Open Door Youth Service: Independently Serving Queensland鈥檚 Queer Youth
Image: Members of the ODYS team. Image: supplied
Boasting a group of highly devoted staff, the Open Door Youth Service has been helping young Queenslanders from all across the 17c起草社区+ spectrum connect with the community, themselves, and one another for over a decade.
As the only specialised youth service of its kind in Queensland, they provide a wide range of essential resources, programs, and functions dedicated to the enrichment of young queer lives in the state and beyond.
Such resources include:
- Reconnect 鈥� A homelessness intervention program
- Brisbane Mind 鈥� Mental health counseling.
- Jellybeans 鈥� A service for trans and gender-diverse youth
- And, Young & Proud 鈥� A community building support group
鈥淎 Whole Lot More鈥�
Sitting down with 17c起草社区, Open Doors Youth Service CEO Chris Pickard highlights the service鈥檚 history and its enduring present.
鈥淭he group started over 10 years ago by a couple of volunteers of our service when we started to attract young trans and/or gender-diverse people,鈥� he said.
鈥淥ver this time, the number of young people joining has grown significantly.聽 [The service] provides 1 on 1 support, goal planning, case management, referrals, family support, and a whole lot more.聽 We also facilitate social support groups for the participants fortnightly.
Pickard also brought up how managing finances for the service has grown more difficult as time has worn on, detailing how most expenses have always been independently funded, with little support from the government.
鈥淭he program has been delivered out of our own pockets for the majority of its existence but it has grown to such a point that we cannot continue to do so,鈥� he said.
He describes how this is in spite of continually reaching out to official bodies seeking aid, getting little in response.
鈥淸We鈥檝e written to the government] many times.聽 We are currently awaiting a response from QHealth about our recent submission.鈥�
In lieu of this, the service runs a diverse range of queer-positive fundraisers to both maintain funds while also building community.
Their latest, a screening of queer documentary film 鈥榃ho I Am鈥�, will occur at 2 pm on Monday, June, 26 at the Brisbane Theatre and is open to all who wish to attend.
Connecting Queer Youth
In spite of difficulties, Pickard only sees the service鈥檚 work continuing in earnest 鈥� sharing its overall vision that 鈥渁ll young people of Diverse genders, bodies, sexualities, and relationships [should] be connected to culturally and developmentally appropriate services.鈥�
To this end he outlines the company鈥檚 efforts to move further, raising awareness and making their service known to queer youth by working alongside schools across Queensland.
鈥淲e work very closely with many high schools throughout South East Queensland,鈥� Pickard said.
Overall, through its wide range of programs suited to any need, the Open Doors Youth Service is ready and eager to provide high-quality aid to all 17c起草社区+ youth.
A full list of resources, and further information on events, fundraisers, and more can be found on their .
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