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 works with you to create a space where healing feels possible.

About Aftercare  

Mind Australia’s Aftercare team is a peer-led team consisting of mental health peer practitioners and counsellors 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 offers warm, affirming support that meets you where you are and helps you build practical strategies for safety, connection and moving forward in ways that feel meaningful to you.  

Aftercare also offers ongoing support for people that need longer-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.  This program is for LGBTIQA+ people experiencing suicidal thoughts.  The service is based in Abbotsford and supports community across Victoria, including via telehealth for people living regionally.

Upon referral, the Aftercare team will contact you to answer any questions you might have about the program, confirm eligibility, and let you know about current wait times. When you commence with Aftercare, you will take part in an intake session, after which you will be matched with a peer practitioner and a counsellor for weekly or fortnightly sessions.   

At Aftercare, we acknowledge the ongoing impacts of colonisation and intergenerational trauma and recognise that First Nations people can experience additional barriers to care. For this reason, we prioritise referrals from Rainbow Mob as part of our commitment to closing the gap and providing equitable and culturally responsive services.

More information  

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

If you have been supported by Aftercare before, you are welcome to re-refer six months after finishing with us. You may choose to come back if the program feels like the right support for you again.

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Circles of Connection (PDF 10 MB) brings together lived-experience suggestions from LGBTIQA+ people about things to try when you're thinking about suicide. Co-designed by community members with lived experience, the zine explores the different ways connection, to ourselves, others, community and the world around us, can support us during times of distress.  Members of our team contributed to its co-design, and we are delighted to share it with you here.

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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, 

Aftercare referral form

Here are some other supports you might find helpful: 

• Qlife - 1800 184 527 (available 3pm-12am)  
• Suicide Call Back Service - 1300 659 467 (available 24/7)
• Roses in the Ocean - Peer CARE Companion Warmline - 1800 777 337 
• For 24-hour support, call Lifeline 131 114.