NALGAP Continues with Its Mission of Supporting Addiction Professionals in Times of Uncertainty

NALGAP's mission is to confront all forms of oppression and discriminatory practices in the delivery of services to all people and to advocate for programs and services that affirm all genders and sexual orientations. NALGAP provides information, training, networking, and advocacy about addiction and related problems, and support for those engaged in the health professions, individuals in recovery, and others concerned about the health of gender and sexual minorities.

We share our grief with many in our community and extend our support as we accept the reality of a second Trump administration. The history of NALGAP is founded from the discriminatory practices and prejudice during the height of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the early 1980s. While the sad truth is that LGBTQIA+ history is marred with injustice and hardship, especially for those community members who struggled with addiction disorder issues while navigating homophobia/transphobia and other discriminatory laws and practices. From this past, including the Stonewall uprising to the formation of ACT UP, to surviving the two Reagan administrations, our history is also filled with courage, resilience, and audacity which has pushed our community forward.

From our inception over forty years ago, NALGAP’s mission has been focused on bringing fair and competent programs and services to all LGBTQ+ individuals struggling with addiction issues. Over the years, our organization has appropriately evolved and adapted as societal norms have changed. Today, our mission is greatly focused on continuing to provide training and information on competent and inclusive services and care to those struggling with all forms of addiction issues within the LGBTQ+ community. NALGAP has also recognized the need to make education resources more readily available, while continuing to fight oppressive and discriminatory laws enacted to oppress and deny LGBTQ+ individuals from access the healthcare they deserve, including access to addiction disorder treatment.

NALGAP has long recognized the trauma of growing up LGBTQ+ and later, from years of navigating oppression and discrimination. We believe that minority stress and microaggressions are the leading cause of trauma for most in the LGBTQ+ community, but most especially to non-white members. This negatively impacts these individuals as evidenced by higher levels of alcohol and other drug use, in addition to more recognized process or behavior-based addictions. We therefore advocate for all addiction and mental health professionals to be trained in trauma informed care, which recognizes each client’s worth and dignity while enabling the practitioner to better serve this population.

We share your concern for the coming new year and with the possibility of loss of funding for many government funded addiction disorder treatment programs, the loss of health insurance from the marketplace, and the loss of safety from the overall threat to the trans community from the incoming congressional and presidential administrations. NALGAP recognizes how the threat of violence disproportionately affects trans individuals, especially trans women of color. According to the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), “the intersections of racism, sexism, homophobia, biphobia, transphobia and unchecked access to guns conspire to deprive (transwomen and gender nonconforming women of color) of employment, housing, healthcare and other necessities.” NALGAP continues to stand ready to fight and protest all threats to funding and access to addiction disorder treatment programs.

NALGAP makes the following recommendations to all mental health venues and organizations offering any form of substance abuse treatment, taken from SAMSHSA’s Tip 59: Improving Cultural Competence:

• Plan for long range fiscal support of cultural competence
• Create an environment that reflects the populations served
• Develop outreach strategies to improve access to care

NALGAP urges every mental health organization that provides services to the LGBTQ+ community, to commit to continuing to educate themselves about racism, sexism, homophobia, heterosexism, and transphobia with administrators and other staff members. We also urge these organizations to begin implementing changes that begin to protect, include, and allow access for all oppressed populations, especially within this underserved community.

Resources and Bibliography:

Human Rights Campaign (HRC) (2020), Violence Against the Transgender and Gender Non-Conforming Community in 2020. Retrieved July 19, 2020, from HRC.org. Web site: http://www. https://www.hrc.org/resources/violence-against-the-trans-and-gender-non-conforming-community-in-2020

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (SAMHSA). TIP 59: Improving cultural competence. HHS Publications, No. (SMA) 14-4849 (p 96)