Angie Dobbrick, Executive Director, Caboolture, Kilcoy & Woodford Clinical Directorate

It is not all ‘Days’ that I write to you to acknowledge but today is an important day. Today is Trans Day of Visibility, an international day of celebration which recognises gender diverse experiences.

It is important to raise awareness and acknowledge that we have a diverse staffing group and community that we serve and that we continually show that everyone is welcome and valued here.

A little known fact is that many moons ago I worked as a Speech Pathologist in the ‘transitioning’ voice clinics for Trans programs in Victoria. It was an extraordinary experience and a privilege to work with these patients and their families and loved ones.

We know that the trans and gender-diverse community have significantly elevated rates of psychological distress, and mental health issues and it is through inclusivity, education and understanding that we can support lowering these risks. In fact, research shows that simply by using a transgender person’s chosen name at work, with friends and at home reduces depression symptoms by up to 71%, reduces thoughts of suicide by 34%, and reduces suicide attempts by 65%. This shows that when we create environments where people can be acknowledged for who they are and included through easy access to services, using the correct pronouns, and using chosen names, we can have a profound effect on people’s well-being and mental health outcomes.

I know there are a number of initiatives underway at CKW at the moment and I want to thank those teams that are working to create a more inclusive health service for Trans and gender diverse people, including the Surgical and Intensive Care service line, the Maternity team, and the Health Information team. Please know your commitment is seen and felt by your colleagues and our community.

Queensland Health’s new gender affirmation resources, which support employees with the work-related aspects of their gender affirmation are being launched today and are available online. Check out the Queensland Health LGBTIQ+ Employee Network page and watch the “It’s ok for you to be you” video to hear about the department’s commitment to staff across the state.

Take Care,

Angie.

Angie Dobbrick
Executive Director