Rainbow Resource for Mental Healthcare

Background

The new Rainbow Resource is an online toolkit for child and adolescent mental health clinicians supporting LGBTIQ+ young people and their families.
Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) clinicians in NSW report that up to 60% of young people accessing their services identify as LGBTIQ+. Given this, providing LGBTIQ+ affirming mental healthcare is important for improving outcomes for young people and their families.
It is the first resource of its kind produced in Australia specifically for mental healthcare professionals working with LGBTIQ+ young people. The toolkit can be used by a wide range of clinicians and healthcare professionals working in NSW Health and in the community.
The Rainbow Resource offers guidance for mental health clinicians to understand the needs of LGBTIQ+ young people and provide affirming, best-practice care. It is designed to be used by NSW CAMHS clinicians and other mental health clinicians working with young people.
The resource supports clinicians to:
- understand LGBTIQ+ communities, history, identity and experience
- support LGBTIQ+ young people, their parents and carers in clinical practice
- foster an inclusive and effective therapeutic environment.
The Rainbow Resource was developed by the NSW Agency for Clinical Innovation’s Mental Health Network with an expert working group of young people with lived experience, mental health clinicians and LGBTIQ+ community advocates.
The resource aligns with the NSW LGBTIQ+ Health Strategy 2022-2027, contributing to the strategic priority to deliver high quality, safe, inclusive and responsive healthcare.

Article for newsletters, websites, intranets

New Rainbow Resource for mental health clinicians supporting LGBTIQ+ young people

The new Rainbow Resource is an online toolkit for child and adolescent mental health clinicians supporting LGBTIQ+ young people and their families.

Up to three out of five of young people accessing Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) in NSW identify as LGBTIQ+. That’s why providing affirming, best practice care is important to improve outcomes for young people and their families.

The Rainbow Resource was developed by the Agency for Clinical Innovation working with CAMHS clinicians, LGBTIQ+ young people and community advocates.

The toolkit supports mental health clinicians to:

understand LGBTIQ+ communities, identity and experience
support LGBTIQ+ young people, parents and carers
foster an inclusive and effective therapeutic environment.

Find the toolkit at: aci.health.nsw.gov.au/rainbow-resource

Images for newsletters, websites, intranets

Download newsletter tile 1 (JPG 57.6 KB)

Download newsletter tile 2 (JPG 41.1 KB)

Download banner (JPG 90.9 KB)

Short video (for use on websites, intranets, social media etc)

Trailers introducing the Rainbow Resource for mental health clinicians working with LGBTIQ+ young people:

Social media content

For use on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram or internal social networks.

Download social media tile (JPG 175.3 KB) or use the videos provided above.

Providing affirming, best practice mental health care helps to improve outcomes for LGBTIQ+ young people and their families.

The new Rainbow Resource is an online toolkit that supports mental health clinicians to:

understand LGBTIQ+ communities, identity and experience
support LGBTIQ+ young people, parents and carers
foster an inclusive and effective therapeutic environment.

The Rainbow Resource was developed by the NSW Agency for Clinical Innovation together with CAMHS clinicians, LGBTIQ+ young people and community advocates.

Explore the toolkit at: aci.health.nsw.gov.au/rainbow-resource

Poster, digital screen and Teams background

For display in staff and patient-facing areas of CAMHS and other health services, to show commitment to providing affirming care and create a welcoming environment.

Download A4 poster (PDF 2.0 MB)

Download digital screen (429.8 KB)