HOPE’s Journey towards Rainbow Tick Accreditation

HOPE has embarked upon and is actively pursuing a “Rainbow Tick Accreditation-Ready Journey” to ensure that our organisation is able to provide and offer the very highest standard of LGBTQIA+ inclusive practice and service delivery for members of the LGBTQIA+ community in Western Australia. At HOPE, we don’t want to just “welcome” or “accept” members of the LGBTQIA+ community to our team and services. Our Rainbow Tick journey is about ensuring that being a diverse and inclusive organisation is at the very heart of our work and in everything that we do. We want anyone who identifies as being part of the LGBTQIA+ community to know that when they come to HOPE, they are assured of not only receiving an informed, sensitive and inclusive service but that they are wanted, celebrated, respected and valued as members of our community. We also want them to know that we understand the complexities and challenges LGBTQIA+ people may face when accessing services.

For our team that form HOPE, we want all our staff, volunteers and future employees to know that we provide a safe, supportive and non-judgemental workplace, where inappropriate behaviour and attitudes are called out. Everyone from our Board Members and Executive Team through to our teams from all regional offices across WA have been involved in and embraced the decision to embark on this journey of education and inclusivity. Our preparation and readiness journey flows across and through all employees working in any and all of HOPE’s service pillars of Mental Health Services, Alcohol and Other Drug Services, Youth Justice Services and Family and Domestic Violence Services.

HOPE employees have committed time and energy to the project and the following is underway:

Established of HOPE LGBTQIA+ Committee.
Review and update of HOPE’s policies, procedures and guidelines to include inclusive language and consider factors impacting on LGBTIQA+ clients and employees.
Specific and in-depth LGBTQIA+ Training and Development for all of HOPE’s employees and volunteers.
Recognition of and participation in important LGBTQIA+ community days and events.

Rainbow Tick Accreditation

Rainbow Tick accreditation stands for solidarity. Recognised nationally the Rainbow Tick mark embodies and is only awarded to organisations that demonstrate and achieve the very highest standard of LGBTQIA+ inclusive practice and service delivery. The Rainbow Tick standards, owned and developed by Rainbow Health Australia, are designed to build lasting LGBTQIA+ inclusion. Accreditation is provided through independent assessment, provided by Quality Innovation Performance and Australian Council on Healthcare Standards.

More information can be found here: Rainbow Health Australia

BAbout HOPE’s Services

It is widely accepted that members of the LGBTQIA+ community are over-represented in our vulnerable populations and may have poorer health outcomes than the general population. This is often because they experience a higher level of discrimination or are unsure of whether they will be provided with a safe experience, free from judgement, stigma and other challenges. Previous experience often results in a delay to seek services or avoidance altogether. Whichever area of HOPE’s services a person identifying as part of the LGBTIQA+ community may choose to access, we want to be able to assure them that they will receive safe and quality care that is respectful of their diversity and unique needs and gender identity and/or sexuality.

Tell us about your experience of our services:

HOPE is committed to working with LGBTQIA+ communities and individuals to improve our organisation and ensure that our services are safe, inclusive and affirming for all members of the LGBTQIA+ community. We welcome feedback and involvement always and you can contact us via:

Telephone 1300 HOPEWA (1300 467 392)
Email rainbow@hopecs.org.au or ceo@hopecs.org.au
Feedback via web Contact Us

Useful LGBTQIA+ Resources

Rainbow Health Victoria: is a lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) health and wellbeing policy and resource unit. Rainbow Health is funded by the Victorian Government and sits within the Australian Research Centre in Sex, Health and Society (ARCSHS), La Trobe University. Rainbow Health is committed to improving the health and wellbeing of LGBTI Victorians and the quality of care they receive – (03) 9479 8700.

Minus 18: is a web based support network for same sex attracted, gender questioning young people under 21 years of age. Minus 18 also hosts social and dance events as well as workshops.

Genderqueer Australia: Web based resource for gender questioning and gender queer people.

The Australian Lesbian Medical Association (ALMA): compiles a list of doctors and mental health professionals who are recommended by lesbian and bisexual women. This is a national project. There are currently around 90 doctors and mental health professionals on the list, including GPs and specialists, metropolitan and rural doctors.

Australian Human Rights Commission: this independent body promotes and helps protection of human rights in Australia by education and public awareness, discrimination and human rights complaints, human rights compliance, policy and legislative development.

LGBTIQ+ Health Australia: is a peak health organisation for LGBT and intersex organisations in Australia.

Rainbow Health Australia: is a program that supports lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and gender diverse, queer and intersex (LGBTQI) health and wellbeing through research and knowledge translation, training, resources, policy advice and service accreditation through the Rainbow Tick.

Freedom Centre: provides a broad range of support services for LGBTQIA+ young people around WA, including drop-in sessions, community development, counselling and much more.

TransHub: is a digital information and resource platform for all trans and gender diverse people in NSW, loved ones, allies and health providers. This platform is an initiative from ACON, NSW’s leading health organisation specialising in community health, inclusion and HIV responses for people of diverse sexualities and genders.

Walkern Katatdjin (Rainbow Knowledge): is a national research project that aims to understand and promote the mental health and wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander LGBTQA+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer/Questioning, Asexual +) young people, and to work with services to develop appropriate interventions. ‘Walkern Katatdjin’ roughly translates to ‘Rainbow Knowledge’ in the Noongar language.

Black Rainbow is a national volunteer Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander social enterprise in the pursuit of positive health and wellbeing for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex, Queer, Asexual, Sistergirl and Brotherboys (LGBQTIA+SB).

TransFolk of WA: A peer support service for transgender people and their loved ones in Western Australia.

Parents of Gender Diverse Children: is here to provide peer support to parents and those parenting trans and gender diverse children.

Rainbow Terminology: Monolingual, bilingual and multilingual terminology to authentically represent the identities of LGBTQIA+ community members in English, Arabic, Chinese (simplified), Chinese (traditional), Korean, Spanish, Thai and Vietnamese.

Transcend Australia: is a service provider and community support organisation that systemically advocates for improvements to systems and services so that the future for our youth is stronger and healthier. Transcend Australia works to uphold the rights of trans, gender diverse and non-binary young Australians and to support their families.

Zoe Belle Gender Collective (ZBGC): is a trans and gender diverse led advocacy organisation based in Victoria, Australia.

LGBTQIA+ Terminology

HOPE uses the acronym LGBTQIA+ throughout our website, social media, and other organisation documents and communications. It is recognised as short for lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and gender diverse, queer or questioning, intersex, asexual or allies and others on the spectrum of gender. We understand that LGBTQIA+ is an ‘umbrella term’, that gender is a spectrum and people identify in lots of different ways. We also recognised that this term may vary between organisations and for consistency we endeavour to use LGBTQIA+ .

Hope Community Services acknowledges and respects the traditional First Nations owners of the lands on which we work, the first people of this country. We pay our respects to them, their culture, and their Elders, past, present and future.

Hope Community Services acknowledges and welcomes diversity in all its forms amongst staff and clients, including culture, language, race, ethnicity, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, intersex variations, religion, and socio‑economic and relationship status.

Hope Community Services acknowledge the individual and collective experiences of those with a living or lived experience. We recognise their wise contribution at all levels throughout the business and value the courage of those who share their experiences for the purpose of creating safe spaces that improve mental health outcomes.