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Information on Rehabs for the LGBTQ+ Community

Last updated on: Tuesday, 19 September 2023
  • What You'll Learn

If you are a member of the LGBTQ community and looking for drug rehab, then we suggest locating a center that is LGBTQ friendly. To help with this, DRS provides detailed information about drug rehab programs for the LGBTQ community. Since everyone’s situation is unique, you should call a center first and ask what specific accommodations they have to ensure it meets your particular needs.

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List of Drug Rehabs for the LGBTQ+ Community

Here is access to our entire drug rehabilitation database for the LGBTQ+ community. Please select a state. If you need help locating the right treatment for you, do not hesitate to contact one of our treatment specialists at 1-800-304-2219.

State

Type of Service

Questions to Ask When Searching for an LGTBQ+ Drug and Alchol Rehab

To help you find the best treatment program, we have put together some tips on what to say and ask when calling a drug and alcohol treatment center.

  • When you first call a canter, it is best to be completely open to them: Start by letting them know who you are and what you want. Do not be afraid to tell them how you identify. The more information they have about you, the better they can be prepared to provide you with the best care.
  • Ask if their staff is culturally competent: Rehab is a commitment, so you want to make the people you are interacting with daily have an understanding of LGTBQ+ culture.
  • Ensure there is individualized care: Ask if you will receive one-on-one counseling. If they do not, you may want to look at another option for treatment.
  • Ensure you will be learning: Life skills are critical to remaining drug-free after treatment, especially for the LGTBQ+ community, who can benefit from learning to deal with discrimination and stigma.

Ultimately the decision is up to you, but always make sure you do your research. Ask questions and be completely honest with any intake counselor you speak to. If other things are essential, bring them up and ask if they can accommodate you.

What to Look for in an LGTBQ+ Drug and Alcohol Rehab

LGBTQ+-friendly drug and alcohol treatment centers should work to address the unique needs of individuals who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or questioning. Rehabilitation programs should offer safe environments that help them during the entire recovery process.

Here are some things to look for to ensure you are getting the best care possible:

Culturally Competent Care

Counselors and therapists should understand the coming out process, the stages of sexual identity development, and how this is all incorporated into a treatment setting. There are many issues that members of the LGBTQ+ community face that may not be known if someone is not knowledgeable about the facts and current issues.

Individualized Care

The LGBTQ+ community may address more complex goals. Patients may need assistance with fundamental identity issues related to their substance abuse; overall, the rehabilitation process should be well-rounded and provide the same benefits as any other treatment program, but it is essential that there is some form of one-on-one care counseling and care to address the complex issues many LGBTQ+ individuals face.

Life Skills & Dealing With Discrimination

Learning tools and life skills is an important part of rehabilitation. Drug and alcohol use within the LGBTQ+ community is often a reaction to homophobia, discrimination, or violence experienced due to their sexual orientation. These issues and how to deal with them healthily should be addressed explicitly within an LGBTQ+-friendly substance use treatment program.

Reasons for LGTBQ+ Substance Use

The rates of substance use within the LGBTQ+ community are some of the highest in the country. According to an article published in Social Work Today, data taken from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration suggest that 20% to 30% of the LGBTQ+ community struggle with some substance use disorder.

But why is that?

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, LGBTQ+ individuals often face social stigma, discrimination, and other challenges not encountered by someone who is heterosexual. Furthermore, many LGBTQ+ are raised in an unsupportive culture, surrounded by homophobia and bullying, and may lack family support. All of these factors can contribute to substance use.

This discrimination and stigma can also discourage members of the LGBTQ+ community from asking for help because of previous negative experiences with healthcare providers or anticipating adverse reactions.

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Common Terminology Surrounding Substance Use Among the LGBTQ+ Community

Term
Definition
LGBTQ+
is an acronym for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer or questioning. The terms are used to describe a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity.
LGBTQ+ Friendly Drug and Alcohol Rehabs
are inpatient or outpatient rehabilitation programs, peer support groups, or recovery housing with experienced staff in handling sexual orientation and sexual expression-related issues. The programs offer specific counseling and therapy catering to the patient’s needs to address the problems they experience as a member of the LGBTQ+ community, which has contributed to their addiction.
Discrimination
the unjust or prejudicial treatment of different categories of people or things, especially on the grounds of race, age, or sex. Discrimination is a common reason why someone who identifies as LGBTQ+ would turn to drugs or alcohol.
Homophobia
is defined as a dislike or prejudice again gay people. Also, it is an irrational fear of, aversion to, or discrimination against homosexuality or homosexuals.
Peer Support Groups
these are part of addiction recovery and provide an opportunity for participants to achieve significant recovery among their peers. Peer support groups within the LGBTQ+ community are made up of other members struggling with similar issues and sharing similar experiences.

CONTRIBUTORS TO THIS ARTICLE

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MARCEL GEMME, DATS

AUTHOR

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Marcel Gemme has been helping people struggling with addiction for over 19 years. He first started as an intake counselor for a drug rehabilitation center in 2000. During his 5 years as an intake counselor, he helped many addicts get the treatment they needed. He also dealt with the families and friends of those people; he saw first-hand how much strain addiction puts on a family and how it can tear relationships apart. With drug and alcohol problems constantly on the rise in the United States and Canada, he decided to use the Internet as a way to educate and help many more people in both those countries. This was 15 years ago. Since then, Marcel has built two of the largest websites in the U.S. and Canada which reach and help millions of people each year. He is an author and a leader in the field of drug and alcohol addiction. His main focus is threefold: education, prevention and rehabilitation. To this day, he still strives to be at the forefront of technology in order to help more and more people. He is a Licensed Drug and Alcohol Treatment Specialist graduate with Honours of Stratford Career Institute. Marcel has also received a certificate from Harvard for completing a course entitled The Opioid Crisis in America and a certificate from The University of Adelaide for completing a course entitled AddictionX: Managing Addiction: A Framework for Succesful Treatment.

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MICHAEL LEACH, CCMA

MEDICAL REVIEWER

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Michael Leach is a Certified Clinical Medical Assistant, who has over 5 years of experience working in the field of addiction. He spent his career working under the board-certified Addictionologist Dr. Rohit Adi. His experience includes working with families during their loved one’s stay in treatment, helping those with substance abuse issues find treatment, and teaching life skills to patients in a recovery atmosphere. Though he has worked in many different areas of rehabilitation, the majority of his time was spent working one on one with patients who were actively withdrawing from drugs. Withdrawal and the fear of going through it is one biggest reason why an addict continues to use and can be the most difficult part of the rehabilitation process. His experience in the withdrawal atmosphere has taught him that regardless of what approach a person takes to get off drugs, there are always mental and emotional obstacles that need to be overcome. He believes having someone there to help a person through these obstacles can make all the difference during the withdrawal process.