A whole of community systems approach to co-designing safer spaces in primary healthcare for LGBTIQA+ young people in rural Western Victoria
Safer Spaces is a 5-year research project based at the National Centre for Farmer Health in Hamilton, in partnership with the School of Medicine and the School of Health & Social Development at Deakin University. The project commenced in mid-2024, and the project will co-design and pilot a model of primary healthcare for queer young people in Western Victoria.
Through the new Q-Health Alliance, authentic community engagement and capacity building are central to the project and its principles of co-design, and will also strengthen connections between queer young people, community organisations, health services and local communities.
Two-stage approach
The project has two key stages. Firstly, using a whole of community systems approach, the research team are working with community and health organisations to identify the priority issues impacting primary healthcare for queer young people and the actions and service design elements required within a model that provides a ‘safer space’ for queer young people in primary healthcare. In its second stage, the project will implement and evaluate the ‘safer space’ model.
What we learn from this project will strengthen connections and community capacity in Western Victoria and contribute to making all primary healthcare a safer space for queer young people.
Meet the team
Dr Alison Kennedy (she/her)
Dr Alison Kennedy (she/her) is the Director of the National Centre for Farmer Health and the Chief Investigator on this project. Alison is a leader in rural/farmer mental health and suicide prevention and specialises in working collaboratively with communities through a wide range of innovative techniques.
Alison is based in Hamilton.
Dr James Lucas (he/him)
Dr James Lucas (he/him) is a Social Worker and Senior Lecturer in the School of Health and Social Development. He is leading the research methods components of the project, with methods including group model building and discrete choice experiment.
James is based in Melbourne.
Dr Amie O’Shea (she/her)
Dr Amie O’Shea (she/her) is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Health and Social Development. She is leading the community engagement with young people and their families, health care providers, and local LGBTIQA+ leaders and their allies.
Amie is based in Geelong.
Dr Jo Macdonald (she/her)
Jo Macdonald (she/her) is a Research Fellow at the National Centre for Farmer Health. She is leading the evaluation of the Safer Spaces project to ensure that the project is meeting its long term aims and objectives.
Jo is based in Hamilton.
Jen Walsh (they/them)
Jen Walsh (they/them) is a Project Coordinator in the School of Medicine. They are providing day-to-day management of the project and support the Leadership Team and the Steering Committee. They also support Amie with community engagement and stakeholder relationships.
Jen is based near Geelong.
More information
For all general enquiries about the research, please contact:
You can also contact the researchers involved in this project:
We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as the Traditional Custodians of the land and pay respect to their Elders, past, present and emerging. We also acknowledge brotherboys, sistergirls and other LGBTIQA+ Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders.
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