Lgbtq mental health laws
In Victoria, we’re functional hard to upgrade mental health and wellbeing services for everyone, including female homosexual, gay, bisexual, gender non-conforming and gender diverse, intersex and homosexual Victorians.
This will aid every member of the LGBTIQ+ group access the concern and support they need, when they need it, and in a way that works for them.
Mental health and wellbeing services should be inclusive, and approachable to people of any gender, sexuality, or intersectional identity.
If you’re accessing mental health and wellbeing services in Victoria, you have a right to touch safe, and to have a service that understands you, and treats you with respect.
From September 2023, a unused mental health and wellbeing law comes into effect. This law is based on human rights, and supports preference, so you will have more state in the compassionate of treatment and support you get.
You can also opt for a family member, friend, carer, or any person who supports you, to help you create important decisions about your care.
Mental health and wellbeing service providers across Victoria must follow these laws. You contain a right to accessible mental health and wellbeing services, free from discrimination. And to hold your voice
Protections for LGBTQ People with Behavioral Health Needs
*Former Statute Fellow Rachel Holtzman is co-author of this Issue Brief.
“The therapy to serve with my PTSD was actually quite good and helped long term … However, I was constantly misgendered … I received greater support from other patients regarding my transition than I got from my therapists.”
– Heather, trans person woman, quote from mentalhelp.net[1]
Access to behavioral health services is critical for womxn loving womxn, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) individuals in the United States.[2] There are more than 5.5 million LGBTQ people living in the United States.[3] Although our country has made great strides to protect the rights of LGBTQ people in the past few decades, many LGBTQ individuals continue to experience the negative impact of societal bigotry and discrimination.[4]
Unfortunately, the discrimination and stigma faced by LGBTQ people places them at a higher risk for behavioral health conditions, including mental health conditions and substance use Disorders (SUDs), than non-LGBTQ people.[5] Yet too often, seeking health care services, including treatment for their behavioral health conditions, puts LGBT
LGBT inclusive mental health services – excellent practice guide
The Mental Welfare Commission today published an updated good exercise guide aimed at raising awareness of the rights of LGBT people in hospital and in the community.
The instruction is for staff working in mental health wards, society services and first care services. It may also be helpful for people who identify as LGBT and their families and friends.
LGBT people have higher rates of mental ill health, particularly anxiety, depression and eating disorders, than the general population.
They are also much more likely to think about suicide or self-harm: 20-25% compared with 2.4% in the general population.
When people’s experience of health care has been examined, almost 60% of transsexual people and 27% of LGB people reported that they have experienced a lack of sympathy of their needs through their trial of healthcare.
The updated guide, which was co-produced with LGBT Health and Wellbeing, includes practical recommendations for making services more accessible and LGBT-friendly. It includes real life case studies and it advises on terminology and the law.
Suzanne McGuinness, executive dire
Mental Health Resources in the LGBTQ+ Community
We know these times experience heavy. The rise in attacks on the Gay community and the decrease of the dedicated 988 lifeline for LGBTQ+ youth can feel like yet another blow to our community, but even when resources shift, you are never alone.
Please dial 988 if you need immediate support.
There are still back systems out there, ready to listen, uplift, and help you protect your mental health. If you're struggling, please reach out for help and never forget that you are loved, you are seen, and your mental well-being matters.
Even without LGBTQ+-specific assist on the 988 lifeline, help is still out there. You don't hold to navigate your mental health alone; there are resources available that can offer guidance, care, and connection. If you're struggling or simply need someone to talk to, watch below for a list of available hotlines, warmlines, and crisis lines, many of which are staffed by people specifically trained to perform with the LGBTQ+ community.
LGBTQ+ Crisis/Suicide Prevention Hotlines & Warmlines
*Not LGBTQ+ specific but LGBTQ+ inclusive
All Ages and Identities
This crisis hotline is available
LGBTQ people say their mental health is positively impacted when states have protective laws
Growing up in the 1990s and early 2000s just outside of Akron, Ohio, Shane Stahl felt it was taboo to talk about being part of the LGBTQ+ collective or about LGBTQ+ experiences.
Stahl, 40, who identifies as a gay man, said that although he grew up in an accepting and supporting family, he didn't feel like it was possible to openly express himself and feared he would be ostracized from his community if he did so.
As lawmakers in Ohio began to introduce -- and sometimes pass -- more anti-LGBTQ+ legislation, at both the local and the mention level, Stahl said it took a toll on his mental health.
"It made me want to go if I could," he told ABC News. "It makes you feel very isolated, and I don't know that this is everybody's experience, but my experience always kind of was like, 'Well, what does that person believe about me? Do they have an inclination that maybe I'm gay? And if they do, are they going to deal with me any differently? Are they going to utter something to somebody that can have an influence on my job or my ability to rent an apartment or obtain