LGBTQ+ TASKFORCE
Our mission is to create an environment within Adult and Child Health that exhibits acceptance through advocacy, education, and collaboration with the LGBTQ+ Community.
Our Vision
At Adult & Child, we believe in creating an inclusive and accepting environment for all individuals, regardless of their sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression. We stand with the LGBTQ+ community and are committed to promoting equality, acceptance, and support for all members of the community.
Our Actions
Our LGBTQ+ taskforce supports agency involvement in events and advocacy across the community.
The taskforce also supports a monthly conversation open to all staff that discusses:
- History of LGBTQ+ rights and activism
- Current challenges and issues facing the LGBTQ+ community
- Resources for support, including hotlines, advocacy groups, and counseling services
- Ways to get involved and make a difference in the LGBTQ+ community
Get in touch with us at LGBTQtaskforce@adultandchild.org
Risk Factors in the LGBTQ+ Community
According to NAMI . . .
LGBT adults are nearly twice as likely as heterosexual adults to experience a substance use disorder. Transgender individuals are almost four times as likely as cisgender individuals to experience a substance use disorder. Illicit drug use is significantly higher in high school-aged youth who identify as LGB or are unsure of their identity, compared to their heterosexual peers.
It is estimated that LGBTQI youth and young adults have a 120% higher risk of experiencing homelessness — often the result of family rejection or discrimination based on gender identity or sexual orientation. This risk is especially high among Black and Native American/Alaska Native LGBTQI youth.
LGBTQ+ youth are three times more likely to seriously contemplate suicide — and five times more likely to have attempted suicide — than their heterosexual counterparts, according to The Trevor Project, a national organization providing crisis intervention to LGBTQ+ people under the age of 25.
