LGBTIQ+ Mentoring Project

The LGBTIQ+ Mentoring Project provides peer and mentoring support to LGBTIQ+ individuals and families, in which they are matched with a volunteer mentor. 

The objectives of the project are to: 

• address contributing factors to LGBTIQ+ suicide through building resilience, enhancing social connectedness, building skills to navigate services and reducing internalised stigma
• provide support through tailored mentoring to LGBTIQ+ people and families in high-risk life stages, including those of multi-cultural or multi-faith backgrounds
• improve cohesion in the LGBTIQ+ health sector and promote available services.

So far, the LGBTIQ+ Mentoring Project has been able to achieve positive outcomes. 

For mentees, the program helps them to: 

• feel more comfortable meeting other people
• feel more confident in their own identity
• increase their awareness of health and wellbeing services available to them
• feel more confident in accessing health and wellbeing services
• reduce the feeling of isolation (noting that this outcome was particularly important to mentees as the program was conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic, where people were physically isolated from their support network)
• be more inclusive of others.

For mentors, the program is shown to: 

• provide them with a sense of satisfaction from being able to help someone else in a meaningful way
• help them form stronger connections with LGBTIQ+ communities and provide the ability to meet new people
• improve their self-confidence, including confidence and comfort in their own identity
• increase their knowledge and skills, as a result of being able to share and learn from other mentors, mentees and the program staff.

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.