What began as a weekly Wednesday staff facilitated peer group meeting at the Betty Ford Center campus for patients who identify as LGBTQ has grown into a program specifically tailored to the needs of LGBTQ people seeking treatment for addiction.
LGBTQ-integrated programming was first fully implemented at the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation's Springbrook campus in Newberg, Oregon. Elements of the program are available at other Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation locations—Center City and Plymouth, Minnesota, and the Betty Ford Center in Rancho Mirage, California. In the near future fully implemented LGBTQ-Integrative Programming will be available at all of Hazelden's sites, including Chicago's Gold Coast location.
"Although we don't have any LGBTQ-specific tracks at our Chicago location, our counselors are sensitive to the specific needs of the LGBTQ population and can address their needs on site," said Ramsen Kasha, executive director of Hazelden in Chicago. "If greater assistance is needed, we will work with local private mental health practitioners to help us bolster the support and services we provide."
"Our research published in a 2014 edition of the Journal of Gay and Lesbian Social Services showed that LGBTQ people had been to nearly twice as many inpatient treatment episodes and three times as many detoxes by the time they arrive to treatment with us," said Buster Ross, Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation's LGBTQ-Integrative Program director based out of Hazelden in Springbrook and adjunct instructor at The Hazelden Betty Ford Graduate School of Addiction Studies. "The research highlighted a lot of other differences, things that traditional treatment has struggled to address including a higher prevalence of reported sexual, physical and emotional abuse histories. We recognized what it would take to better address the wounds LGBTQ people often arrive to treatment with.
"We had to address that needed healing often must take place in relationships between LGBTQ and non-LGBTQ people. Further, many professionals 'treated' homosexuality years ago, and our patients are arriving having suffered the effects of that, and its effects on our culture. We had to do something different to make treatment more effective. Our Springbrook campus was a good fit because of our focus on trauma within the program already."
Ross explained that the rates of substance abuse among the LGBTQ population can range from two to four times higher, however, he is confident that this difference will correct over time as society becomes more fair and equal for LGBTQ people.
"The need for LGBTQ-Integrated Programming in addiction treatment was born from a desire to treat an individual with a holistic approach, including sexual orientation/gender identity," said James Barry, Betty Ford Center's LGBTQ specialist/outpatient services counselor. "The externalized and internalized homophobia experienced by LGBTQ persons, coupled with the self-medicating behaviors of addiction is fertile ground for a host of continued problems and undesirable outcomes. By directly addressing these issues the goal is to cast light on potential relapse triggers, and to allow the patient to feel a sense of inclusion and dignity. The patient is able to embark into sobriety with renewed self-esteem, knowing that they are important, and encouraged to see the gift of being who they are.
"Throughout 2014, I was tasked with developing LGBTQ-integrated curriculum for the Betty Ford Campus. Portions of the already existing materials from SAMHSA [Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration] and the Hazelden Springbrook campus program were adopted along with concepts developed throughout years of working with the LGBTQ peer group, and became our LGBTQ-Integrated Programming."
Tasked with supporting implementation of LGBTQ-Integrative Programming at all of Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation's locations, Ross explained the model emphasizes that all staff receive significant training in LGBTQ issues, including utilizing sexual health education, "something drug and alcohol treatment has struggled to implement historically. Sexual health education makes 'LGBTQ issues' into issues that are actually shared by everyone entering recovery. Trauma, shame, sex/drug links, relational boundaries … these issues truly affect all of our clients. With the right dialogue, we can make treatment a better environment for both LGBTQ and non-LGBTQ people, by having a few key conversations with our entire patient population."
Ross recently trained staff at Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation's new West Los Angeles location, as well as their NYC locations, and has been involved with training at all of the organization's clinical sites. He's started the rollout of an eight-hour online training that will be utilized by all locations in adapting their programs to meet the basic requirements of LGBTQ-Integrative Programming. The organization will be making this training resource available to counselors across the country in the coming months.
Barry noted that the response among those who have completed Hazelden's LGBTQ-Integrative Programming has been favorable.
"I've witnessed individuals having cathartic experiences with feelings of support and safety," said Barry. "Patients have come out within the structure of the curriculum, addressed compelling issues of trauma related to their sexual orientation and gender identity and found the courage to move with who they are without the need to self-medicate with substances."
See www.hazeldenbettyford.org/lgbtq for more information about the program. To contact the Chicago location, visit www.hazeldenbettyford.org/treatment/locations/chicago .
