Gscene News Archive

Brighton mental health services are working closely with local charities to devise specialist staff training so that the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Trans (LGBT) community are better able to access and benefit from mental health care.

LGBT people can feel marginalised because of other people’s attitudes and beliefs about their lifestyles, and can experience prejudice from mental and health care professionals as well as GPs.

After listening to the local community and studying the local Count Me In Too research, Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, which provides NHS mental health services in Sussex, has commissioned local LGBT organisations Brighton & Hove LGBT Switchboard, Mind Out, and The Gender Trust to design and deliver the first specialist LGBT staff training programme.

One-day ‘Affirmative Practice’ training sessions in Brighton and Hove began in March 2009 and run until the end of July. The sessions aim to ensure that mental health staff in the City have a clear understanding of the issues faced by the LGBT community, and gain insight and skills in assessing and addressing the needs of LGBT clients. The training will also give staff confidence in dealing with heterosexism, homophobia and transphobia.

Dr Richard Ford, Commercial Services Director and lead for Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity at Sussex Partnership, said:
“This training is aimed at ensuring all participants have a greater understanding of the life experiences, needs, discrimination and prejudice that many LGBT people experience and how that can affect their mental health and approach to mental health services. Sussex Partnership expects that by helping staff to be LGBT positive and inclusive, people who need to use our services will see that their needs will be met and understood positively.

“The Trust and the community will both benefit because if people who need to use our services feel confident that we offer a service that meets their needs, then their experience is positive and there is a higher likelihood of a successful recovery from mental illness”.

For more information view:
www.sussexpartnership.nhs.uk
www.switchboard.org.uk/brighton/
www.mindcharity.co.uk/servicesmindout.asp
www.countmeintoo.co.uk/
www.sussexpartnership.nhs.uk
www.gendertrust.org.uk/