We believe that mental health services should provide safe, welcoming, caring and supportive environments for Victorians of all genders.
In August, we hosted an “In Conversation” event at the State Library of Victoria, welcoming guests to discuss gender-based safety in acute and emergency mental health and wellbeing settings.
The conversation featured panellists with backgrounds across policy development and implementation, health promotion, lived experience, social justice and gender advocacy.
The event was co-facilitated by Collaborative Centre Co-CEO Carolyn Gillespie and Lived Experiences Advisory Panel member Lyanne Morel.
Members of the event panel included:
- Anne-Laure Couineau, Director of Policy and Service Development at Phoenix Australia and Capability Uplift Lead at Transforming Trauma Victoria
- Dr Kate Johnston-Ataata, Manager of Policy, Health Promotion and Advocacy at Women's Health Victoria
- Misha Adair, Project Lead of the Improving Sexual Safety Initiative at Safer Care Victoria
- Starlady, Director of the Zoe Belle Gender Collective
Carolyn and Lyanne invited panellists to reflect on some of the current challenges in delivering safe and gender-inclusive services.
Starlady reflected on the experiences of transgender and gender diverse people accessing mental healthcare services.
“There are really high levels of mental ill health, violence and discrimination faced by transgender and gender diverse people," she said.
"Acute settings are not gender responsive and haven’t developed cultural competency or safety processes."
“[Mental health] services are not having conversations with [LGBTIQA+] people about how to support them…. and community-based services with expertise in these areas are not being funded to provide support.”
Director, Zoe Belle Gender Collective
Anne-Laure Couineau spoke about the experiences women often have when they present to acute and emergency services. She said that all too often the focus is on women’s immediate behaviours and symptoms rather than the structural factors and causes that have led to them, including domestic and family violence.
“Women are more likely to experience violence, and to experience mental health challenges due to this. If services don’t identify it, they can’t respond to it.”
Capability Uplift Lead, Transforming Trauma Victoria