Resources
The following resources were created by the Center of Excellence on LGBTQ+ Behavioral Health Equity. Be sure to check out our Document Database for more resources!
Learning About Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity & Expression
This video, available in English, Spanish, Portuguese, and French, reviews basic terminology that is important to know when working with people who have diverse sexual orientations or gender identities. This terminology includes sex assigned at birth, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, and more.
SOGIE Glossary of Terms
This glossary of terms related to sexual orientation, gender identity, and expression (SOGIE) is a resource for behavioral health practitioners to better understand language commonly used in LGBTQ+ communities. The glossary is available in English, Spanish, and Portuguese. It should be noted that people use terms in different ways, and the best practice is always to honor language an individual uses to identify themselves.
Providing Equitable and Affirming Care to LGBTQ+ Older Adults
Millions of LGBTQ+ older adults are resilient survivors who have faced significant discrimination in life and when seeking social supports and health care. The Center of Excellence on LGBTQ+ Behavioral Health Equity and the E4 Center of Excellence for Behavioral Health Disparities in Aging are committed to assuring that all older adults get optimal healthcare and have created an animated short outlining best practices for providers to assure equitable and LGBTQ+ affirming care for all.
Important Tips for Supporting Families of LGBTQ+ People
As mental health providers, you may talk to family members in distress, or who describe family conflict related to their loved one’s LGBTQ+ identity. It is important that you know how to effectively support families through these challenging discussions. The goal should be to meet family members “where they are” with their own experiences, worries, and questions while simultaneously modeling an affirmative stance toward LGBTQ+ identities. Research has shown that when families support and affirm their LGBTQ+ loved ones, it reduces anxiety, depression, suicidal ideation, harmful substance use, and other negative life and health outcomes for the LGBTQ+ person (Ryan, 2009). It is imperative that we provide non-judgmental spaces for families to seek support while also offering them resources that will improve their abilities to affirm their LGBTQ+ family member. This new tool provides helpful tips to keep in mind as you work with family members.
LGBTQ+ Trauma-Informed Care Infographic
In conjunction with the release of the webinar recording, Translating Trauma-informed Care Principles into Practice with LGBTQ+ Clients, the Center of Excellence on LGBTQ+ Behavioral Health Equity has created a new infographic on the six principals of trauma-informed care adapted for use with clients with diverse sexual orientations, gender identities, and expressions.
10 Self-Care Tips for Providers Working with LGBTQ+ Clients
As behavioral health professionals providing care to people experiencing anti-LGBTQ+ bias, racism, and other forms of discrimination and injustice, it is extremely important to develop self-care and stress management plans to safeguard your own mental health and wellbeing. Our clients need us to be refreshed and restored if we are going to be agents of therapeutic care and effectiveness. Self-care is not selfish! In fact, it is essential to prevent burnout. This tipsheet from the Innovations Institute’s Center of Excellence on LGBTQ+ Behavioral Health Equity provides some strategies to help combat these feelings and restore hope for the future.
COVID-19 and Its Impacts on the LGBTQ+ Community
To provide appropriate care to LGBTQ+ populations, behavioral health providers need to know the impact that COVID-19 has had, and continues to have, on their quality of life. The statistics included in this infographic provide insight into the experiences of LGBTQ+ youth, adults, and people of color during the pandemic. The data encompasses access to mental health and medical care, employment loss, and financial difficulties.
The Holiday Checklist for LGBTQ+ People
Holidays can be challenging times for LGBTQ+ folk. It is a time when families
traditionally get together and engage in family and religious rituals. For LGBTQ+ folk
whose families are not affirming, it may mean making a choice between being with your
family of origin, being with a family of choice, or celebrating alone. This checklist contains some tips to navigate the holidays from some of our LGBTQ+ experts.
Things to Consider When Your LGBTQ+ Clients Plan to Attend Family Gatherings
Holidays, weddings, funerals and other family gatherings can be challenging times for
LGBTQ+ clients. It is a time when your clients may traditionally get together and engage in family and religious rituals. For LGBTQ+ people whose families are not affirming, it may mean making a choice between being with their family of origin, being with a family of choice (friends and loved ones), or being alone. This document contains some tips to help you to prepare your LGBTQ+ clients navigate family gatherings.
Eating Disorders in LGBTQ+ Populations
Individuals who identify as LGBTQ+ are at increased risk for eating disorders due to a variety of circumstances. It is important to understand the risk factors, what to look for, and protective factors when caring for this population. Download this infographic, created in partnership with the National Center of Excellence for Eating Disorders, to learn more.
Black LGBTQ+ Mental Health
Black LGBTQ+ people experience high rates of discrimination and stigma due to having more than one marginalized identity, including their racial identity and their sexual orientation/gender identity. Based on cutting edge research on intersectional experiences of Black LGBTQ+ people, the Center of Excellence on LGBTQ+ Behavioral Health Equity and the African American Behavioral Health Center of Excellence have collaborated to create this new infographic on mental health impacts of these experiences, including tips for how behavioral health providers can support Black LGBTQ+ individuals.
Practice Considerations: Use of the SBIRT Model Among Transgender & Nonbinary Populations
The Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) model has been shown to be an effective approach for the identification and intervention for hazardous substance use, misuse, and substance use disorders and for reducing the potential for psychosocial and/or health problems. However, application of the model for use among transgender and nonbinary (TNB) populations has yet to be fully understood and requires additional research. This document provides practice guidance for the utilization of the SBIRT model with TNB populations.
Language Guidance When Serving LGBTQ+ Populations
The CoE LGBTQ+ BHE has created this language guidance related to sexual orientation, gender identity, and expression (SOGIE) as a resource for behavioral health practitioners to better understand the most recent language used in LGBTQ+ communities. The guidance outlines outdated language, updated language, and why each matters.
Resources for Supporting the Bisexual Community
In recognition of Bisexual Visibility Day, which is celebrated each year on September 23, the CoE LGBTQ+ BHE has compiled a list of resources for professionals to use to better support the unique needs of bisexual people. Please share this list with your colleagues and post on social media with the hashtag #BiVisibilityDay! Download the accompanying Social Media Toolkit for recommended language and a graphic.
Supporting the Behavioral Health Workforce to Implement Best Practices for LGBTQ+ People
All behavioral health care organizations provide services to LGBTQ+ people and their families,
regardless of the organization’s size, location, or type of service provided. Therefore, it is
imperative for organizational leadership to put policies and practices in place that affirm
LGBTQ+ people. This tip sheet outlines actions leaders can take to support their workforce in
being more welcoming and inclusive. This resource was created in partnership with the National Family Support Technical Assistance Center.
FAQs on Medicaid Financing for LGBTQ+-Affirming Behavioral Health Services
Medicaid covers a variety of LGBTQ+-affirming services, but it is not always clear which services are eligible or how providers should bill for them. This document provides answers to frequently asked questions about financing LGBTQ+-affirming behavioral health services through Medicaid. The types of care addressed include group therapy, family therapy, gender-affirming care, and culturally adapted programs. Links to additional resources and further reading are also provided.
Minority Stress & Coping for LGBTQ+ Adolescent Health
LGBTQ+ adolescents are at heightened risk for many behavioral health outcomes, including misuse of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs (ATOD). Decades of research suggests that these experiences are tied to discrimination, known as “minority stress.” Recent research has identified a number of key life experiences that drive ATOD use among LGBTQ+ youth. This resource provides a variety of common stressors and conversation starters which can open the door to an evidence-based approach to intervention.
Supporting Trans & Nonbinary Clients in Experiencing Gender Euphoria
While gender dysphoria among transgender and nonbinary (TNB) people is a widely researched and documented experience, the same cannot be said for gender euphoria. This tip sheet, based on a recent qualitative study by Austin, Papciak, and Lovins (2022), defines gender euphoria, provides real-life examples from participants, and outlines how behavioral health practitioners can help their TNB clients experience affirmation, confidence, and joy around their gender identity.
Providing Welcoming Transportation to the LGBTQ+ Community
As someone who provides transportation services to our communities, it is important to understand how to provide a welcoming environment for LGBTQ+ people, and making them feel supported in community spaces, like the use of transportation. When people feel safe while traveling with us, it is much more likely that they will use these services to access important community resources or appointments. This tip sheet, created in partnership with the National Aging and Disability Transportation Center, provides recommendations that anyone providing transportation services can implement.
The following resources were created by the partners of the CoE LGBTQ+ BHE.
Eating Disorders in Gender Diverse Youth: Guidance for Primary Care Providers
Gender diverse youth are at increased risk for body image concerns and disordered eating. It is important that primary care providers be able to address these concerns using a gender-affirming approach. This webinar recording, from the National Center of Excellence for Eating Disorders, reviews how eating disorders may present in gender diverse youth and how best to provide care simultaneously for gender dysphoria and disordered eating.
Health Disparities Among Black Gay Men at the Intersection of Race and Substance Use Disorders
This recorded webinar, from the African American Behavioral Health Center of Excellence, examines the impact of health disparities at the intersection of substance use disorder (SUD) and race, among black gay men. Already bearing the burden of HIV, SUD can be devastating to a community already struggling to find resources. By bringing awareness to this subject, we can begin to shift attention to meet the needs of an oftentimes overlooked community.
Public health departments, stakeholders, and community-based organizations have novel opportunities to engage specific populations with mechanisms that prioritize value and emphasize impact. This interactive presentation provides evidence-based research findings and rich discussion to raise awareness of this public health threat among Black gay men.
Can We Talk? Issues in the Black Gay Community
In this panel discussion, hosted by the African American Behavioral Health Center of Excellence, Dr. Lawrence Bryant and members of the Black LGBTQ+ community cover issues in the Black Gay Community including: HIV/AIDS, substance use disorder, mental health disparities, and other topics.
Supporting the Workforce on Providing Affirming Services to LGBTQ+ People
During this Office Hour, hosted by the National Family Support Technical Assistance Center, leaders learn important strategies for implementing organizational change efforts to improve services for LGBTQ+ youth and their families. This includes important considerations for policy implementation, supporting the workforce in adopting new practices, and providing essential supports to families of LGBTQ+ youth.
Reframing Language in Behavioral Health Care: New Tools You Can Use
Language is a powerful tool that shapes how we see the world and other people. The words we use matter, as they have the potential to be both empowering and harmful. This is especially true for words used to describe the experiences of people living with mental illness and substance use challenges. Dr. Moira O’Neil of the Framework Institute will open the webinar by providing an overview of the evidence behind the impact of language. Presenters will then introduce a combined language guide that outlines outdated language, updated language, and why these changes matter. The presentation will be followed by a panel discussion on how behavioral health care providers can use language to create a more inclusive and respectful environment for families, older adults, African Americans, and LGBTQ+ populations.
This webinar is hosted in partnership with the National Family Support Technical Assistance Center, the African American Behavioral Health Center of Excellence, and the E4 Center of Excellence for Behavioral Health Disparities in Aging.
Visit our partner centers for more resources & learning opportunities!
The CoE LGBTQ+ BHE has complied a databse of resources on serving LGBTQ+ youth and families in systems. This database is being continuously updated. Please send any resources you’d like us to include to lgbtqequity@uconn.edu.
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