Fall 2024
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA):
Evidence-Based Practice Center (EBPRC) Summit
Anne Helne Skinstad, Psy.D, Ph.D
Native Center for Behavioral Health
SAMHSA invited many different groups of grantees and key stakeholders from across the country to various Summits this summer to prepare for the development of a Resource Center consisting of an overview of the evidence-based practices in prevention and treatment of Substance Use- (SUD) and Mental Health Disorders (MHD). The National Registry of Evidence-Based Programs and Practices (NREPP), used to be such an important resource, but now it is too outdated to meet the needs of providers and consumers. The participants in the Summit gave SAMHSA the opportunity to listen to many spirited discussions and left a lot of information for the Agency to work through in preparations for the development of such a center. Humberto Carvalho, MPH, is the Project Officer for the EBPRC Team within the National Mental Health and Substance Use Policy Laboratory (Policy Lab) and he was participating and listening intensively to all the participants.
In the process of all the group work and plenary presentations during the Summit, it became very clear to me that this is the perfect time for the LGBTQ+ community to come together and make sure that the EBPs offered LGBTQ+ community members with either MHD or SUD are evidence based and included in the EBPRC. Furthermore that these EBPs are also LGBTQ+ affirming and culturally informed and included in the future EBPRC.
I recall research done some years ago that revealed that even though the Behavioral Health Community Providers informed the public that they provided LGBTQ+ Affirming Services, only 7% did. Furthermore, it was not clear if the community providers were properly informed about what it meant to be culturally informed and LGBTQ+ affirming provider.
The Providers Introduction to Substance Abuse Treatment for LGBT Community Members is outdated and needs serious revisions. This publication, first published in 2001,and later revised (SAMHSA, 2012), was the basis for a very extensive curriculum first developed by Dr. Warren and the Prairielands ATTC between 2003 and 2006 (Peters, & Skinstad, 2006), and later revised by stakeholders from the LGBTQ+ community, as well as the Center of Excellence on Racial and Ethnic Minority Young Men Who Have Sex with Men and Other Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Populations (YMSM+LGBT CoE). The Center of Excellence was a collaboration between Pacific Southwest ATTC, North East and Caribbean ATTC, and American Indian and Alaska Native ATTC. The political climate across the US is not very affirming for LGBTQ+ rights at this time in history. Despite the culture wars against the LGBTQ+ community, I think we have a responsibility to promote EBPs for LGBT community members with behavioral health disorders. NALGAP is in the process of conceptualizing and developing standards for LGBTQ+ Affirming EBPs and developing a Center of Excellence with standards that provider organizations can strive for and be evaluated against. We have a few specialty clinics for treatment of SUD and MHDs that LGBTQ+ community members can access, but many of these clinics are located in urban areas. All BH providers need to be able to meet the need for the LGBTQ+ community members with BH disorders or be able to refer them to culturally informed and affirming community providers. The latter requires the providers to be familiar with their collaborators and have an overview of affirming and supportive LGBTQ+ providers. Furthermore, BH providers need to be able to evaluate if their referral sources are affirming and supportive.
The election in November will make us better able to understand how to proceed with this project, but personally, I think we need to start advocating for new funding, new publications and overviews of LGBTQ+ affirming EBP. Furthermore, I am optimistic because one of our presidential candidates created a video interacting and supporting the LGBTQ+ community. I hope this culture war against the LGBTQ+ community will be over soon, and that we can look forward to living in a country that are supportive of our LGBTQ+ relatives.
Dr. Anne Helene Skinstad NALGAP Board Member, clinical professor in the Dept. of Community & Behavioral Health, College of Public Health, University of Iowa and also the Project Director of the National American Indian & Alaska Native Addiction, Mental Health and Prevention Technology Transfer Centers.
Addiction Treatment Trans & LGBTQ+ Support
Episode 14 podcast of Addiction Recovery Place’s Post
Listen to NALGAP’s own board member, Gus Raymond as he recently interviewed for a podcast that focuses on addiction treatment for addiction professionals. Gus states: “Our first priority is to do no harm. If we’re faced with an individual, such as someone from the LGBTQ community, that, simply who they are, makes us feel uncomfortable as a clinician, that’s not a referral reason. That’s a ‘you need to do some work, issue.” Gus Raymond advocates for better support for the trans and LGBTQ+ community accessing health services and addiction treatment. Being trans himself and working as a consultant, he has a message about counseling ethics that all addiction professionals should hear. In addition to being a member of the board of directors for NALGAP, Gus Raymond, tLMHC, CADC, NCC (he/him) is also a presenter, a clinician, and a consultant especially for Trans & LGBQIA2S+ issues, with A. Raymond Clinical & Consulting.
Podcast host, Chris Langley, is co-founder of the Addiction Recovery Place - the place for Addiction Treatment Professionals
NALGAP Celebrates 45 Years
In July of 1979, the National Association of Lesbian and Gay Alcoholism Professionals (NALGAP) was formed. The original charter stated NALGAP’s three primary goals:
- To advocate for appropriate non-homophobic treatment for lesbian and gay people suffering from alcoholism and other drug addiction.
- To educate gay & lesbian health professionals about alcoholism/ addiction.
- To provide support and communication networks for gay & lesbian professionals and other interested people.
In 1979, there were no organizations to advocate for either the gay/lesbian communities or the gay/lesbian health field about addiction; no one seemed to be addressing the rampant denial in both groups.
We experienced many achievements since our early modest beginning. We have also experienced some unfortunate losses. Many of us will never forget this dark time in our community brought about by AIDS. It was only by sheer dedication and perseverance by a few NALGAP members and leaders that our association was able to survive when other LGBT groups ceased to exist. NALGAP also recognized they needed to be more inclusive and officially added Bisexual, Transgender and Allies to our name and mission statement. NALGAP: The Association of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Addiction Professionals and Their Allies is a membership organization founded in 1979 and dedicated to the prevention and treatment of alcoholism, substance use, and other addictions in lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer communities.
As Dr. Anne Helene Skinstad wrote in her article, we need to continue our endeavors. This election year will be very challenging for our communities. We need your membership, your assistance, and your service. In addition to joining or renewing your membership dues, NALGAP holds a federal tax-exempt nonprofit as a 501 c3. Your donations are tax deductible. Visit our website to make your contribution. And if you would like to discuss becoming more involved, serving as a board member, or submitting an article for our website please contact me or any board member with your ideas.
Thank you.
Phil McCabe
CSW, CAS, DRCC
NALGAP President,
Health Educator Rutgers University.
