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LGBT Update
June 2014 
 
In This Issue

 

 

 

 

 


 


WLEN- Worcester LGBT Elder Network, is a joint effort of Elder Services of Worcester Area Inc.,Central Massachusetts Agency on Aging and the Worcester Senior Center, with ongoing collaboration with the LGBT Aging Project in Boston.

 







 Rainbow Lunch

Club Bus Service

 

Did you know that you can reach the Rainbow Lunch Club via public transport?

 

The outbound WRTA Route 8 bus from Union Station to the Greendale Mall stops on Shore Drive across from the Unitarian Universalist Church parking lot. The inbound trip from Greendale Mall to Union Station stops at the bottom of the parking lot.

 

A bus leaves the Union Station Hub at 11:30 a.m., from City Hall at 11:33, and arrives across from the church at Shore Drive and Holden Street at 11:43 a.m. Buses from Greendale Mall to Union Station leave the UUWC parking lot at 1:07 p.m. or 2:07 p.m. They arrive at City Hall at 1:25 and 2:25 and at Union Station at 1:30 and 2:30.  

 

 

 

 

 





 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Quick Links

 





 
Elder Services and its programs receive funds administered through the Massachusetts Executive Office of Elder Affairs; and federal financial support under the Older Americans Act provided by the Central Massachusetts Agency on Aging. Other funders include the United Way of Central Massachusetts, Greater Worcester Community Foundation, Tufts Health Plan Foundation,, local Councils on Aging & governments, participant donations, grants and individual support. We also contract with Senior Care Organizations, One Care Organizations and The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
 
1-800-AGE-INFO





Availability of LGBT

Substance Abuse

Treatment Services   

 

Part 2 of 2 

By Joan Anderson  

LGBT Peer Worker

 

It's been more than a decade since (SAMHSA) Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration released "A provider Introduction to Substance Abuse treatment For LGBT Individuals" which recommended, "A commitment should be made at every level of the program, from the board of directors, to the direct line staff, to design and deliver services in a manner sensitive to the needs of LGBT individuals".

 

A 2007 study presents a chilling snapshot. Researches made telephone calls to 854 Substance Abuse Program agencies promoting themselves as having specialized treatment programs for the LGBT in the National Survey of Substance Abuse treatment services. Every program was presented with the same questions. "I am calling because your agency is listed in the SAMHSA directory as one that provides special programs or groups for LGBT individuals, and I am interested specifically in what those programs are. Could you tell me about them?"

 

Results:

Although 854 agencies had indicated that they provide LGBT specific services at the time of the phone contact 606 (70.8%) acknowledged no specialized programs existed! Sixteen Agencies (1.9%) reported that they did offer these services in the past but no longer do. Seventy nine (9.3%) programs described themselves as non-discriminating, offering the same program to everyone. Only 62 (7.3%) of agencies indicated specialized LGBT programs, half were in California and the other half was in New York. If 62 programs in the entire country offer specialized treatment for LGBT we obviously have much more work to do. 

 

The Joint Commission an independent not-for-profit organizations that accredits and certifies more than 19,000 health care organizations and programs in the United States concluded that the "8.8 million LGBT people now estimated to be living in the US experience disparities not only in the prevalence of certain physical and mental health conditions, but also in Health Care due to their unique needs." The Human Rights campaign's 2011 report "Healthcare Equality Index 2011" concluded that many LGBT people often decline to seek healthcare in times of need, out of fear of discrimination, stigma and poor treatment by healthcare professionals.

 

In Central Massachusetts, specific Substance Abuse Treatment to the LGBT population is lacking as well. In the Worcester area, Adcare Hospital is available for detox and rehab, with no specific programs or groups for the LGBT community. In speaking to Susan Hillis, Clinical Director of Adcare Hospital, she informed this writer that Adcare is an "all inclusive program". Also, she would be receptive towards any information or education that would enhance their programs.

 

The other agency that provides the Worcester area with assistance with detox and rehab is Community Healthlink. In speaking with a staff that both works in detox and the Passages(rehab) Program he informed this writer that there is no specialized treatment for the LGBT individuals. On a positive note, counseling agencies in Worcester provide clinically sensitive individual counseling to the LGBT community. Therefore, on an individual basis LGBT clients are able to work on their issues of sexual orientation and gender identity/expression, coming out, dealing with rejection from family and friends, and the discrimination and stigma related to being LGBT. Our aging LGBT substance abuse clients have faced greater difficulties getting sober and remaining sober. The shame, discrimination and stigma that they have dealt with through out their lives has played a large role in this. Many clients have never even "come out" in their Alcoholic Anonymous groups or to their therapist. At one time, there were many AA meetings for the LGBT community. As this is written, this writer knows of one AA meeting in the Worcester area. It is at St. Matthew's Episcopal Church, Southbridge St, and is every Monday night at 7:30 pm. It is a twelve step meeting. This is an excellent meeting.

 

In the Boston area there are more services available than anywhere else in the state. There are two excellent Substance Abuse Treatment Centers who service the LGBT community. Fenway Health services a large population of LGBT people; their program provides substance abuse and mental health services sensitive to the issues of the LGBT clients. Many LGBT clients from the Worcester area receive services from them including: substance abuse and mental health counseling and groups, and medical services (such as endocrinology) for hormone therapy. Fenway Health is very well known and highly respected for their work with the transgender clients and their families as well. Transgender people have a high rate of substance abuse and mental health issues due to many variables. The recidivism rates are alarming.

 

The Triangle Program at Arbour Hospital in Brookline is the first partial hospitalization program in the Boston area that comprehensively responds to the complex mental health and substance abuse needs of the LGBT people. This program provides treatment for these individuals who are dealing with issues such as trauma, sexual abuse, depression, social isolation, eating disorders, the emotional impact of HIV infection and co-occuring psychiatric and addiction disorders, including addiction to substances such as crystal meth.

Interestingly, on Cape Cod (Gosnold Treatment Center) and Plymouth (Highpoint Treatment Center) where there is a large population of LGBT people there are no specific programs there either. According to AIDS Action in Provincetown there are not any gay meetings. However, most are gay that attend.

 

In conclusion, it is another decade since the last report and we have not made much progress. It appears we are no better off than when the report was written a decade ago. On May 14th the Senate unanimously passed legislation expanding access to substance abuse treatment services, according to State Senator Michael Moore. It is time for the LGBT people and their allies to raise awareness within their own communities and get politicians involved in improving specialized care for the LGBT population.

 

 


Title Title Title 

 

Get moving and stretching at the Rainbow Lunch Club on June 11th as we welcome Jae Pheonix, a personal trainer from the Worcester area. Jae has been in the field for 10 plus years and her expertise is working with the aging population. She started her professional career in Maryland, moving to New York then to Massachusetts. Jae has been facilitating exercise programs in local Senior Centers and the YWCA, helping to improve individuals mobility and balance. She loves her work and we look forward to her sharing her expertise with the Rainbow Lunch Club.

As per your request, lunch on June 25th will be followed by a "social hour".  

 

Lunch is always served at noon. The Unitarian Universalist Church of Worcester  is located at the corner of Holden Street and Shore Drive in Worcester, next to Bancroft School. Access to the parking lot is off of Shore Drive. See the sidebar for information about WRTA bus service.

 

Reservations are required a week in advance, so we can be sure to have enough food for everyone who shows up. You may call Joan Anderson at (508) 756-1545 ext. 404 or email her at [email protected]. You may also join the Rainbow Lunch Club Meet-Up Group at http://www.meetup.com/Rainbow-Lunch-Club/ and reserve from the meet-up page.

 

MENUS: June 11th- Meatloaf & Gravy, Garlic Mashed Potatoes, California Blend Vegetables, Mixed Fruit. June 25th- Soup of the Day, Garlic Herb Chicken, Couscous, Winter Mix Vegetables, Fresh Orange.   

 

Upcoming Dates: July 9, July 23, August 13,  

August 27, September 10, September 24,  

October 8, October 22. 

Judge's ruling is  

up-close and personal

 

One doesn't usually turn to legal documents for inspiration, but U.S. District Judge Michael J. McShane's opinion striking down Oregon's ban on same-sex marriage offers an unusually personal view. He is a 53-year-old partnered gay man, one of only nine out gay federal judges.

 

The nut of his ruling in Geiger v. Kitzhabe declared: "The state's marriage laws unjustifiably treat same-gender couples differently than opposite-gender couples. The laws assess a couple's fitness for civil marriage based on their sexual orientation: opposite-gender couples pass; same-gender couples do not. No legitimate state purpose justifies the preclusion of gay and lesbian couples from civil marriage." 

In his conclusion, he offers personal insight into the cultural and political war over civil marriage equality for same-sex couples.

 

I am aware that a large number of Oregonians, perhaps even a majority, have religious or moral objections to expanding the definition of civil marriage (and thereby expanding the benefits and rights that accompany marriage) to gay and lesbian families. It was these same objections that led to the passage of Measure 36 in 2004. Generations of Americans, my own included, were raised in a world in which homosexuality was believed to be a moral perversion, a mental disorder, or a mortal sin. I remember that one of the more popular playground games of my childhood was called "smear the queer" and it was played with great zeal and without a moment's thought to today's political correctness. On a darker level, that same worldview led to an environment of cruelty, violence, and self-loathing. It was but 1986 when the United States Supreme Court justified, on the basis of a "millennia of moral teaching," the imprisonment of gay men and lesbian women who engaged in consensual sexual acts. ... Even today I am reminded

of the legacy that we have bequeathed today' s generation when my son looks dismissively at the sweater I bought him for Christmas and, with a roll of his eyes, says "dad ... that is so gay."

 

It is not surprising then that many of us raised with such a world view would wish to protect our beliefs and our families by turning to the ballot box to enshrine in law those traditions we have come to value. But just as the Constitution protects the expression of these moral viewpoints, it equally protects the minority from being diminished by them.

 

It is at times difficult to see past the shrillness of the debate. Accusations of religious bigotry and banners reading "God Hates Fags" make for a messy democracy and, at times, test the First Amendment resolve of both sides. At the core of the Equal Protection Clause, however, there exists a foundational belief that certain rights should be shielded from the barking crowds; that certain rights are subject to ownership by all and not the stake hold of popular trend or shifting majorities.

 

My decision will not be the final word on this subject, but on this issue of marriage I am struck more by our similarities than our differences. I believe that if we can look for a moment past gender and sexuality, we can see in these plaintiffs nothing more or less than our own families. Families who we would expect our Constitution to protect, if not exalt, in equal measure. With discernment we see not shadows lurking in closets or the stereotypes of what was once believed; rather, we see families committed to the common purpose of love, devotion, and service to the greater community.

 

Where will this all lead? I know that many suggest we are going down a slippery slope that will have no moral boundaries. To those who truly harbor such fears, I can only say this: Let us look less to the sky to see what might fall; rather, let us look to each other ... and rise.

   

(References deleted. The full opinion is at: http://media.oregonlive.com/politics_impact/other/OPINION.pdf)