Manager's Report

Includes the 1997-1998 Annual Report

by Elizabeth Riley

(The Gender Centre advise that this article may not be current and as such certain content, including but not limited to persons, contact details and dates may not apply. Where legal authority or medical related matters are cited, responsibility lies with the reader to obtain the most current relevant legal authority and/or medical publication.)

World First for the Gender Centre

It is with great excitement that I report on a number of Gender Centre initiatives that are truly historic moments for the transgender community.

The establishment of a Working Party under the auspice of The Department for Women represents an enormous step forward towards true equity for transgender people. The Working Party was set up following an extensive period of lobbying various government ministers; The Working Party comprises permanent representatives from the Anti-Discrimination Board (A.D.B.), The Office of the Director of Equal Opportunity in Public Employment (O.D.E.O.P.E.), The Health Care Complaints Commission (H.C.C.C.) N.S.W., Department of Education and Training (D.E.T.), The Department for Women (D.F.W.) and The Gender Centre. Representatives from other government departments will be called in when required. The aim of the Working Party will be to address, and devise strategies for dealing with, the many issues facing transgender people in their everyday lives. I am greatly optimistic that in time the efforts of the Working Party will improve conditions for all transgender people.

The long term networking with employers is starting to produce dividends. We have now established a wonderful working relationship with The Body Shop, which includes a positive approach to transgender employment, and an absolute commitment to human rights. The striking feature of The Body Shop's approach is their thoughtful preparations to guarantee that transgender employees will be treated with respect and dignity. They are determined that our partnership will be a successful and illuminating one for all involved. Expressions of interest from other organisations are slowly filtering in and I am sure significant changes in attitudes will increasingly provide access to employment for our community.

An increasing level of training has been conducted through the H.I.V. Department of Education and Training. The Gender Centre has provided training to teachers, student counselors and students within, the system on transgender issues and gender in general. Particularly encouraging is the Department's willingness to invite transgender people to address students. This is groundbreaking in the extreme and provides us - with a wonderful opportunity to educate new generations to adopt better levels of respect for diversity. This may well be the first time anywhere in the world that transgenders have been given the opportunity to talk openly with young people, and it clearly marks a shift in the traditional thinking that has historically generated oppressive attitudes towards us.

We have been working closely with Corrective Services to ensure the effective implementation of the Transgender Prison's Policy which will see transgender People granted access to the gaols of their gender identity; While this has been in the pipeline for a few years, We are finally on the verge of seeing its implementation, This too is all exciting step forward in acknowledgment of transgender identity and again, we believe, N.S.W. will be the first place in the world to initiate such a policy. Encouragingly we understand that the British Justice System has now requested information on this policy with the view to developing a similar one.

The long term significance of the above, and other ongoing initiatives, will be to change cultural attitudes towards transgender people and create an environment where we can expect the same levels of respect and dignity that the majority of people take for granted.

Coordinators Annual Report

This year, as with other years, has been something of a challenge for myself and for the staff and Management Committee of The Gender Centre.

The staff of the centre have worked diligently to restore the, credibility of The Gender Centre following the events of early 1997, which saw an almost total turnover of staff and the loss of many of the Centre's resources.

While maintaining normal services over that time we have also;

• established strong and positive relationships with a wide range of agencies;
• worked in close collaboration with our funding bodies;
• conducted numerous training sessions;
• seen important extensions to the service in relation to outreach and social and support activities;
• been involved in advocacy across a wide range of issues;
• upgraded our computer systemss
• undertaken a C.H.A.S.P. review to ensure we meet professional standards;
• redesigned a wide range of resources, which are now presented as fact sheets;
• improved the presentation and content of Polare.
• overhauled the Centre's systems; including the redesign of standard forms and policy documents, introduction of computerised data maintenance systems, reassessment of the financial management needs.
• review of client data collection systems etc;
• offered student placements to two students;
• increased the capacity of our residential service; and
• worked closely with the Management Committee to ensure every opportunity for community input.

Support & Services Provided

Education & Training

Elizabeth Riley has compiled an education package that is used by her to train a broad range of services regarding a variety of issues relating to gender and to transgender persons. The aims of the education package are to;

• encourage service providers in all areas to work effectively with transgender clients;
• provide support to employers in workplaces where a staff member is in transition;
• encourage employers to uphold Anti­ Discrimination amendments and employ transgender persons who present as the best person for a position; and
• encourage all organisations to treat all people including transgender people, equitably.

In the past year, Elizabeth has provided training to;

• N.S.W. College of Nursing – Mental Health Nursing x 2;
• Sydney University – Reactivate Conference;
• Lifeline;
• St George Sexual Health Clinic;
• University of Western Sydney­ - Talkfest '97;
• N.S.W. Family Planning
• Gorman House;
• U.W.S. Macarthur­ - Sexuality and Welfare;
• Newcastle D. & A. Unit;
• Cellblock Youth Services;
• Bondi Junction Community Health Centre;
• Australian College of Sexual Health Physicians;
• N.S.W. D.E.T. – Regional Director's Student Welfare x 2;
• Health Care Complaints Commission x 2;
• Kamira Farm­ - Women's D & A. Unit
• Leichhardt Women's Community Health Centre;
• N.S.W. Family Planning - One in Ten Conference
• Blue Mountains Women's Health Centre;
• Shellharbour T.A.F.E. - Welfare Students;
• S.A.A.P. - Women's Services Directors;
• N.S.W. D.E.T. S.R.C. State Representatives;
• State Rail; and
• N.S.W. College of Nursing - Student Representative Council.

The growth in demand for education and training from The Gender Centre has been nothing short of phenomenal in the past year. The response from those attending the training provided by Elizabeth has been resoundingly and overwhelmingly positive. Staff have maintained their representation on a number of committees and interagency groups that address issues of priority to the client group of The Gender Centre. These include;

• Department for Women;
• H.I.V. Directions Consultation ­- David Lowe Consulting;
• H.I.V. Housing Committee Meetings;
• H.I.V. Women's Group - ACON;
• S.A.A.P. Meetings;
• Juvenile Justice - Advice to Director-General regarding policy directions;
• N.S.W. Police – Conflict Resolution/advice regarding police treatment of transgender persons;
• Probation and Parole - Liaison re: Case management and advocacy for client at Parole Board hearings;
• Sex Workers Interagency Meeting (S.W.I.M.);
• Cellblock Youth Health Service Interagency;
• Central Sydney Area Health Interagency;
• Department of Corrective Services Working Group for the development of the Transgender Prison Policy;
• Foley House Management Committee;
• Arrunga Youth Service Management Committee; and
• Kings Cross Youth Resource Management Committee.

Staff at The Gender Centre are networking with an increasing number of services. The following services are those with which we have a formal liaison Strategy in place:

• The Department For Women;
• Employment and Equity Specialist's Association;
• Australian Businesswomen's Network;
• Affirmative Action Agency;
• Leichhardt Women's Community Health Centre;
• Department of Corrective Services;
• The Body Shop;
• N.S.W. Department of Education and Training (N.S.W.D.E.T.);
• The Anti-Discrimination Board;
• Department of Housing;
• Department of Community Services;
• Office of the Director of Equal Opportunity in Public Employment (O.D.E.O.P.E.)
• N.S.W. Health Care Complaints Commission (H.C.C.C.);
• McKinnon House;
• Basement 82;
• Gorman House;
• Palm Court;
• Access Plus;
• New Beginnings (Women);
• The Buttery;
• Women's Place;
• Homeless Persons Unit;
• Foley House;
• Arrunga Youth Service;
• Twenty 10 Gay & Lesbian Refuge;
• St. Vinnies for Youth;
• St. Vincent de Paul Regional Centre;
• Ashfield Community Health Centre;
• Marrickville Community Health Centre;
• N.C.O.S.S.;
• Employers Federation; and
• Australian Services Union.

Residential Service

The database for residential clients has been analysed as follows:

• 44 clients were admitted to the service in the previous year. 12 of these clients were continuing their residence from the previous year;
• the total number of occupied bed days was 4300. The occupancy rate was between 85-90% on average, this represents a small improvement on the previous year and is a high overall occupancy rate for a S.A.A.P. service; and
• When the new S.A.A.P. statistical package (Smart data) is introduced later this year The Gender Centre will be able to break these statistics down further and gain a clear picture of our client demographics.

Service Magazine Polare

The 25th edition of Polare has been published. Community feedback continues to be encouraging and community contributions are continuing to arrive into the magazine.

The Source also published between each edition of Polare for members receives equally encouraging feedback.

There are currently 875 names on the mailing list (an improvement on 750 in the previous year) and that is continually growing. We presently print 2,000 Polare copies per edition and are considering increasing pages per edition due to the rise in contributions and positive community debate.

The improved computer hardware now used to coordinate Polare's layout and design has made a great difference to the overall look and feel of this publication.

Interagency Networking & Liaison

Staff at The Gender Centre continue to maintain the high level of interagency referrals for high-risk transgender persons. There has been an improved coordination of inner city services and a reduction of overlap.

Ongoing service advertising has been provided for The Gender Centre in the various newsletters of the following agencies. The interagency network includes;

• Kirketon Road Centre;
• Family Planning Association of N.S.W.;
• Foley House;
• Kings Cross Youth Resources;
• N.S.W. Users and AIDS Association
• People Living With H.I.V. / AIDS;
• Sex Workers Outreach Project;
• Redfern Community Health Centre;
• AIDS Council of N.S.W.;
• St. Vincent's Hospital;
• Prince Henry Hospital;
• Langton Centre Outreach Service;
• Probation and Parole Services;
• Various correctional institutions;
• Mental Health Crisis Teams;
• Caritas;
• Rozelle Hospital;
• Specialist Psychiatrists and Psychologists;
• Inner Western and Inner City community health centres;
• St. John of God; and
• The Wayside Chapel.

Outreach Service

A significant increase in the provision of services to clients living in the community, including those who are confined at home, at hospital or in jail has been documented. This has included an increase in the provision of face-to-­face counseling services to clients living in the community throughout the year.

• 340 face-to-face counselling sessions on Monday and Thursday night outreach.
• 38 in-house counseling sessions with community clients.
• 1400 clients accessed in total through outreach.

The Outreach Worker has distributed the following supplies during outreach shifts:

• 19588 Condoms;
• 2304 x 42g tubes of lubricant;
• 1700 x 1ml syringes;
• 200 x 2ml syringes;
• 100 x 2.5ml syringes;
• 400 x 2.5ml syringes;
• 1451 x 10ml syringes; and
• 231 butterflies.

The total rate of return for all syringes in 4,650, which gives a 120% rate of return.

The Outreach Worker has given workshops on prostheses (2) and hormones (1).

Follow up visits are now provided as part of the aftercare component for residents leaving the service. An increasing number of clients also continue to telephone and visit the Centre in order to maintain contact with their peer's and for support.

Social & Support Services

• People attending social events = 1116
• Number of social events = 150

The workshops held this year have included;

• Young person's workshop;
• Labels May Not Apply workshop;
• Women's Workshop x 1;
• Men's Workshop x 2;
• Prosthesis x 2;
• Gay, Lesbian, Queer, Transgender Workshop x 1;
• Weekend away x 1; and
• H.I.V. Quilt Making 1-day Workshop.

The support groups held this year have included;

• Young People's Support Group;
• Gay, Lesbian, Queer Transgender Support Group;
• Self-Defense Classes;
• Tuesday Night Drop-In; and
• Wednesday Morning Drop-In.

Service Evaluation

Success in achieving the service's objectives has been monitored throughout the year by a range of processes.

The service has undergone a complete Community Health Accreditation Standards Program (C.H.A.S.P.) review and the results have been quite positive. A number of areas for improvement have been highlighted and are currently being addressed.

The Gender Centre has had an exceptionally good year in many ways and the staff at the Centre look forward to developing and implementing positive goals and objectives in the forthcoming year.

Polare is published in Australia by The Gender Centre Inc. which is funded by the Department of Community Services under the S.A.A.P. Program and supported by the N.S.W. Health Department through the AIDS and Infectious Diseases Branch. Polare provides a forum for discussion and debate on gender issues. Advertisers are advised that all advertising is their responsibility under the Trade Practices Act. Unsolicited contributions are welcome, though no guarantee is made by the Editor that they will be published, nor any discussion entered into. The editor reserves the right to edit such contributions without notification. Any submission which appears in Polare may be published on our internet site. Opinions expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect those of the Editor, The Gender Centre Inc.I, the Department of Community Services or the N.S.W. Department of Health.