Meridian is a peer-led, community-based health organisation that has its origins as an AIDS Council, started in 1983 from a grass roots response to a looming crisis. Our vision is of a future where our communities thrive: healthy and well, free from stigma, empowered by peer connection and supported by a just and inclusive society.
At Meridian, we’re about celebrating diversity, strengthening community, and empowering our communities to live their best lives. In doing this work, our values are:
- Led by our communities: We are created by and serve people of diverse sexualities and genders. Our work is grounded in the lives, leadership and aspirations of the communities we serve.
- Inclusivity: We welcome and celebrate the strengths of all, especially those who experience stigma, marginalisation or exclusion because of who they are.
- Self-determination: We respect the right of all communities to define themselves, speak for themselves and lead their own advocacy and care.
- Equity: We work to eliminate health disparities and ensure people living with HIV and those of diverse sexualities and genders have access to services that affirm who they are and meet their needs.
- Courage: We speak truth to power, challenge injustice and advocate boldly, even when it is uncomfortable.
- Accountability: We are transparent, responsible and committed to keeping the trust of our communities. We work positively and collaboratively to achieve impact.
Meridian employs staff who have lived experience and use this openly, appropriately, and effectively to build professional relationships with the people they work with. Lived experience is used to inform and contribute to staff culture and encourage community understanding and reduction of stigma and discrimination for all affected communities.
Lived experience includes, but is not limited to people who:
- are impacted by HIV
- identify as sex, sexuality or gender diverse and their families and allies
- have undertaken or are undertaking sex work
- have used drugs
- experience mental health impacts.
All selection is based on proven experience, qualifications and/or training and the person’s potential to undertake the responsibilities of the position most efficiently. As an LGBTQ+ peer-based organisation and a HIV service agency, we recognise that LGBTQ+ people and people with HIV bring unique perspectives, skills and knowledge that are important to Meridian’s work. Therefore, Meridian promotes the recruitment and continued employment of LGBTQ+ people and people living with HIV.
Meridian values diversity in the workplace and encourages applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and people from culturally and linguistically diverse communities.