About the LGBTIQA+ Mentoring Projects
The LGBTIQA+ Mentoring Projects is a peer-support program for community, by community. We aim to promote support networks and build resilience through identity, skills, and community connections that are vital to LGBTIQA+ social and emotional wellbeing – individually and collectively.
Mentoring is about bringing peers together, where someone is wanting support with coming out, staying discreet, transitioning, navigating relationships with family and loved ones, or just finding themselves and a place in community.
Mentoring is for family members too (of origin and/or choice), who are wanting to understand how to support someone in their life who is LGBTIQA+. For example, your child/young person comes out and you want to learn more about their identity and how to support them, through peer-support mentorship for yourself.
People aged 12 years and older can be mentored, and people aged 18 years and older can mentor. People of any disabilities, races, religions, sexualities, genders, cultural identities, refugee and asylum-seeking experiences, and classes can mentor or be mentored.
This service is FREE and runs both online and in-person. It is currently only accessible to folks living in the Greater Melbourne area.
How does Mentoring work?
The LGBTIQA+ Mentoring Projects provide mentoring peer-support through one-on-one mentoring and group events.
One-on-one mentoring means connecting with another person who is a peer from the LGBTIQA+ community. A mentor might have similar experiences, identities, skills, knowledge, interests, hobbies, activities, community connections, and/or give space to talk about what all this means for you, through mentorship. They are not a professional service and cannot substitute for therapeutic or support work.
Mentoring can include catching up to do an activity together, having a conversation, or having someone to ask questions. This most often occurs for a few hours each month, for six months to a year.
Our team provides support alongside your connection with the mentor, before and throughout the mentorship.
I’m interested in becoming a mentor
Firstly, thank you! This program would not exist without the generosity of our wonderful mentors!
The stages to be a mentor are:
- Complete a Mentor sign-up form at this link here.
- Attend a training & induction session, organised by the mentoring team on an as-needed basis
- Complete paperwork to onboard you as a volunteer mentor
- Connect you with a mentee!
- Attend regular catch-ups with program staff to support you as a mentor
Training and induction (stage 2) is done on an as-needed basis to ensure we have a good mentor-mentee ratio in the program. This is based on the mentee’s needs, shared with us during intake.
I’m interested in getting a mentor
Mentoring Projects has put a pause on all new signups for now. We do not have a waitlist, however, keep an eye out on this page for updates!
If you would like to find out what forms of support Queerspace does have available, give us a call on 03 9663 6733 or check out our homepage.
If you have a specific question or request relating to the mentoring projects program, you can reach us at mentoringprojects@ds.org.au. Unfortunately, we are not able to provide an expected time when intake will re-open, as this depends on many factors.
The following services & organisations are available should you need immediate support:
Rainbow Door
10am – 5pm AEST, daily
phone: 1800 729 376 | text : 0480 017 246 | email: support@rainbowdoor.org.au| website: rainbowdoor.org.au/
QLife
3pm to midnight AEST, daily
phone: 1800 184 527 | webchat: qlife.org.au/resources/chat | website: qlife.org.au/
Lifeline
24 hour crisis support and suicide prevention service
phone: 13 11 14 | text: 0477 131 114 | webchat: lifeline.org.au/crisis-chat/ | website: lifeline.org.au/
Care In Mind
Free 24/7 online and phone counselling for people living, working or studying in Melbourne. Call 1300 096 269
Parentline
Victorian statewide counselling service for parents and carers of children aged 0 – 18 years. Call 13 22 89.