We are looking for people who are committed to improving the health and wellbeing of young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander LGBTQA+ mob to join the Walkern Katatdjin Governance Committee.
 

The Walkern Katatdjin (Rainbow Knowledge) project aims to improve the support available to our young mob through research. There is very little information and guidance for services that work with young people on how best to support someone who is both Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander and LGBTQA+. We are conducting a 3-year national research project (funded by the National Health and Medical Research Council), which aims to learn more about the social and emotional wellbeing and mental health needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander LGBTQA+ young people aged 14-25 and work with them to develop ways of supporting their wellbeing and mental health.

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The project will involve a national survey into the social emotional wellbeing, mental health, and service experiences of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander LGBTQA+ young people; and co-designing a roadmap for service provision for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander LGBTQA+ young people. We have already completed interviews and yarning circles with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander LGBTQA+ young people in Perth.

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Outcomes achieved by the project so far include:

• Delivery of a community research forum to translate findings from yarning with Aboriginal LGBTQA+ young people

• An Elders Forum held in Western Australia

• Resources to support the wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander LGBTQA+ young people

• A successful submission to the Federal Government for a training development, implementation and evaluation program grant to co-design a culturally appropriate inclusive practice training package for working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander LGBTQA+ young people and their families

 

Leadership from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander LGBTQA+ people is vital to ensuring that this research project accurately reflects your needs, experiences and priorities. This is your opportunity to be actively involved in important research.

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Members of the Governance Committee will:

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• Contribute local expertise on the research needs of your community

• Review publications and research design to ensure our work aligns with your community needs

• Provide input for better data collection, sharing, validation and reuse, in line with the principles of Indigenous Data Sovereignty

• Assist with recruitment, communications, and translating project findings

• Provide input on future directions for the project

 

Who are we looking for?

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To join the Governance Committee you must be:

• Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander

• Lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer, asexual, Sistergirl, Brotherboy, or other diverse sexuality or gender

 

We are seeking mob who are engaged with community and can speak to the experience of Aboriginal LGBTQA+ people. We value both professional and lived experience, and are looking for applicants from diverse communities, occupations and identities.

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No previous experience in research governance is necessary.

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We would especially like to encourage Sistergirls, Brotherboys, trans and gender diverse people to apply.

 

Payment and Location

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Meetings will run for 2 hours every 3-4 months.

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Meetings will occur via videoconference (Microsoft Teams or Zoom). We are seeking applicants from across Australia, from both metropolitan and regional/rural areas. Committee members who participate in their own time (outside of their usual employment) will be reimbursed $100 per hour.

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How do I apply?

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Please send a short statement about who you are and why you are interested in being part of the Governance Committee to: Rainbow.Knowledge@telethonkids.org.au

 

If you would prefer to give an EOI over the phone or videoconference, please call: 08 6319 1062 or email us to arrange a videoconference link.  

 

Please also feel free to contact the team with any questions about the Governance Committee or about the project.

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Closing date

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There is no closing date for applications. We will be considering EOIs on a case-by-case basis as they arrive and will contact you shortly after.

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