NSW LGBTIQ+ Health Funding Pool – summary of projects

To boost the system wide implementation of the NSW LGBTIQ+ Health Strategy 2022-2027, NSW Health has allocated $2 million for 21 LGBTIQ+ health projects over 2023-24 and 2024-25. The list of projects and key contacts is below.

In November 2023, the Ministry held a forum with project leads to discuss how Communities of Practice could support collaboration, sharing of ideas and learnings, and avoid duplication. If you are a NSW Health staff member and interested in supporting your organisation’s project, please contact the project lead provided.

LGBTIQ+ framework for change for mental health services across NSW

Organisation: Agency for Clinical Innovation

Contacts:   Lisa Thorpy

Evidence-check to identify access and cultural safety strategies for LGBTIQ+ young people in need of public mental health services. The evidence check and statewide solution design workshops will inform the development of a LGBTIQ+ framework for change for mental health services across NSW.

Promoting equity and inclusion into cancer trials for LGBTIQ+ communities

Organisation: Cancer Institute NSW

Contact: Celine Daignault

Development of strategies and resources to promote the inclusion of LGBTIQ+ people in research, including cancer clinical trials. In partnership with ACON, the cancer clinical trials workforce, investigators and the LGBTIQ+ community members will be consulted to understand barriers and challenges. Information and educational resources will be developed to support an inclusive approach to the planning and conduct of clinical trials. A public campaign will be developed to raise awareness of cancer clinical trials across LGBTIQ+ communities.

Diversity and inclusion on the Central Coast

Organisation:  Central Coast Local Health District

Contact: Kate Reid

Implementation of the NSW LGBTIQ+ Health Strategy in CCLHD including:

  • staff training and education
  • improving capability of local primary care clinicians through targeted GP and practice nurse education and training
  • development of educational resources that can be shared across NSW Health services.

Improving LGBTIQ+ inclusion in build solutions for healthcare facilities

Organisation: Health Infrastructure NSW

Contacts: Hannah Bleyerveen, Jenny Green

Development of a best practice recommendation report for improving LGBTIQ+ inclusion in public hospitals through infrastructure and facilities.

The project has three main components:

  • research and consultation work
  • alignment of findings with current National Construction Code requirements
  • a final report that will present recommendations to guide the development of health infrastructure across NSW Health.

HNE LHD transgender health clinic 25+years: capacity building, service redesign, evaluation

Organisation: Hunter New England Local Health District

Contact: Katie Wynne

HNELHD has two co-located public adult clinics providing dedicated gender-affirming medical therapy. With growing demand, this project will evaluate the services and consider redesign options to improve efficiency and enhance quality.

Implementing phase one of the NSW LGBTIQ+ Health Strategy in ISLHD

Organisation: Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District

Contact: Sarah Adams

Development of a whole of organisation, sustainable structure for the implementation of LGBTIQ+ health initiatives across ISLHD services. Scoping work to document and assess a range of initiatives and innovative service models occurring across ISLHD services and a gap analysis will inform future activities.

Identifying experiences and health care needs of transgender youth and adults in and on leaving the NSW custodial setting

Organisation: Justice Health & Forensic Mental Health Network

Contact: Shani Prosser

Quality improvement project to improve healthcare access and provision for transgender people in and leaving custody. Literature and stakeholder consultation will inform the design of interventions. Findings will also guide service linkages and pathways to improve health and social outcomes in custody and on release.

MLHD Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging Plan

Organisation: Murrumbidgee Local Health District

Contact: Cindy Mundy

A skilled inclusion professional will lead MLHD’s Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging Action Plan activities. This will include localised training, the development of resources and initiatives such as the Festival of Inclusion, and delivery of unconscious bias training.

‘It starts with hello’ – Enhancing LGBTIQ+ inclusion by upskilling front facing staff

Organisation: Nepean Blue Mountains Local Health District

Contact: Lee Velandia

Rainbow Health Australia will deliver a two-part LGBTIQ+ training program for administration staff and wards-people.

This training offers:

  • a self-paced e-learning program ‘LGBTIQ Inclusion Flexible Learning Package’
  • a 3-hour follow-up webinar, ‘Embedding LGBTIQ Inclusion into Practice’ tailored to the needs of the specific audience.

NSLHD LGBTIQ+ Health Strategy support and implementation project

Organisation: Northern Sydney Local Health District

Contact: Jemma Clifton

A project officer will support local implementation of the NSW LGBTIQ+ Health Strategy, focusing on:

  • education, and elevation of staff capability and confidence
  • opportunities to improve data collection
  • improving staff access to local expertise
  • access to services and system responsiveness
  • partnerships with LGBTIQ+ community organisations and consumers.

Improving clinical confidence

Organisation: NSW Ambulance

Contacts: Stephanie Looi, Paul Wildin

This project seeks to improve NSW Ambulance clinician knowledge, attitudes and practice of mental health and suicide risk assessment in an out of hospital environment for LGBTIQ+ patients.

Statewide collection service: LGBTIQA+ inclusion training

Organisation: NSW Health Pathology

Contact: Judith Kempton-Webb, Lorreta Thomson

Collection staff together with referrers and transgender people to will develop a training program focusing on providing safe and affirming practice that is responsive to the needs of the transgender community. The project will involve:

  • discovery phase using the co-design methodology
  • delivery of a statewide LGBTQIA+ training program roll-out to approx. 1400 collection and support staff in over 160 collection locations across the state
  • post training resources to support affirming practice.

LGBTIQ+ pathways to parenthood and beyond

Organisation: South Eastern Sydney Local Health District

Contacts: Cyerna Hunt Madden

This project aims to improve the health and wellbeing of LGBTIQ+ families and enhance their care experiences across the first 2000 days.

In partnership with LGBTIQ+ consumers and  families, partners (ACON, Rainbow Families, Twenty10) and staff, we will identify enablers and barriers to access and develop best evidence responses to provide safe, trauma-informed, affirming, and inclusive maternity, Child and Family Health (CFH) and Child and Adolescent Mental Health (CAMHS) services.

Project officer: Gender and sexually diverse projects

Organisation: South Western Sydney Local Health District

Contact:  Mandy Williams

The Gender and Sexually Diverse Project Officer will facilitate the expansion of the Gender Sphere package, and other inclusive projects.

This will enhance gender and sexually diverse consumer and carer experiences, as well as workplace culture, capability, service provision, and equity in SWSLHD. The Project Officer will work with various services and stakeholders to establish and maintain inclusive and therapeutic environments for LGBTIQ+ consumers and carers.

Health service capacity building training: Working with LGBTIQ+ refugees and asylum seekers

Organisation: STARTTS

Contacts: Parissa Bozorg, Jasmina Bajraktarevic

The Health Service Capacity Building Training program will be co-designed and delivered to a broad range of healthcare settings and teams include youth health, drug and alcohol, emergency departments, mental health, anti-natal/maternity and Violence Abuse and Neglect Services.

Trans and gender diverse patient liaison program

Organisation: St Vincent’s Health Network Sydney

Contact: Bec Cerio

This project will foster an inclusive and equitable environment across the St. Vincent’s Hospital Sydney Network for trans and gender diverse patients accessing our services.

Through the delivery of tailored training and resources for clinical and non-clinical patient-facing staff, this project will empower staff to provide trans-inclusive, safe and appropriate care to gender diverse patients.

Through the delivery of co-designed patient resources tailored to the needs of trans patients, this project will also support gender diverse patients to navigate the health system.

Speaking my language: Bridging communication and access gaps for ESL LGBTIQA+ patients

Organisation: Sydney Local Health District

Contacts: Flora Tao, EJ Heine

Development of training and resources for healthcare interpreters to build their knowledge of the healthcare needs of LGBTIQ+ clients and to increase confidence in providing appropriate, safe and informed interpreting. At a minimum this will be provided to SLHD HCIS but developed with state-wide scalability in mind.

Enhancing patient experience and outcomes for LGBTIQ+ populations in SCHN

Organisation: Sydney Children’s Hospital Network

Contact: Rachel Ellis

A Diversity Health Coordinator will lead activities including a current state assessment with consumers and clinicians to identify barriers and facilitators to healthcare access and delivery for LGBTIQ+ patients and families; development of a project framework to enable service redesign, system linkages, and capacity building to improve patient experiences; and project evaluation.

LGBTIQ+ Project Officer

Organisation: Western NSW Local Health District with outreach to Far West Local Health District

Contact: Trevor Slattery

The LGBTIQ+ Project Officer will coordinate activities to ensure the delivery of high-quality, safe, inclusive and responsive healthcare.

The LGBTIQ+ Project Officer will:

  • engage with healthcare providers to increase safe and supportive environments, focusing on priority areas such as entry points to the health services and services for young people
  • work with LGBTIQ+ staff and community groups to develop service improvement co-design opportunities
  • implement the local LGBTIQ+ Health Strategy priority action plan.

LGBTIQ+ Project Officer

Organisation: Western Sydney Local Health District

Contacts: Graeme Pringle, Jo Fuller

The LGBTIQ+ Project Officer will lead the development of a local NSW LGBTIQ+ Health Strategy implementation plan to influence system change and improve outcomes for LGBTIQ+ communities.


Current as at: Wednesday 7 August 2024