Dameyon Bonson - Indigenous Human Rights Award recipient and founder of Black Rainbow

Black Rainbow is Australia's only suicide prevention organisation that caters to the needs of Indigenous LGBQTI people. It is self funded and relies largely on donations and proceeds from these workshops. To find out more visit our website www.blackrainbow.org.au 
 The facilitator, Dameyon Bonson, is a Human Rights Award recipient and the founder of Black Rainbow. Dameyon started Black Rainbow in 2013 to respond to needs currently unaddressed by health, mental health and suicide prevention systems. The workshop is informed from Dameyon’s profession experience working in health, mental health and suicide prevention, spending much of his time in remote community settings working on the frontline in upstream Indigenous suicide prevention. Dameyon also brings academic insight. He is post grad student at Griffin University and studied social work for several years. He is a member of the International Association for Suicide Prevention’s (IASP) Special Interest group of Critical Suicidolgists. Dameyon has authored Australia's only report on the topic of Indigenous LGBQTI suicide and has contributed and provided advice on the following reports and projects: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Suicide Prevention Evaluation Project – Commonwealth Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, The Hon Sen Nigel Scullion, Minister for Indigenous Affairs National Mental Health Digital Health Gateway Leadership Group – National Mental Health Commission A Roadmap For Building Indigenous Digital Excellence: Looking To 2030 – National Centre for Digital Excellence A Call To Action – ‘Third Conversation’ Roundtable on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Mental Health and Suicide Prevention National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Suicide Prevention Strategy – Department of Health National Advisory Committee, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Suicide Prevention Evaluation Project – UWA and Prime Minster and Cabinet Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Suicide Prevention Conference – Alice Springs National Digital Health Gateway – Lived Experience Mental Health Expert Advice & Co-Design Dameyon is a born and bred Darwin Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander gay male with a lived experience of depression, anxiety and suicidality.