Capital Health Network

CHN, ACT’s PHN commissioned Meridian to develop and implement a co-designed service model to provide safe, high quality, evidence-based, community-focused and affirming psychological and psychosocial therapies to the LGBTIQA+ population (16 years and over).

In the last year, the Inclusive Pathways program was initiated, commenced and provided service to 104 clients (over 504 sessions). Predominantly the referrals received have been self-referrals (56%), attesting to the strong reputation this program is building in the LGBTIQA+ community. The remaining referrals were evenly split between GPs and other community agencies or not for profit organisations.

As a result of the program, Meridian counsellors can now refer clients with higher intensity mental health and gender affirming needs to in-house clinicians, rather than external clinicians. Clients have reported this has made life so much easier and safer by relieving them of the trauma of accessing standardised mental health services that have no concept of what it means to be LGBTIQA+.

Client story

Leo (pseudonym) is a 22-year old student from Canberra who lives with their partner in shared accommodation and works part-time at a fast food restaurant. During their intake with Meridian, Leo identified as gender questioning including questions about what it means to be non-binary. Leo identifies as part of the LGBTIQA+ community but they are only ‘out’ about their gender diversity to their male-identified partner and one close friend.

Leo describes wanting to see a mental health professional to work on some mental health issues and the relationship with the challenges of affirming their gender. Leo advises that the primary reason for choosing Meridian Wellbeing Services is safety, following a trustworthy recommendation from a LGBTIQA+ friend.

During counselling, Leo has described severe depression symptomology, suicidal thoughts and a strong desire to speak to a mental health professional that is educated and experienced in mental health and gender affirming care. Leo describes the burden of having to see a psychologist in a standardised health setting as they feel they will “freeze and or comply” due to the fear of being misunderstood, stigmatised or marginalised and generally not being heard.

Over the course of six sessions with the psychologist, Leo describes “I now understand that I am ‘different’ and I now really like that about myself; I’m no longer labelling myself as an ‘aberration’ or ‘abnormal’ and even if somebody wants to call me that, I’m cool with it.”