-four percent of LGBTQIA+ young people report a diagnosis of mental ill health at some time in their life, and 70% of this group used mental health support in the past year.
Mind's research and consultation with service users as part of the Victorian Royal Commission identified significant service gaps for young people who identify as LGBTIQA+ or are exploring their sex, sexuality and/or gender identity. These people expressed feeling alone and unable to speak to others. Without access to peer networks and formal support, these experiences can severely impact a young person's mental health.
Rainbow Recovery addresses this key gap, which is the lack of safe culturally appropriate services, and meeting the psychosocial recovery needs of the LGBTIQA+ community, through a co-designed peer-led intervention.
Rainbow Recovery is based on Mind’s innovative evidence-backed Recovery College™. This brings education and mental health recovery together where people can build their knowledge and well-being skills in a safe, collaborative, therapeutic, and educational setting.
Rainbow Recovery allows young people to explore LGBTIQA+ topics and to develop a solution to support themselves and others to navigate the discrimination and stigma experienced by young people in relation to LGBTIQA+ sexualities, identities, and mental health.
Rainbow Recovery has been co-designed to achieve:
-A safe space to think about and discuss LGBTIQA+ topics.
-A practical guide to alleviating isolation, building social connection, self-acceptance, confidence and empowerment.
-Destigmatising mental health difficulties.
Rainbow Recovery aims to improve mental health and wellbeing, build resilience and capacity of clients to manage factors related to their sexualities and genders, and strengthen connections with other LGBTIQA+ people.
Rainbow Recovery aims to engage young people in developing a practical response to assist other young people in similar situations; by alleviating the immediate isolation and providing an opportunity to be solution-focused through a co-design, peer-led process.
Mind's research and consultation with service users as part of the Victorian Royal Commission identified significant service gaps for young people who identify as LGBTIQA+ or are exploring their sex, sexuality and/or gender identity. These people expressed feeling alone and unable to speak to others. Without access to peer networks and formal support, these experiences can severely impact a young person's mental health.
Rainbow Recovery addresses this key gap, which is the lack of safe culturally appropriate services, and meeting the psychosocial recovery needs of the LGBTIQA+ community, through a co-designed peer-led intervention.
Rainbow Recovery is based on Mind’s innovative evidence-backed Recovery College™. This brings education and mental health recovery together where people can build their knowledge and well-being skills in a safe, collaborative, therapeutic, and educational setting.
Rainbow Recovery allows young people to explore LGBTIQA+ topics and to develop a solution to support themselves and others to navigate the discrimination and stigma experienced by young people in relation to LGBTIQA+ sexualities, identities, and mental health.
Rainbow Recovery has been co-designed to achieve:
-A safe space to think about and discuss LGBTIQA+ topics.
-A practical guide to alleviating isolation, building social connection, self-acceptance, confidence and empowerment.
-Destigmatising mental health difficulties.
Rainbow Recovery aims to improve mental health and wellbeing, build resilience and capacity of clients to manage factors related to their sexualities and genders, and strengthen connections with other LGBTIQA+ people.
Rainbow Recovery aims to engage young people in developing a practical response to assist other young people in similar situations; by alleviating the immediate isolation and providing an opportunity to be solution-focused through a co-design, peer-led process.
Biography
Shay Eliot is Project Lead of Rainbow Recovery at Mind Australia providing support for LGBTIQA+ young people through the innovative Youth Mind Recovery College program. They have extensive experience in collective and effective support services in the mental health and education sectors in Australia and overseas for over 15 years. Shay is strongly committed to providing inclusive support, having worked with vulnerable people and communities in a variety of settings. They have lived experience of mental ill-health and recovery, and identify in the LGBTIQA+ community, and understand and passionately value the role of co-design and lived expertise that allows inclusivity and empowerment.
