A Safe Place to Celebrate - Diverse City

Diverse City is a program created by Stride's headspace centres, that provides support to young people who identify as LGBTIQA+ or with the Queer Community. This can include those that identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, queer or any other sexual orientation and/or gender.?

The program assists young people aged 12 - 25 by offering a safe place to connect with peers, discuss LGBTIQA+ issues or concerns and learn about mental health and general wellbeing.??

It is also a safe space to celebrate who they are.

In June 2021, 24%* of young people accessing a headspace centre in Australia identified as LGBTIQA+, with this number increasing to 35%* of the young people at all of Stride's headspace centres. (*headspace year in review annual report FY 2020)

Rewind back to 2018, and the understanding that LGBTIQA+ young people already saw our headspace centres as a safe place for them to be themselves is what prompted us to create Diverse City and the vital input of the young people that co-designed the program is what makes it so very unique and successful for the past 3 years.

The Diverse City program was created over a 1-day workshop held in 2018 with a group of 25 young people and headspace staff that identify as LGBTIQA+ or identified as community allies. The young people consisted of consumers and Youth Reference Group members, from 5 headspace centres across SE Qld.

The workshop gave young people the opportunity to provide their valuable views and first-hand life-experience to develop and design a program that has now been running successfully for 3 years.?

The focus of the workshop was to establish the most important issues faced by young people which were identified as:

• Mental Health - 63.8% of LGBTIQA+ young people aged 14-21 have been diagnosed with a mental health condition and LGBTI young people aged 16 to 27 are five times more likely to die by suicide when compared to the general population (2021 LGBTIQ+ Health Australia Statistics)
• Connection to and understanding of the LGBTIQA+ community
• Alcohol and drug use within the LGBTIQA+ community
• Healthy relationships (both romantic and platonic)

When asked what kinds of support were needed for young people that identify, the group told us that they wanted a group program that was a safe space for LGBTIQA+ young people to talk about everyday things and learn life skills, while acknowledging the additional barriers they face just being part of the community

Since the program was established 3 years ago, we've had incredible feedback (verbal and written feedback from participants) and now offer it in 7 of our headspace centres giving a sense of hopefulness to young people who may be struggling with their identity or mental health and reinforcing that Stride's headspace centres are a safe space for LGBTIQA+ young people

Diverse City shows continuing success, with young people attending the program and then choosing to come back and attend? Diverse City +, a social group that gathers fortnightly for young people who have completed the Diverse City program.?

Diverse City helps young people feel safe, supported and accepted, less isolated and able to make friends within their own community.

This program is currently being delivered at the following 7 sites in Queensland and New South Wales with further sites to be offered in future:

• headspace Nundah
• headspace Woolloongabba?
• headspace Meadowbrook?
• headspace Ipswich?
• headspace Hurstville
• headspace Beaudesert
• headspace Miranda

For more information contact [email protected]