The National LGBTQIA+ Health Education Center provides individualized training and technical assistance (T/TA) to health care organizations ready to take LGBTQIA+ health to the next level. Our T/TA focuses on helping organizations assess their readiness for change, train their staff in core LGBTQIA+ concepts, and operationalize strategies for creating welcoming and inclusive environments for their LGBTQIA+ patients.
The National LGBTQIA+ Health Education Center provides T/TA to Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) and FQHC look-alikes for free, and to non-FQHC organizations through our health education consulting program.
Using an internal and worldwide network of specialists, we develop T/TA programs for organizations to address a variety of topics affecting LGBTQIA+ populations in healthcare.
Our provision of T/TA takes many forms and can include in-person training sessions, online learning collaboratives, deployment of specialists to assess health center protocols, and more. We also provide numerous resources for our T/TA clients, including strategies for collecting and managing sexual orientation and gender identity data, redesigning physical health center spaces to be LGBTQIA+ inclusive, and collaborating to create all-staff trainings on inclusive and responsive care for LGBTQIA+ communities.
If you are interested in our training and technical assistance or educational opportunities, please fill out this form.
Our Approach
We recommend a three-phase approach, but we can adapt the approach to meet your needs.
Phase 1: Readiness Assessments
In this phase, we create a solid starting ground and create “buy-in” with staff and leadership. We use two assessment tools: one for all staff and one for leadership. These tools together assess staff’s knowledge, attitudes, and preparedness to care for LGBTQIA+ patients, as well as the environment of care for LGBTQIA+ patients. Working with each organization, we can also review key documents and policies to ensure greater inclusion of LGBTQIA+ patients and their families. After collecting the results, we provide a presentation of key results and make recommendations for next steps.
Below are sample questions from the all-staff assessment, along with the average results among all the health centers that we have worked with.
What staff are saying in the assessment:
“Thanks for doing this project. We need more training in this issue and more resources.”
“I believe that any training in regards to LGBT is useful as we have more clients identifying themselves as LGBT and being able to provide inclusive services and a safe space is crucial for their well being.”
“I believe that all staff would benefit from information and trainings on LGBT. I appreciate the work you do and the survey. Thank you.”
Phase 2: Education
In this phase, we provide access to staff training based on the needs identified in the assessment phase. Training may be distributed through various methods, including in-person staff training, a train-the-trainer program, or guided access to our print and web-based materials. Our materials, trainings, and consultation are developed from evidence-based best practices and principles of adult learning.
Phase 3: Follow-Up Support
Follow-up support from our national network will help you maintain momentum and optimize your approach to organizational change. Our program staff will provide online connections to peers and experts across the country and will moderate group discussions of key areas of common work.
