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50 QTBIPOC Addiction and Mental Health Resources

QTBIPOC Addiction and Mental Health Challenges

More than 39% of all LGBTQ+ people struggle with mental illness, according to reports from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).

The Human Rights Campaign further reports that LGBTQ+ high schoolers of color are five times more likely to attempt suicide than non-LGBTQ+ high schoolers.

We also know from multiple surveys that about 50% of people who experience mental illness also experience substance use disorder (and vice versa).

The combined data and statistics reveal that queer and trans black, indigenous, and people of color (QTBIPOC) are are at high risk for mental health and substance abuse issues.

Research shows that BIPOC are less likely to have access to mental health services, less likely to seek treatment, and less likely to receive needed care. This is partly due to the many treatment barriers that QTBIPOC individuals often face. For example, 25% of QTBIPOC individuals have no health insurance coverage, compared to 8% of all adults.
 

 
Other common barriers to mental health and substance abuse treatment include:

• Language barriers (Higher proportions of BIPOC speak a language other than English, which can make finding a treatment provider challenging.)
• Cultural differences and culturally insensitive mental health systems
• Lack of diversity/choices in providers (1% of licensed professional counselors in the U.S. are white.)
• Legal or immigration status
• Socioeconomic disparities
• Stigma and fear surrounding mental health and substance abuse treatment
• Racism, bias, and discrimination in healthcare
• Mistrust of healthcare systems and providers

QTBIPOC Organizations and Foundations

• CDC LGBT Health: This Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) site offers information and resources on some of the health issues and inequities affecting LGBT communities. It also provides additional links to other related resources.
• Center of Excellence of LGBTQ+ Behavioral Health Equity: This organization, funded through SAMHSA, supports strategies for mental health and substance use disorder treatments that address disparities impacting the LGBTQ+ community. It offers information and resources to enhance the care of this population.
• National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) GLBT Mental Health Resources: This NAMI site discusses risk factors of LGBTQ+ mental health and offers insight into how to find appropriate treatment for mental health concerns. The site also includes additional resources for LGBTQ+ mental health.
• YMSM + LGBT Center of Excellence: This center offers prevention and treatment services for LGBT populations dealing with substance abuse and mental health challenges. It provides training and resources for providers who work with these populations.

QTBIPOC Online Resources

• Center for Black Equity: This LGBTQ+ network is committed to improving health and wellness opportunities and economic empowerment. Their goal is to improve the lives of QTBIPOC people worldwide.
• House of Rebirth: This housing initiative aims to assist QTBIPOC (specifically Black trans women) by offering residential services and community programs.
• Latinx/Hispanic Communities and Mental Health: This site, provided by Mental Health America, hosts a wealth of information about mental health and mental illness in the Latinx/Hispanic community and offers links to resources available in Spanish.
• Latinx Therapy: This resource offers self-help techniques and links to find therapists. It was created with the aim to break the stigma of mental health related to the Latinx community.
• Mental Health America – Finding an Anti-Racist Therapist: This guide aims to help QTBIPOC individuals by finding a culturally-sensitive counselor. Includes online search tools to filter therapists by race, ethnicity, and other factors.
• Mental Health Fund: This fund provides financial assistance to QTBIPOC individuals to increase access to mental health treatment. The goal is to address economic barriers in the healthcare and mental healthcare systems.
• Mentalhealth.gov: This site is a one-stop shop for U.S. government mental health resources, including the office of Behavioral Health Equity, which coordinates efforts to reduce disparities in mental health and substance use disorders across QTBIPOC populations.
• One Sky Center: This is a resource center for American Indian and Alaska Native health, education, and research. The center is dedicated to improving prevention and treatment of substance abuse and mental health problems among Native people.
• The Lesbians of Color Symposium (LOCS) Collective: This non-profit provides services, events, and programs for QTBIPOC individuals to help educate and support this population.
• The Loveland Foundation: This organization offers financial assistance for Black women and girls who are seeking therapy.
• The Okra Project: This project aims to address the global crisis faced by Black trans people by serving this population with home-cooked meals. The collective delivers nutritious, culturally specific meals to people’s homes.
• The Trevor Project: This organization offers crisis intervention and suicide prevention for QTBIPOC youth. It provides additional resources for support and tools to help people help others.

QTBIPOC Treatment Directories

• AYANA Therapy: This is a platform that connects BIPOC and LGBTQ+ individuals to relevant therapy services. The organization is committed to ending racism and oppression, along with their impact on mental health.
• Inclusive Therapists: This organization aims to provide equal access to identity-affirming, culturally responsive care. They center on the needs of BIPOC and the LGBTQ+ community.
• LGBTQ Psychotherapists of Color: This directory matches QTBIPOC individuals with licensed therapists within their community. The site also offers networking, support, and community-building opportunities for counseling professionals.
• National Queer and Trans Therapists of Color Network: This organization is committed to transforming the overall mental health of QTBIPOC individuals. They work to increase access to healing resources among these populations.
• Therapy for Queer People of Color: This directory connects queer people of color with providers who offer all-inclusive treatment plans and focus on the unique needs of each client.

QTBIPOC Online Platforms and Communities

• BGD Press: This blog focuses on issues impacting QTBIPOC individuals, highlighting challenges of sexuality, gender, race, and wellness.
• Lazarus Nance Letcher: This blog discusses sexuality, race, and current affairs from a QTBIPOC perspective.
• Real: This app offers free therapy for people of color, including group support services.
• Rest for Resistance: This hub offers links to discussions and articles about QTBIPOC-specific issues. Covers a variety of topics.
• SAMHSA Two-Spirit Webinars: Offers webinars that focus on topics related to Two Spirit and transgender identities in tribal communities.
• Two Spirit and LGBTQ Health: This resource guide gives Native LGBTQ and Two-Spirit people resources for mental health.
• Women for Political Change: This organization invests in the political power and leadership of young women, trans, and non-binary individuals.
• YOHOMO: This forum is based out of Toronto, Canada. It offers information on events and resources for the LGBTQ+ communities of that area.
• You Are Not Alone Network: This online community seeks to provide a safe place for Native American young people to gather and discuss sexuality, gender, race, and other issues.

QTBIPOC Youth Services

• Hetrick-Martin Institute (HMI): This organization offers direct services and referrals for LGBTQ+ individuals between the ages of 13-24 and their families. HMI seeks to promote youth services and provide a trusted model for other organizations to follow.
• It Gets Better: This nonprofit organization aims to empower and connect LGBTQ+ youth around the globe. It Gets Better Project has identified 900+ resources where members of this community can get support.
• LGBTQ Youth: This page offers resources from the Office of Adolescent Health, a branch of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It focuses on issues youth may face as they mature, including issues facing QTBIPOC adolescents.
• Stop Bullying: This website, managed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, contains a specific section for LGBTQ+ youth. The focus is on building a physically and emotionally safe environment for all LGBTQ+ youth.
• We R Native: This health resource is focused on Native youth. Provided by Native youth, it promotes holistic health and positive changes in the nation at large. It focuses on a variety of topics related to QTBIPOC individuals.

QTBIPOC Podcasts

• Black, Queer, and Trans Excellence: A place for QTBIPOC individuals to discuss current affairs.
• Body Liberation for All: This podcast is hosted by Dalia Kinsey and offers a resource for QTBIPOC individuals to improve wellness. Dalia offers tools tailored for BIPOC and LGBTQ+ people.
• Cover Collective: A podcast that discusses a variety of issues specific to the culture of BIPOC women. Hosted by bi-racial, non-binary individuals.
• Joy Revolution: A podcast hosted by Gabby Rivera that discusses issues of sexuality, race, and gender. Focuses on Latinx issues.

QTBIPOC Articles and Videos

• Mental Health America: This guide was developed by Mental Health America and the HRC to assist QTBIPOC individuals in finding culturally competent mental health practitioners and related treatment.
• Mental Health in Queer and Trans BIPOC Communities: A panel on queer and trans BIPOC mental health. Features national organizer and activist Hope Giselle and New York Times best-selling author Michael Arceneaux.
• North Jersey: This article discusses how non-profits have helped Black trans people during the COVID-19 pandemic.

QTBIPOC Social Media

• Minaa B: This therapist and wellness coach works to promote health and wellbeing among QTBIPOC individuals.
• Paper Street Press: This Instagram page covers QTBIPOC and disabled QTBIPOC issues.
• Served Up & Sober: This Instagram page is designed for women of color who are interested in sobriety and actively seeking support.
• Sober Black Girls Club: An Instagram page established by sober Black girls, for sober Black girls.
• Speqtrum Hamilton: A youth-focused program that offers a hub for all things LGBTQ+.

QTBIPOC Crisis Lines

• LGBT National Hotline: This center offers free and confidential peer support and local resources. Serves gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and questioning people.
• • • LGBT National Hotline: 888-843-4564
    • LGBT National Youth Talkline: 800-246-7743
    • LGBT National Senior Hotline: 888-234-7243
• Trans Lifeline: US – 877-565-8860. Canada 877-330-6366. A grassroots hotline providing direct emotional and financial support to trans people in crisis. It offers peer support for trans individuals given by trans individuals.
• Trevor Lifeline: 866-488-7386. Free, immediate support 24/7, 365 days a year. Offers trained counselors who understand the challenges LGBTQ people face. All conversations are confidential, and counselors will listen without judgment.