How2 for Mental Health
An interactive program where mental health services gain the knowledge, skills and tools to develop a whole-organisation LGBTIQ+ strategy.
Introduction
LGBTIQ+ people deserve to receive safe, affirming and effective care when they access mental health services. We recognise and affirm the genuine ambition of service providers to be LGBTIQ+ inclusive. 
Who's it for?
The How2 for Mental Health Program is suited to any mental health organisation looking to embed LGBTIQ+ inclusion in a sustainable way. It will guide participants in developing, and beginning to implement, a plan specific to their organisation for facilitating LGBTIQ+ inclusion.
Completing the How2 for Mental Health Program can greatly assist organisations in gaining Rainbow Tick accreditation - but any organisation will benefit from the program, whether or not they are seeking formal accreditation.
This How2 program is delivered by Rainbow Health Australia and has been tailored for the mental health sector with support from the Department of Health, and in partnership with Thorne Harbour Health, Switchboard Victoria, MIND Australia, the Centre for Mental Health Learning and other partners.
This work has been funded following the Royal Commission into the Victorian Mental Health System, which found that that some communities experience both additional factors that affect their mental health, and a lack of ‘safe, responsive or inclusive care’. This includes people who are LGBTIQA+ and/or Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander, disabled, refugees, asylum seekers and others from culturally diverse backgrounds.
Our approach is intersectional, and draws on the expertise of people with lived and living experience (personal and support), LGBTIQA+ community-controlled and mainstream mental health services, and an extensive body of research into the unique needs and experiences of LGBTIQA+ people and their families/support people when seeking mental health care.
Rainbow Tick and How2 subsidies available
Through Rainbow Health Australia the Victorian Government is providing fully subsidised access to mental health services working in Victoria to:
- Participate in our high quality evidence-based How2 programs to build interpersonal skills and organisational strategy for LGBTIQ+ inclusive practice
- Receive support and funding to achieve Rainbow Tick assessment and accreditation
Organisations interested in this program will first complete the How2 Program free of charge. This can include the sector-specific How2 for Mental Health program.
Please express interest here and we will contact you about eligibility.
About the How2 program
In this program participants learn to identify hidden harms to LGBTIQ+ staff and service users within their systems and to work towards evidence-informed solutions and good practice to address this.
Using guidance from LGBTIQ+ affirmative change management and implementation science, participants are supported to identify common pitfalls of ‘diversity and inclusion’ initiatives, and to lead a collaborative development of a meaningful, impactful LGBTIQ+ strategy with their teams.
Many organisations will then progress, as a separate process from this program, to be assessed and accredited with the Rainbow Tick.
Program objectives
- To provide mental health organisations with the foundational knowledge on standards for LGBTIQ+ inclusion as enshrined in the Rainbow Tick framework
- To support mental health organisations to develop an implementation plan for LGBTIQ+ inclusion in their service
- To provide practical support to mental health organisations in the form of tools and templates to support them on their journey to LGBTIQ+ inclusion
- To promote continued learning, motivation and collaboration opportunities for groups of organisations seeking to improve their LGBTIQ+ inclusion practices.
Program structure
The program comprises weekly sessions including self-paced online learning modules and live online workshops. The main course content will run over four to seven weeks, with follow up mentoring, then ongoing support available via communities of practice for an additional 6 months after course completion.
Organisations will receive a variety of supporting materials to guide internal work and will be supported to develop an implementation plan for LGBTIQ+ inclusion for their organisations.
The time commitment to complete this work is a minimum 3 hours per week over 6 months with additional time needed for implementation of the plan from the whole of organisation.
Mental Health How2 streams
- Mental Health Stream 1
- Mental Health Stream 2
Mental Health Stream 1 (6 weeks)
Note: the timeline for this stream is condensed, with the four How2 workshops taking place over one fortnight.
| Week | Session | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Online module (prerequisite) | True Colours: Introduction to LGBTIQ+ Inclusive Practice | From Mon 3 March |
| 3 | Workshop (prerequisite) | Work with Pride: LGBTIQ+ Affirmative Interpersonal Skills | Thurs 20 March |
| 4 | Online module | 0. Making a Strong Start: introduction to How 2, building a change team and planning for LGBTIQ+ affirmative strategy development | From Mon 31 March |
| 5 | Workshop | 1. Creating Common Purpose: anticipating resistance, understanding motivation and bringing people on board | Mon 7 April |
| 5 | Workshop | 2. Scanning for Hidden Harms 1: leadership, service provision, and the physical environment | Tues 8 April |
| 5 | Zoom Drop-in Q&A | Troubleshooting: a drop-in clinic for participants and facilitators to workshop any blocks, challenges or clarify choices | TBC |
| 6 | Workshop | 3. Scanning for Hidden Harms 2: reviewing human resources, data and privacy, and operational health and safety | Mon 14 April |
| 6 | Workshop | 4. Designing solutions: consultation, planning, implementation and monitoring | Tues 15 April |
| - | One-on-one Zoom sessions | Mentoring session: one-to-one session with RHA specialist to support organisations to identify and resolve any barriers to the development or implementation of their strategy | Bookable with facilitators |
Mental Health Stream 2 (10 weeks)
| Week | Session | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Online module (prerequisite) | True Colours: Introduction to LGBTIQ+ Inclusive Practice | From Mon 17 March |
| 2 | Workshop (prerequisite) | Work with Pride: LGBTIQ+ Affirmative Interpersonal Skills | Thurs 3 April |
| 3 | Online module | 0. Making a Strong Start: introduction to How 2, building a change team and planning for LGBTIQ+ affirmative strategy development | From Mon 10 April |
| 4 | Workshop | 1. Creating Common Purpose: anticipating resistance, understanding motivation and bringing people on board | Thurs 1 May |
| 5 | Workshop | 2. Scanning for Hidden Harms 1: leadership, service provision, and the physical environment | Thurs 8 May |
| 5 | Zoom Drop-in Q&A | Troubleshooting: a drop-in clinic for participants and facilitators to workshop any blocks, challenges or clarify choices | TBC |
| 6 | Workshop | 3. Scanning for Hidden Harms 2: reviewing human resources, data and privacy, and operational health and safety | Thurs 15 May |
| 7 | Workshop | 4. Designing solutions: consultation, planning, implementation and monitoring | Thurs 22 May |
| - | One-on-one Zoom sessions | Mentoring session: one-to-one session with RHA specialist to support organisations to identify and resolve any barriers to the development or implementation of their strategy | Bookable with facilitators |
Past Participants
“So far this training has been some of the best I’ve ever attended. The content is thorough, resources are brilliant, there’s a clear logic and ideas relate strategically to each other. It’s really brilliant and I’m very grateful for how much time and energy your team has put into creating/delivering such a quality piece of training”
— Participant feedback 2024
“The webinars were interactive, moving from small group discussions to the larger group and then into didactic mode with powerpoint presentations - it was essentially like being in a training room or as close as you will get!”
— Participant feedback 2024
“You’ve managed to deliver complex content remotely in a way that was engaging and informative. I appreciate all the planning that has gone into the sessions and the extra ways you have made the sessions interactive, such as the polls and break out rooms. Thank you also for all the extra resources and links you provide throughout the sessions”
— Participant feedback 2024