Aftercare

Mind Australia operates an Aftercare program offering support to people who are LGBTIQA+ and are having thoughts or intentions of suicide. Mind’s Aftercare program is a safe place for psychological healing.  

About Aftercare  

Mind Australia’s Aftercare team is a peer-led team consisting of mental health peer support workers, counsellors and psychologists who are also part of the LGBTIQA+ community and understand the issues and challenges faced by the community based on their own lived experience of thoughts of suicide.    

Aftercare offers recovery-focused, short-term (up to six months) community-based and therapeutic support to help you, your chosen family members and other important people in your life. The Aftercare team provides warm, affirming care and strategies for moving forward with a life of meaning and purpose.  

Aftercare also offers ongoing suicide support for people that need long-term assistance through a group-based program. Graduates of the Aftercare program can access the weekly peer-led drop-in session for as long as they need. 

Who is Aftercare for?    

Aftercare is free to access and is available for people living in or with ties to metropolitan Melbourne. This program is for LGBTIQA+ people experiencing suicidal thoughts.  

Upon referral, the Aftercare team will contact you to make a time to do an intake session. After intake, you will be matched with a peer practitioner and a counsellor/psychologist for weekly or fortnightly sessions. 

How do I register my interest for Aftercare?  

To access Mind’s Aftercare program please fill out the online Aftercare referral form here or alternatively download the Aftercare referral form (MS Word 1.8 MB)  

Please note, we will contact you within 48hours to arrange a phone call check in, however, Aftercare is experiencing high demand at the moment, full service support may take up to 6-8 weeks from referral time.  We are working as hard as we can to reduce this time - you are important to us ❤️

For more information about Aftercare email [email protected] or phone: 1300 286 463. Please note: this phone number is staffed during business hours.   

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Self and safety:  a resource for people identifying as LGBTIQA+ (PDF 3.4 MB) - This is a resource developed by and for LGBTIQA+ people with a lived experience of mental illness. It has been designed as a guide to help you develop your sense of safety and security while awaiting access to supports.

For emergency assistance, call 000, Qlife 1800 184 527 (available 3pm-12am) or the Suicide Call Back Service 1300 659 467 (available 24/7). 

For 24-hour support, call Lifeline 131 114. 

Why choose Mind for Aftercare?   

Mind Australia supports people experiencing mental health and wellbeing concerns to find help, hope and purpose in their lives. We provide individualised, evidence-based and recovery focused support to more than 11,000 people experiencing mental health and wellbeing concerns in Australia every year.   

We partner with health, community, and government organisations to provide holistic support and a safe environment for people experiencing mental health and wellbeing concerns to live in the community. We have been providing mental health and wellbeing support to people, and their families, friends and carers, for more than 45 years.   

We are one of the largest providers of community-managed psychosocial services in Australia with a range of residential, mobile outreach, centre-based and online services.   

Psychosocial supports – like the kind provided by Mind Australia – help people with mental health and wellbeing issues manage daily activities, rebuild and maintain connections, engage with education and employment, and participate fully in the community. These are supports which help people take positive steps in their recovery journey.  

Mind is a member of LGBTIQ+ Health Australia.