LGBTQIA+

CO-CHAIRS:

The LGBTQIA+ Special Interest Group is being founded in response to an urgent need to globally improve our understanding of what works, for who, where and when in relation to suicide prevention specifically for LGBTQIA+ individuals.

Specifically, the LGBTQIA+ SIG aims to advocate, using a multidisciplinary collaborative approach promotion of greater awareness of the needs for person and identity centred informed suicide prevention initiatives. The purpose of the LGBTQIA+ Special Interest Group is to pursue a collective and shared interest in suicide prevention for LGBTQIA+ people by promoting and advocating for existing and emerging research in this topic area. Through its membership, the LGBTQIA+ SIG will look for opportunities to contribute to innovative and best practice exemplars of suicide research that contributes to a knowledge translation improving understanding, practice and public policy.

UPCOMING EVENTS:

Webinar

In this webinar, Jack (Dorjjantsan) Ganbaatar will discuss his decade-long experience of establishing health and mental health care for LGBTQI+ people in Mongolia. He will talk about lessons he has learned and how these might be useful to those working in LGBTQI+ mental health care in other countries. Jack will also briefly touch on how this experience has led him to undertake a PhD in Public Health at the University of Melbourne, Australia, with a thesis focusing on healthcare access among the LGBTQI+ community in Mongolia.

Speaker Bio

Jack studied medicine at the National Medical University of Mongolia and completed his Master’s degree in Public Health at the University of Melbourne in 2021. For the past decade, he has worked at the LGBT Centre (Mongolia), overseeing the Health Program. Jack has played a key role in identifying major healthcare system gaps and developing opportunities to improve access to healthcare for LGBTQI+ Mongolians. The Health Program works on mainstreaming cultural and technical competence issues in both healthcare service provision and tertiary education curriculum, as well as providing information and referrals to LGBTQI+ community members. Mental health access for the LGBTQI+ community was one focus of Jack’s work in Mongolia. He has been active in negotiating with the National Mental Health Institute and Ministry of Health regarding LGBTQI+ inclusion and sensitivity. Jack is now undertaking a PhD in Public Health at the University of Melbourne, Australia.

2021-2022 PLANNED ACTIVITIES:

The LGBTQIA+ SIG will undertake a range of activities aimed at fulfilling the SIG’s aims and purpose:

Establishment and recruitment activities.
- Conduct inaugural SIG meet and commence formulation of a five-year plan.
Collect and synthesise knowledge, evidence and information.
Represent an expert group for individuals and organisations seeking information and/or advice.
Promote knowledge sharing and promotion on the topic (via conferences, seminars, workshops, publications, social media presence etc).
Raise awareness about, and advocate for the topic to academic and professional audiences.
Undertake primary and secondary research.
Develop IASP policy position papers.
Share evidence-informed practice (especially preventative).
Facilitate collaboration between research, policy and practice relating to the topic.
Develop research methodologies to evaluate different types of interventions relating to the topic.
Facilitate collaborative grant applications to progress international comparative research, prevention and policy.
Identify potential funders for an IASP multi-country project.
Form Task Forces on an as-needed basis to help us undertake time-limited and specific tasks.

We intend to formulate a 3- 5-year plan for activities beyond 2021-2022. This longer-term plan will be drafted at the inaugural SIG meeting and ratified by the group at its second SIG meeting, in early 2022.

CO-CHAIRS:

UPCOMING EVENTS:

2021-2022 PLANNED ACTIVITIES:

Resources

If you would like to join this SIG, please fill in the contact form below: