• Community Space
• Volunteer Project
• Client Services
• Positive Living Project
• Vitamin Service
• Counselling
• Community Health Promotion
• Needle and Syringe Program
• Substance Support Service
• Sex Industry Outreach
• More info

Community space

ACON has community spaces in Newcastle and in Port Macquarie for members of ACON’s community.

• Wheelchair accessible
• Lounge and kitchen 
• Public access computer with internet 
• Info on GLBT health and HIV/AIDS
• GLBT themed lending library including info HIV
• Safe sex and sexual health info
• Regional newsletter
• GLBT community papers 
• GLBT share accommodation notice board 
• Condoms and lubricant
• Low cost vitamins for sale

The space is available for use by GLBT community groups and a wheelchair accessible room is available for use to other service providers.

Volunteer Project

Volunteers are an integral and valuable part of service delivery at ACON. The volunteer program provides opportunities for volunteers to participate in:

• Front of house customer service
• Drug education
• Community development and education
• Lesbian health projects
• Eevents and fundraising

And all in an interesting and diverse atmosphere. The program also offers opportunities to use or develop skills and connect with the community.

Client services

In Newcastle our Care and Support service provides intake assessment and referral to individual support services, care coordination, advocacy for GLBT people and everyone living with and affected by HIV/AIDS. Individual support includes:

• Personal skills development
• Budgeting and financial issues
• Dental scheme access
• Housing and legal information
• Referral to peer support groups, relevant services and organisations

Outreach services are provided to:

• Central Coast
• Maitland 
• Hunter Valley

Advocacy work includes assistance and advice with homophobia and discrimination. Workshops on GLBT and HIV/AIDS awareness are provided to mainstream services. These can be tailored to suit specific situations and groups.

Positive Living Project

In Newcastle this project resources the Shared Care working group. This program provides:

• Care coordination between the main HIV services, HNEAHS, Karumah PLC and ACON
• An information service about antiretroviral drug treatments and other living well information
• Printed and web-based HIV health information resources
• One-on-one and group education sessions
• HIV Positive Health Retreats
• Access to peer support.
• Information on alcohol and other drugs including drug side effects, drug interactions, starting or changing treatments and holistic health

Counselling Services

Monday – Thursday
9am – 5pm

After Hours counselling Tuesdays
5.30pm to 7pm

Short to medium term sensitive and relevant community counselling service

• Face to face
• Over the phone

Tailored for…

• Members of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender community, and their families;
• People with/or affected by HIV, and their families;
• Members of ACON’s community facing crisis situations.

Presenting issues may include

• Dealing with a HIV diagnosis
• Coming out, sexual orientation, gender identity
• Self worth and self confidence
• Relationships
• Substance Use
• Trauma
• Domestic Violence
• Grief and loss
• Depression and anxiety

Ring or email for an Appointment and confidential Assessment
Call: (02) 4927 6808
Email:  hunter@acon.org.au

Community Health Promotion

The Community Health Promotion Officer works with GLBT people, and supports all of ACON’s community members, through the provision of Health education, information and workshops, support and referrals, distribution of resources, community development, building community capacity, peer facilitator training, mainstream service provider training and organising community activities, events & projects

Education and Community Development

This program provides education, information and referrals for the local gay men’s and GLBT communities relating to HIV and sexually transmitted infections (STIs), sexual health, general health and wellbeing education, together with safe sex information. It provides a range of educational services to gay  and bisexual men, the GLBT and general communities, including:

• Workshops
• Seminars
• Sexual health information
• GLBT health information
• Events
• Anti-Violence project
• Safe sex pack distribution to major GLBT events

The program provides workshops to mainstream services that can be tailored to suit specific situations and groups. Topics include:

• Anti-homophobia
• Sexual diversity
• Discrimination
• Sexual health
• GLBT and HIV/AIDS awareness

Needle and Syringe Program (NSP)

A secondary outlet of the national Needle and Syringe Program provides free clean injecting equipment to people who inject drugs. The outlet provides information on drugs as well as referrals to health services, drug counselling and treatment facilities.

Substance Support Service and Comorbidity Project

Provides services to anyone who identifies as part of our community and has an issue with substances or has an issue with someone else’s substance use. We include partners, family members and friends of people who use substances and we welcome people who have experience and issues around combined mental health and substance use.

ACON’s Substance Support Service is a strengths-based service which means our work is conducted in the belief that:

• All people have strengths and capacities
• All people have the ability to take control of their own change process
• Given the right conditions and resources, people can make significant changes relevant to their own particular needs.

ACON's Substance Support Service also provides information and education to mainstream mental health and drug and alcohol services.

Sex Work Outreach Project

The Newcastle office offers health and welfare information and support to sex industry workers and referrals to sexual health clinics through the Sex Worker’s Outreach Project.  Low cost condoms and lubricant are available for sale.

More info

Contact: ACON Hunter

Tel: (02) 4927 6808

Email: hunter@acon.org.au