Outlink

About

Our community engagement project occurred throughout the last half of 2021. It consisted of Zoom sessions and a survey. These sessions and surveys focused on hearing from services users who identify as 2SLGBTQ+ on their experiences when accessing support services around Calgary/Moh’kinsstis, what’s helpful for service users when accessing support services, and what services/programming they’re looking for (or more of).

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We had a total of 82 participants. Thank you to everyone who participated! 

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Findings

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These findings apply to various support services that services users have accessed. These include peer support, mental health, physical health, financial services, basic needs, and many more.  

 

Survey

 

• Many types of services were accessed by participants over the last two years. The top services accessed were for physical health and mental health, financial, basic needs, and peer support. 

 

• Many of these were accessed due to the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic

 

• One third did not feel like they got the support they were looking for the last time they accessed a support service

 

• Feelings of safety, correct pronoun usage, and being treated with kindness and respect were consistent issues for most participants when accessing services

 

• More than three quarters of participants experienced challenges or barriers when accessing services

 

• Most barriers were related to fear around identity (not understanding or respecting identity or being outed by using a certain service), as well as cost to accessing a service. Other common barriers included wait times being too long and having Covid anxiety. 

 

• Common accessibility barriers were services not being accessible by transit, no free parking available, no gender neutral washrooms available, and the building not having elevators, ramps, or hallways/doorways big enough for wheelchairs and walkers. 

 

Some supports, services, and programming that most participants are looking for from organizations in general are as follows:

 

• More support for newcomers

 

• More programming for Indigenous community members

 

• More programming for racialized community members

 

• More social community events

 

• More volunteer opportunities

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Community engagement sessions:

 

Common themes:

 

• Better accessibility to resources (ex. Expansive resource lists, better networks to find resources, one place to find resources, printed copies)

 

• Increased programming for BIPOC

 

• Importance of sexual and gender diversity training, anti-racism, and anti-ableism training for service providers and health practitioners

 

• Importance of education/awareness for general public about 2SLGBTQ+ people

 

• Mistreatment/confusion by health practitioners when treating sexual and gender diverse patients

 

• Importance of discrimination policies in service provision

 

• Accessibility issues for non-status residents and refugees when accessing services 

 

• Opportunities for community connection and education 

 

• Improved accessibility of services for youth 

 

• Importance of youth involvement

 

• Increased programming outreach to diverse communities

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Questions:

If you have any questions, please email zak@calgaryoutlink.ca.

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Funding:

This project was funded by Women and Gender Equality Canada through the Government of Canada and The Enchanté Network.

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