CREATE SAFER, MORE INCLUSIVE SERVICES FOR LGBTQI+ PEOPLE FROM REFUGEE BACKGROUNDS
How can services provide genuinely safe, inclusive and culturally responsive support for LGBTQI+ people who have experienced persecution, forced displacement and refugee trauma?
For LGBTQI+ refugees and people seeking asylum, experiences of sexuality, gender, culture, family, community and displacement can intersect in complex ways. Some may have experienced discrimination, violence, criminalisation or persecution because of their sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression or sex characteristics, alongside war, organised violence and other refugee-related trauma.
Resettlement in Australia can bring greater safety and opportunity, but it can also involve new challenges, including isolation, discrimination, racism, uncertainty, loss of family or community support, and navigating unfamiliar services and understandings of identity.
This practical workshop, led by experienced STARTTS practitioners and trainers with lived experience, will strengthen your understanding of these intersecting experiences and build your confidence to provide trauma-informed, culturally safe and LGBTQI+ inclusive support.
WHY THIS WORKSHOP MATTERS
LGBTQI+ people from refugee and asylum seeker backgrounds are not a single, homogenous group. Their experiences, identities, cultures, relationships and support needs can vary enormously.
For some, disclosing sexuality, gender identity or variations in sex characteristics may have carried serious risks in their country of origin, during displacement or within family and community networks. Experiences of persecution and refugee trauma may intersect with homophobia, biphobia, transphobia, racism, social isolation and concerns about safety, belonging and acceptance.
Assumptions about culture, sexuality, gender, family or identity can unintentionally create barriers to engagement and support. Effective inclusive practice requires more than knowing the right terminology. It involves creating environments where people experience safety, dignity, respect, choice and control.
Professionals do not need to be experts in every identity or cultural context. Developing greater awareness, cultural humility and practical inclusive practice skills can make services safer and more welcoming for everyone.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN
Understand the Experiences of LGBTQI+ Refugees and People Seeking Asylum
Explore how persecution, discrimination, violence, forced displacement and refugee trauma may intersect with diverse sexual orientations, gender identities, gender expressions and sex characteristics.
Understand Refugee Trauma and Resettlement
Develop your understanding of the biopsychosocial and systemic impacts of torture and refugee trauma, and how displacement, cultural transition and resettlement can affect safety, identity, relationships and wellbeing.
Recognise Intersectionality and Multiple Forms of Discrimination
Explore how sexuality, gender, culture, ethnicity, refugee experience and other aspects of identity can intersect, creating both unique strengths and additional barriers to safety, belonging and accessing support.
Recognise Diversity Within LGBTQI+ Communities
Move beyond treating LGBTQI+ people as a single group and develop a more nuanced understanding of diverse identities, experiences, cultural contexts and individual preferences.
Identify Assumptions and Unconscious Bias
Reflect on assumptions about sexuality, gender, culture, relationships and family, and consider how these may influence communication, assessment, engagement and service delivery.
Create Safer and More Inclusive Services
Learn practical strategies for creating environments that communicate respect and inclusion and reduce barriers for LGBTQI+ refugees and people seeking asylum.
Communicate Sensitively About Identity
Build confidence in discussing sexuality, gender, relationships and identity without making assumptions or requiring people to disclose information before they feel safe and ready.
Apply Trauma-Informed and Culturally Safe Practice
Strengthen your ability to work in ways that promote safety, trust, dignity, choice and collaboration while respecting each person’s cultural background, identity and lived experience.
Strengthen Engagement and Partnership
Develop practical skills for building trust and working collaboratively with LGBTQI+ clients from refugee and asylum seeker backgrounds, recognising their strengths, agency and expertise in their own lives.
Develop Reflective and Inclusive Practice
Consider how your own beliefs, experiences and professional context can influence practice, and identify practical ways to strengthen inclusion within your individual practice, team and organisation.
WHO SHOULD ATTEND?
Essential professional development for anyone working with refugees, people seeking asylum and culturally diverse communities, including:
- Counsellors, psychologists and social workers
- Case managers and support workers
- Health and mental health professionals
- Settlement and refugee support workers
- Community and multicultural workers
- Youth and family workers
- LGBTQI+ service providers
- Educators and student support staff
- Managers, team leaders and service coordinators
- Other professionals seeking to strengthen LGBTQI+ inclusive, trauma-informed and culturally safe practice
FORMAT AND INCLUSIONS
- Online and in-person delivery
- Facilitated by an experienced trauma-informed practitioner
- Includes interactive activities, real-life scenarios, and skill practice
- Receive a certificate of completion
- Receive a PDF of the workshop slides
BRING THIS WORKSHOP TO YOUR TEAM
Would your team benefit from tailored, trauma-informed training? This workshop is available as an online and in-person in-house session (in-person available in Sydney only), customised to meet the specific needs of your staff, clients, or community. Visit our Request Training page for details on pricing, availability, and how to book.
Plan ahead: Due to high demand, we recommend submitting your request at least 6–8 weeks in advance to secure your preferred date. Empower your team with the confidence, skills, and cultural sensitivity to support refugee and asylum seeker communities effectively.
CONTACT US
stts-training@health.nsw.gov.au
(02) 9646 6700 Ask for the Training Administration Officer