Treatment Planning Category

Experiences of and Recommendations for LGBTQ Affirming Substance Use Services:

an exploratory qualitative descriptive study with LGBTQ+ people who use opioids and other drugs

2 CE Hours
105 members have taken this course
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About the Course

This exploratory qualitative descriptive study investigates the experiences of LGBTQ+ individuals with substance use (SU) services and their recommendations for LGBTQ+-affirming care. Through in-depth interviews with 23 LGBTQ+ people who use opioids and other drugs, the study identifies stigma, discrimination, and support experienced at the patient, staff, and organizational levels within SU services. The results highlight the impact of minority stress and coping responses on SU treatment engagement and retention. The study provides concrete recommendations, such as implementing non-discrimination policies, creating LGBTQ+-specific programming, and adopting gender-inclusive structures, to reduce SU disparities and improve health outcomes for LGBTQ+ populations.

This course is based on the reading-based online article, Experiences of and Recommendations for LGBTQ+‐affirming Substance Use Services: an exploratory qualitative descriptive study with LGBTQ+ people who use opioids and other drugs created by Margaret M. Paschen‐Wolff, DrPH et al in 2024.

Publication Details

Publication Date: BioMed Central LTD January 3, 2024

Course Material Authors

Course Material Authors authored the material only, and were not involved in creating this CE course. They are identified here for your own evaluation of the relevancy of the material this course is based on.

Margaret M. Paschen‐Wolff, DrPH
Dr. M.P. Wolff is affiliated with the Department of Psychiatry at Columbia University Irving Medical Center and the New York State Psychiatric Institute. They have extensive experience in qualitative research and substance use treatment studies with a focus on LGBTQ+ populations. This is their first work published in a peer-reviewed journal.
E.A. Paine, PhD (Sociology)
Dr. E.A. Paine is associated with the Center for Sexual and Gender Minority Health Research at Columbia University School of Nursing. They specialize in psychology and have conducted research related to the health and well-being of LGBTQ+ individuals, particularly in substance use contexts. This is their first work published in a peer-reviewed journal.

Course Creator

Kathryn Held, Psy.D., CADC III

Kathryn Held, Psy. D associate and CADC III, is an individual therapist at Visions adolescent treatment centers. With a decade of experience in the mental health field, Kathryn specializes in the treatment of anxiety disorders, OCD, and the OCD spectrum. Kathryn also has expertise in working with LGBTQ+ adolescents while navigating complex family systems. Her current research projects include adolescent suicide and the use of OCD art interventions in anxiety and OCD treatment. She is trained in CBT, ACT and Exposure and Response Prevention. Her empathetic and artistic approach helps support, educate, and instill agency in her clients. Prior to joining the Visions team, Kathryn worked in various treatment settings including detox, sober living, and as the Program Director of a dual diagnosis outpatient treatment center.

Target Audience

Counselors, doctors, marriage and family therapists, nurses, nurse practitioners, psychologists and social workers. This course is appropriate for intermediate and above levels of knowledge.

Learning Objectives

After taking this course, you should be able to:

  1. 1 Identify the unique challenges faced by LGBTQ+ individuals in substance use services, including experiences of stigma, discrimination, and barriers to accessing affirming care.
  2. 2 Analyze the impact of patient-, staff-, and organizational-level experiences, such as bullying, name-calling, sexual harassment, misgendering, and lack of intervention in peer bullying, on LGBTQ+ individuals’ engagement in substance use services.
  3. 3 Develop strategies to implement LGBTQ+-affirming substance use services, and assess the effectiveness of supportive practices like community-building with LGBTQ+ peers and staff advocacy in mitigating minority stress and improving treatment outcomes.

Disclosure to Learners

CE Learning Systems adheres to the ACCME's Standards for Integrity and Independence in Accredited Continuing Medical Education. Any individuals in a position to control the content of a CE activity – including faculty, planners, reviewers, or others ― are required to disclose all relevant financial relationships with ineligible entities (formerly known as commercial interests).

The following relevant financial relationships have been disclosed by this activity's planners, faculty, and the reviewer:

Planners and Reviewers

The planners of this activity have reported that they have no relevant financial relationships.

Material Authors

Any relevant financial disclosures for course material authors can be found in the article.

Course Creator

Kathryn Held, Psy.D., CADC III – No Disclosures to report

Commercial support

There is no commercial support for this distance-learning course.

$18
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Course Details

2 CE Hours
Reading Online
Course 103603

Related Topics

Opioids LGBTQ Transgender Distinct Populations

Availability

This course is available until Nov 5th, 2034.

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