Hunter Institute dedicated to LGBTIQ inclusivity

The Hunter Institute of Mental Health has been invited to continue its involvement in the National LGBTI Health Alliance’s MindOUT! Champions Project, with the announcement of Kristy Platt as the new LGBTI Champion.

For more than 20 years, the Hunter Institute has been dedicated to health equity and working in a way that values and respects the full diversity of the Australian population. Throughout this time, the Hunter Institute has worked in partnership with individuals, families, organisations and communities to deliver programs that contribute to the mental health and wellbeing of all Australians, with a particular focus on priority populations including Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, Intersex and Queer (LGBTIQ) individuals and communities.

Since taking on her role as LGBTIQ champion, Kristy has been working with the support of the leadership team to promote the inclusion of LGBTI people across organisational programs and to support responsive, inclusive and safe working practices.

Some of the more recent work by the Hunter Institute in this area includes:

August:

• Involvement in Wear it Purple Day, working towards a world where every young person can thrive, irrelevant of sexuality or gender identity.
• Renewing the Hunter Institute’s National LGBTI Health Alliance membership.

September:

• Taking a lead role on Mindframe’s response to media reporting of the marriage equality debate by engaging Suicide Prevention Australia (SPA), Mental Health Australia (MHA) and the Australian Marriage Equality (AME).

October:

• Developing an email sent to all mental health and suicide prevention communication leads outlining concerns around responses to media reporting of the marriage equality discussions and putting forward ideas on how the sector can collaborate to support vulnerable members of the community.
• Preparing a Mindframe media alert (consulting with the peak health bodies and Australian Marriage Equality) on safe and responsible reporting of the marriage equality debate. 

November:

• Arranging an internal training session for Hunter Institute staff on LGBTI mental health hosted by National MindOUT! Project Coordinator Sally Morris. 

While Kristy only took on the LGBTI Champion role in July 2016, she was already actively promoting the inclusivity of LGBTI people within the Hunter Institute’s work, as a co-developer of Mindframe’s first LGBTI-specific media resources, co-presenter at the first Mindframe media training session for LGBTI-specific media in 2013, and co-presenter with the JOY 94.9 GM at the CBAA Conference the same year.

Kristy looks forward to continuing and improving the work the Hunter Institute has done in partnership with the LGBTI community and other partner organisations.