Providing Care for Addictions in the LGBT Community

LGBT people have disproportionately high prevalence of substance use disorders compared with the general population. This higher prevalence of addictions is viewed as a downstream consequence of pervasive minority stress that occurs in the context of stigma-related discrimination and victimization. Substance use among LGBT people is often a coping strategy for trauma-related symptoms and can be associated with poor self-care, including compromised engagement in care for HIV treatment and prevention. In this webinar, Alex S. Keuroghlian, MD, MPH, will discuss a minority stress framework for understanding substance use disorders in the LGBT community, describe how to tailor evidence-based addictions treatment practices for LGBT patients, and present systems-level approaches for health centers to better address substance use disorders, including the opioid epidemic, among LGBT people through behavioral health integration.