The quality of care issue is vital in helping LGBTQIAPK individuals find the right kind of addiction treatment. Many healthcare professionals still lack the necessary training and education to deal with the medical and psychological issues unique to same-sex, transgender, and questioning people.
Women, Sex And Addiction: The Unique Issues We Face
All these factors mean that an addiction treatment program for LGBTQIAPK people has to consider many unique issues that same-sex and transgender people are very familiar with, that straight patients may not ever have to think about, and that healthcare professionals have to very mindful of.
What should an LGBTQIAPK person do for addiction treatment? The Advocate says that the onus is on the treatment centers themselves. If a facility is unaware of the issues that are unique to LGBT people and families, then it is the responsibility of the facility to refer the individuals to a place that can offer them exactly what they need. Forcing LGBT people into a generic addiction treatment program, and brushing aside the specific rehabilitation goals, can easily lead to higher rates of treatment failures and relapse.
Significant focus has been given to Housing First as a successful strategy to end homelessness and promote better health outcomes. Housing First is a model of assistance to the homeless that prioritizes permanent housing, offers voluntary supportive services, does not require sobriety for individuals with addiction, and values client choice in service provision. A study of a project-based Housing First model program in Seattle, Washington, had significant findings relative to housing benefits for homeless individuals with histories of incarceration. The study found that a criminal history did not preclude successful housing retention and that the Housing First model is correlated with a more than 50% reduction in jail bookings and jail days (Clifasefi et al., 2013). For a practitioner, Housing First models present unique challenges in implementation. Individuals active in addiction have difficulty paying rent, are most times in arrears, and often face eviction. The provision of voluntary supportive services that encourage clients with behavioral health issues to remain stably housed is critical.
Gentle Path is a safe, nurturing community composed of peers where your journey of recovery will include not just dealing with outward behaviors but examining the underlying causes. The goal is to gain the courage to face difficult issues (including grief and loss), heal from emotional trauma, and become accountable for your feelings, behaviors, and recovery. 2ff7e9595c
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