LGBTIQA+ Mentoring Project
December 2018 – June 2026
$2,662,608 ex. GST
all
Overview
The LGBTIQA+ Mentoring Project offers community-driven peer support and group engagement for LGBTIQA+ individuals, and their families of origin or choice. Participants are matched with a volunteer mentor, receiving tailored support during vulnerable times, such as coming out or gender transition, and engaging in community-driven programs.
The objectives of the project are to:
- deliver a model of mentorship that builds on key elements from previous co-designed individual and family mentoring programs (Polaris and A Place at the Table) and evaluation findings
- improve protective factors to address LGBTIQA+ suicide through building resilience, enhancing family and social connectedness, building skills to navigate services and reducing internalised stigma
- provide support through tailored mentoring to LGBTIQA+ people and families in high-risk life stages, including those from First Nations, asylum seeker/ refugee, multi-cultural and/or multi-faith backgrounds
- improve cohesion in the LGBTIQA+ health sector and promote available services, as well as building capacity of mainstream services in LGBTIQA+ health
- provide wrap-around support for mentees and mentors with complex needs through linking to organisation-wide services where possible
- provide evidence for suicide prevention and low intensity mental health services by engaging in external evaluation and continual service improvement processes.
Outcomes
The project has consistently achieved positive outcomes, deeply rooted in its ‘by community, for community’ ethos. The program effectively fosters a profound sense of belonging and connection that many participants have not previously experienced.
For mentees, key outcomes include:
- increase community connectedness and reduced isolation
- strengthen a sense of identity. Increase confidence and build resilience
- increase awareness of health and wellbeing services available to them
- increase confidence in accessing health and wellbeing services
- enhance capacity to identify risk factors of suicidality for LGBTIQA+ people.
For mentors, key outcomes include:
- build a sense of satisfaction in providing meaningful support to others
- strengthen community connections and expand social networks within LGBTIQA+ communities
- improve self-confidence and comfort in their own identity and model positive attitudes for mentees and community meaningfully
- increase knowledge and skills from shared learning and collaboration with an inclusive and trauma informed lens
Read the evaluation report for this project below and learn more about how this project was evaluated. The LGBTIQ+ Mentoring Project Trial Guide is also available to support other organisations to implement a similar program.
About the trial guide
These trial guides have been developed by the commissioned providers to give insight into the collaborative approach to developing and implementing the projects, an outline of the methodology involved, as well as some lessons learnt for future implementation. It is intended that these guides be used by other organisations who are interested in undertaking similar work. If you are planning on using any of the materials included within the Guides, we ask that you let us know. Specific contact details for commissioned providers are included within the documents, however please contact suicideprevention@nwmphn.org.au for more information.
Page updated 24 July 2025.