Services

We work in four key areas designed to meet the needs of people negotiating their sexuality and/or gender identities. These 4 areas are:

Direct Support
This is a free and confidential service offered to community members, friends and family regarding sexual orientation and gender identity. The waiting time is no longer than 3 weeks and is usually shorter. Frequently a person requires only one session to confirm that they are ‘not the only one’ and that everything they are feeling is OK. If more sessions are needed they can be by face-to-face counselling sessions, phone, email contact or texting.

Out in schools
Our work in schools includes providing resources, counselling, education programs, and information sessions for staff, parents and students. Both the student program Challenging Homophobia Affirming Diversity (CHAD) and the staff diversity training have been very well received in schools.

CHAD includes a whole of staff interactive training session of 2 hours (for a maximum of 15 staff at one time), an information session for those teachers actively participating in the program, the student program comprising eight one hour sessions over 8 weeks and any follow up the school may require. Previously this program has been subsidized by the Department of Education.

All the programs provided by WIO are facilitated by trained and experienced workers and is based on the work of many people, other training modules and feedback from those who have participated.

We also provide counselling to school students and this may be through a request from school staff, through parents or students themselves who are welcome to make their own appointments.

Out in the work place
WIO provides support and cultural awareness training through the development and delivery of programs focusing on anti-bullying, anti-homophobia and diversity. We have specific programs for workplaces or we can develop programs to suit particular needs.

The program BUT YOU CAN – you don’t have to tell us if you are gay or lesbian but you can… is based on a model from Gay and Lesbian Health Victoria and is for clinics and health centres. The areas covered in the free 2-hour training session include:

  • Cultural differences across gender and sexuality
  • The language and definitions
  • An outline of the legal issues and the Tasmanian Anti-discrimination Act
  • And the opportunity to examine aspects of providing an inclusive service
Out in the community
Our work focuses on the LGBTI and the broader community providing events, advocacy and policy development, the WIO web site, library and newsletter as well as resources and information. The library is an invaluable resource and we are always seeking books and financials donations to purchase current publications. Some library resources:

  • PFLAG QLD including the paper SEXUALITY IS NOT A CHOICE,
  • TALKING SEXUAL HEALTH, (written in 2000) a professional Development resource for teachers developed by the Australian Research Centre in Sex, Health and Society, at La Trobe University,
  • NOT ROUND HERE, (2000) a training manual written by Kenton Miller and Mahamati through the Outlink project established by the Human Rights Commission
  • SAME SEX ATTRACTED FRIENDLY ENVIRONMENTS IN SCHOOLS by Lin Tibias 2002,
  • OUT IN THE FAMILY, a manual for facilitators working with parents of same sex attracted and gender non-conforming young people (2004) a Jesuit Social Services study examining how Catholic schools can respond to same sex attracted students.
Examples of community events are participation in the march for Human Rights day and the TasPride picnic. We seek opportunities to collaborate at community events and to develop strong relationships with other organisations.