The board of Pride Foundation Australia is pleased to announce the success of our first Large Grant round to provide funding towards our new key area of interest: AOD (Alcohol and Other Drugs). Recognising the relationship between LGBTQIA+ communities and substance abuse, Pride Foundation Australia aims to increase funding towards projects that work to address the issues faced by Australian queer communities around alcohol abuse and substance abuse. Our work in this area has been made possible by the support of Endeavour Group through their Loud & Proud campaign.
We are proud to announce that in our first round of funding, we have awarded a total of $54,400 in grant funding across five organisations, towards the research and development of tools and support relevant to LGBTQIA+ communities and support services around alcohol and other drugs.
Our grant recipients are Odyssey House Victoria, Northern Territory AIDS and Hepatitis Council Inc. (NTAHC), Sexual Health Quarters, Network of Alcohol and Other Drug Agencies (NADA) in partnership with The Matilda Centre for Research in Mental Health and Substance Use, University of Sydney and Australia & New Zealand Tongzhi Rainbow Alliance Inc. (ANTRA).
Please join us in congratulating our grant recipients in their success, and reading more about their organisations and funded projects below.
Sexual Health Quarters (SHQ)
Sexual Health Quarters (SHQ) is a sexual health clinic situated in Perth, Western Australia. SHQ offers a range of clinical services including testing and treatment of STIs, contraception information and supply, unintended pregnancy support, medical abortion and cervical screening.
SHQ will use their Large Grant funding towards the development of training and resources for AOD providers under the project name RISE (Responsive, Inclusive, Safe, Education). Through community consultation and a LGBTQIA+ Advisory, SHQ aim to adapt LGBTQIA+ inclusive training resources for the AOD sector, delivered over 4–5 months to AOD sector stakeholders and service providers across Western Australia.
Northern Territory AIDS and Hepatitis Council Inc. (NTAHC)
NTAHC’s programs are aimed at preventing the transmission of blood borne viruses and have been developed to provide services, support and preventative initiatives with and for our priority populations. NTAHC frequently receives requests for sexual and gender diversity training which they have been unable to fill, given current capacity.
The PFA Large Grant funding provides NTAHC the opportunity to reach out to organisations where staff provide AOD services in Alice Springs, to fulfil requests for LGBTQIA+ inclusive training that they have already expressed interest in.
Network of Alcohol and Other Drug Agencies (NADA) in partnership with The Matilda Centre for Research in Mental Health and Substance Use, University of Sydney
The Network of Alcohol and other Drugs Agencies (NADA) is the peak organisation for the non-government alcohol and other drugs sector in NSW.
The Matilda Centre for Research in Mental Health and Substance Use is a multidisciplinary research centre committed to improving the health and wellbeing of people affected by co-occurring substance use and mental disorders.
This Large Grant supports a research project led by trans researchers from NADA and majority trans clinicians/researchers from USyd, UniMelb and UNSW towards understanding and improving trans youth experiences in seeking, accessing and engaging AOD services. Advised by a youth advisory committee, the research team will co-produce clinical practice guidelines for trans-affirming youth AOD service provision & disseminate through LGBTQIA+ and AOD service provider networks including existing national online portals.
Odyssey House Victoria
Odyssey House Victoria is a state-wide, specialist treatment organisation dedicated to improving the lives of individuals who experience significant or long-term problems from alcohol and other drug use.
Through the use of funding, Odyssey House Victoria intends to enhance their clinical practice around intersectionality of Aboriginal and LGBTIQ identity. Aspects of their project include seeking feedback from the Odyssey House Victoria Aboriginal Staff Network and the Rainbow Resident Group, allowing them to incorporate Aboriginal and LGBTIQ visibility into their programs and services. Odyssey Victoria House will also use grant funding to identify and purchase relevant resources for organisational public spaces, to increase visibility for clients who identify as Aboriginal and part of the LGBTIQ community.
Australia & New Zealand Tongzhi Rainbow Alliance Inc. (ANTRA)
Australia & New Zealand Tongzhi Rainbow Alliance Inc. (ANTRA) is a community-based not-for-profit organisation presenting themselves in the young Mandarin- and Cantonese-speaking LGBTQIA+ communities in the form of social chat groups on WeChat, LINE, Facebook and various online forums. ANTRA now has over 2,500 members and followers throughout WeChat, LINE, Facebook and Instagram.
With their Large Grant funding, ANTRA are working on the development of a community-driven safety guide and resource pack on AOD usage in Chinese, targeting newly arrived Queer Chinese in Australia, with a specific focus on international students, working holiday makers and migrant workers who lack access to AOD literacy education in Australian institutions and English-based social media and advertisement campaigns.
Delivery of peer-led AOD literacy, support & training programs to foster literacy and understanding towards responsible AOD practice in the Australian context, to be delivered to community members and volunteers, by community members who are themselves registered nurses, pharmacists, social workers, etc.
We are thrilled with the outcome of this inaugural grant round, and look forward to sharing the outcomes of each of these projects in the future.
