September 27 is National Gay Men’s HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (NGMHAAD). Despite comprising an estimated 2% of the national population, Gay and Bisexual Men account for two-thirds of new HIV diagnoses in the U.S. According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 1 in 6 Gay and Bisexual Men living with HIV are still unaware of […]
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LGBTQ Community and Suicide Resources
Suicide is the third leading cause of death among youth ages 15–24, and LGBTQ youth are more likely than their peers to attempt suicide. As the Institute of Medicine has noted, LGBT youth are typically well adjusted and mentally healthy. However, they experience higher rates of mental health challenges and increased health complications arising from […]
Value of Peers
Peer support encompasses a range of activities and interactions between people who share similar experiences of being diagnosed with mental health conditions, substance use disorders, or both. This mutuality called “peerness”—between a peer support worker and person in or seeking recovery promotes connection and inspires hope. Peer support offers a level of acceptance, understanding, […]
The Behavioral Health Barometer, Volume 5
The Behavioral Health Barometer: United States, Volume 5: Indicators as measured through the 2017 National Survey on Drug Use and Health and the National Survey of Substance Abuse Treatment Services, is one of a series of national, regional, and state reports that provide a snapshot of behavioral health in the United States. The reports present […]
Improving Cultural Competency for Behavioral Health Professionals
Cultural and linguistic competency is recognized as an important strategy for improving the quality of care provided to clients from diverse backgrounds. The goal of this e-learning program, offered by Think Cultural Health through the Office of Minority Health, is to help behavioral health professionals increase their cultural and linguistic competency. After completing this continuing […]
Developing a Culturally Tailored Intervention for Diverse Populations
Social workers strive to use interventions and treatments that are evidence-based (EB). However, many EB interventions are not validated with people from diverse racial, ethnic, cultural, and linguistic populations. Regarding autism intervention research, of 408 studies on 27 EB practices only about 18% of the studies reported race, ethnicity, or nationality of participants. This pattern […]