Launching an effort that will likely become a model for programs nationwide, the Chicago Department of Public Health Office of Lesbian and Gay Health last week held its first community meeting on substance abuse among GLBTs, drawing a diverse group of about 60 people.
Participants included service providers, staff from community-based organizations, business owners, people in recovery and government representatives.
The meeting was held Aug. 1, at the Chicago Bar Association. "I think it went very well," said Lora Branch, director of the Office of Lesbian and Gay Health. "There were a lot of diverse people in the room whose voices have been missing from the dialogue for a long time."
The effort is being implemented through Branch's office by the five-member Chicago Task Force on Substance Abuse Prevention. Branch, David Kern of her office, Greg Harris, Michael Jackson and Ed Negron make up the task force. Wednesday's meeting was held to get the ball rolling on a community-wide effort to address GLBT substance abuse, and organizers wanted to get as many perspectives on the issue as possible, Kern said.
About 200 invitations were issued to a wide range of individuals, agencies and businessess who represent a spectrum of points of view, genders, ages, geographical locations and races. Participants included representatives from: Howard Brown Health Center, Horizons, Cheetah Gym, the Jane Addams School of Social Work at the University of Illinois-Chicago, Northwestern University, the Chicago Department of Public Health, the Night Ministry, the AIDS Foundation of Chicago, the Mayor's Advisory Council on Gay and Lesbian Issues, Chicago House, Haymarket, El Rincon, Steamworks, the Hearts Foundation, Chicago Recovery Alliance, local media and private service providers including psychologists, therapists and addictions counselors.
Health Dept. Commissioner John Wilhelm addressed the meeting, pledging his support for the group. Harris said Mayor Daley has also indicated his support.
Meeting participants went through a workshop organized around the question, "What are the elements of a comprehensive public health approach to respond to substance abuse issues impacting the GLBT community?" From the discussion, seven task forces emerged that will deal with issues such as changing societal attitudes and beliefs, education and prevention, effective intervention and the GLBT community's responsibility.
Task force members will work on their particular issue and report back to the full group at its next meeting Oct. 3. Some of the group's goals include developing an addiction assessment tool for GLBTs, sensitivty training for service providers and the possible formation of a GLBT organization that deals exclusively with substance abuse.
"We had a really wonderful session," Harris said. "Very energetic. It was really an earnest discussion." Organizers noted that while not all of the participants agreed on the nature of substance use and abuse or the best ways to deal with it, everyone felt that something should be done.
"There's a sense that we need to be really non-judgemental about this," Harris said. "No one wants this to become a witch hunt."
Branch said no particular incident sparked the meeting or the formation of the task force. Work on the issue began about a year ago, when Frank Oldham was still with the Health Department, Harris said. Oldham and others within city government noted the prevalence of substance abuse within the community and the lack of culturally sensitive responses to it. Harris said the issue is made complex for GLBTs not only by the community's focus on partying, but by community events' reliance on donations from liquor companies.
For more information about the task force's efforts, contact David Kern at ( 312 ) 745-1217.
The next WCT series installment will discuss the prevalence of GHB at Chicago's clubs and parties, the incidences of overdose, and how GHB use is being handled by club owners and party producers.