Meridian

LGBTIQ DIRECTORY PARTNER

MERIDIAN

Meridian is Canberra’s leading community-controlled organisation taking action to prevent HIV, to improve the health and wellbeing of LGBTIQA+ people and those impacted by HIV, and to create safe and inclusive communities.

Meridian increases access to HIV and STI prevention, testing and treatment. We conduct targeted health promotion activities, runs community events, and provide peer-led support services and activities for people living with and impacted by HIV.

We work to improve the health and wellbeing of LGBTIQA+ people across their lifespans through events and specialist programs.

Meridian’s Wellbeing Services provide high-quality, person-centred wellbeing and healthcare support.

Additionally, Meridian provides education and training to increase understanding across the ACT about LGBTIQA+ communities and their health needs.

Meridian works with communities to celebrate and nurture their rich diversity, and to strengthen their collective resilience against the adverse effects of stigma, discrimination and minority stress.

HIV SERVICES

Meridian offers a range of support and social services for people living with and impacted by HIV in the ACT and surrounding regions.

Through our work, we provide individualised support for people living with HIV to improve health and wellbeing outcomes. We seek to reduce HIV transmissions and increase awareness of and access to HIV treatment options.

We lead Canberra’s HIV/AIDS commemoration initiative and promote safe and accessible events for HIV-positive people. We are contributing to the creation of a safe community by eliminating stigma and discrimination based on sexuality and HIV status.

SEXUAL HEALTH SERVICES

Meridian provides non-judgemental and stigma-free sexual health services. Our services include STRIP Clinic, a free STI testing and PrEP service for LGBTIQA+ communities.

STRIP runs every month from the Meridian offices on a Monday evening. STRIP Clinic is a project of PACT, the Partnership Approach to Comprehensive Testing, running since 2002.

Meridian also provides safe spaces for communities to come together to talk about sex, sexuality, relationships and sexual safety. Good health includes sexual health, and Meridian provides sex-positive spaces where everyone can access reliable and important information.

Other sexual health supports include the sale of safer sex products including condoms and HIV self-test kits, and sexual health education tools for community members and healthcare practitioners.

WELLBEING SERVICES

Meridian provides safe, inclusive and compassionate wellbeing and healthcare services for people living with and impacted by HIV, and for LGBTIQA+ people, their families-of-choice, carers and allies.

We offer a wide range of community-focused wellbeing services including trans and gender affirming care, and care for people of diverse sexual identities. Our wellbeing team are qualified and registered mental health professionals who use their lived experience to provide peer-informed and person-centred counselling and psychological services.

Other wellbeing supports include a pop-up GP clinic focused on short-term or one-off GP support for LGBTIQA+ folk who experience barriers to seeing a safe and affirming GP, and an Employee Assistance Program and therapeutic support for clients with self-managed or plan-managed NDIS funding.

SEX WORKER OUTREACH PROGRAM (SWOP) COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

Meridian’s Sex Workers Outreach Program (SWOP) is a sex worker-led, peer-based community organisation whose primary purpose is the prevention of HIV and other STIs, through education, referral and empowerment.

TRAINING AND EDUCATION

Meridian delivers an extensive training and education program to organisations and businesses across the ACT and surrounding regions.

Our training modules include LGBTIQA+ Awareness and Leadership, Inclusive Practice and Allyship, Silver Rainbow Aged Care and HIV Education.

All sessions are delivered by our skilled and dynamic staff members who bring a wealth of lived and professional experience, local knowledge and academic education to all our training sessions.

We have a ‘no wrong question’ policy to ensure all participants have an opportunity to involve themselves fully in their non-judgemental training experience. Meridian delivers specialist programs for our communities including Disabili-tea, Encampment, Sobar – Not So Straight Up and Aged Care Service Navigation.

Community events like the much-loved Fair Day provide opportunities for celebration of the rich diversity of our communities and opportunities for community members to connect.

MEMBERSHIP AND VOLUNTEERING

Members and volunteers are at the heart of Meridian’s work. There are a number of ways you can get involved and your support for the community is invaluable.

Visit meridianact.org.au Connect via socials @MeridianACT Email contact@meridianact.org.au Call 02 6257 2855