The Community Wellbeing Project is a 6-months long virtual training and guided practice program. The objective of the project is to train a team of peer support volunteers (PSV) who can offer emotional support for LGBTQIA+ community members via structured one-on-one sessions. Persons from LGBTQIA+ community often face discrimination on account of their sexuality and gender. Their unequal status in society means that their struggles are harder and mental health is impacted. Thus the community needs greater support to tackle their daily problems and build fulfilling lives. We believe that persons form the LGBTQIA+ community are in the best position to offer support to their peers.

This training program is based on the principles and values of peer support such as lived experience as knowledge, subjectivity and involvement of self as a resource to work with distress and promote wellbeing. We are well aware that for decades now LGBTQ groups and individuals have offered a variety of support to queer and trans folks. Our vision is to add to and strengthen existing community resources in responding to the emotional struggles that queer and trans individuals face.

This is our attempt to build community resilience as well as community resources. This program enhances and further extends the PSP module developed by Mariwala Health Initiative (MHI) for structured guided practice and future sustainability. It is conceived, organized and implemented by Safe Access in partnership with Gauri, Pooja and Shruti. The facilitators – Gauri, Pooja and Shruti – are queer and are also mental health practitioners. They are faculty at the Queer Affirmative Counseling Practice Certificate Course by MHI. This program is completely free of cost for the participants, and all program related costs will be covered by Safe Access.