Open Doors Youth Service Launches New QLD Hub For LGBTQIA+ Youth In Logan
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Brisbane’s Open Doors Youth Service is marking their twenty five year anniversary with news of a brand new service from the organisation.
Situated on the south side of Brisbane, Open Doors have now launched their Logan hub, bringing their services closer to the young people who need them.
Open Doors CEO Rachel Hinds spoke to the Star Observer about this important new service.
Open Doors Youth Service launches in Logan
For twenty five years Open Doors Youth Service have provided a safe and welcoming space for queer youth in Brisbane, the organisation “was created by community for community 25 years ago and remains Queensland’s only dedicated LGBTIQ+ Sistergirl & Brotherboy (SB) youth service” reads their website.
The organisation provides support to young people aged 12 – 24 focussed improving their mental health and well being.
Now after twenty five years they have expanded their services from their office in Fortitude Valley to now include a support hub in Logan.
It’s their first geographical expansion, a move CEO Rachel Hinds says was important in addressing where their young people were coming from to access their services.
“When I came on board, I had a look at the geographical data of our young people to see where they were coming from. And 50% of them came from the Brisbane South public health network, even though we were located in Brisbane north.” she revealed.
“When we talked to our young people that were coming from the Logan area, what we found out is that for some of our young people, they were traveling two and a half to three hours to get to the valley, because public transport isn’t great.”
“So unless you live near a train station, you might have to walk and then get a bus to the train station and then get a train and then do that on the way back. And so for some young people that are spending, you know, four or five hours on the return trip just to come to fortitude Valley, that was really restricting their access.”
The time spent on travel was becoming prohibitive for the young people who need to access their services more regularly.
“So they might come on the weekends with social groups, but they couldn’t come regularly. They couldn’t see a counsellor. They didn’t want to do case management management, because it was just too hard. And access is really important, so we partnered with the Brisbane South PHN to open the hub in Logan to make sure that we have a place based solution for the young people that live here.”
Young people attending the Logan hub will have access to individual support, case management and counselling services as well as access to social groups facilitated by the hub.
While the move will help those in the Logan area it will also potentially provide support for young people on the Gold Coast, where there is currently no LGBTQIA+ youth mental health services and support.
“We would hope that young people can travel in. But I think there’s still a distinct need on the Gold Coast” Rachel says.
“We are talking to the Gold Coast PHN about opening a hub down in the Gold Coast, because we know that there currently are no dedicated services for queer and gender diverse young people in that region.”
Rachel hopes Open Doors will not just be servicing Logan and the Gold Coast in the future, but she hopes to see their services expanding across the state.
“We’d love to be across the state in the next five years, we’re the only dedicated LGBTIQ+ youth service in Queensland, we would have hoped after 25 years that there would be more people doing this work, but there’s not. So once you get out of Brisbane, there’s really no services for young people in our state, even though we know that outcomes for our young people are disproportionately lower and that they are seeking and wanting dedicated services.”
With the new Open Doors hub now open in Logan, they are inviting the community to their first open day this week.
The open day will run from 10am – 2pm on Wednesday April 30, those wishing to attend can register online for the event.
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