Public Health Competencies
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Public Health Needs and Capacities of the LGBTQ+ Community and the Strategies to Address Them
Mental Health Support
Mental well-being support is required for the LGTQ+ community due to the rise of depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation. For instance, according to the recent research, they are over four times more likely to commit suicide than the heterosexual youngsters, who mostly suffer due to social rejection or discrimination. A therapeutic approach that acknowledges the complexity of gender and sexuality often helps couples cope with these issues. However, the lack of many LGBTQ+ affirmative care specialists creates the main difficulty. Social support such as the LGBTQ+ youth centers and online peer groups is a link that connects people who are in need and who are willing to give them help and share their stories (Lampalzer et al., 2019). Through the provision of special treatment services which incorporate cultural competences that meets the community’s mental health needs and supportive environments, we can wipe away the negative effects of minority stressors and jog up the well-being of the LGBTQ+ community.
Sexual Health and HIV Prevention
HIV and STI prevention activities among the global sexual and gender minorities (MSM and trans people) are the cornerstone in the struggle to lower the incidence rate of the disorder among the MSM and transgender people. Men having sex with men (MSM) are responsible for the majority of new HIV cases in most locations. Impairment of the balance arises from stigma, poor sexual education, and insufficient healthcare provision. Culturally sensitive health care providers within the services for sexual health of LGBTQ+ people are undoubtedly of paramount significance because they are offered with non-judgmental and personalized health services. Besides, community-based programs like advocacy and peer support networks are also key to promoting awareness, disclosure and referral for preventive strategies such as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and condoms (Lampalzer, et al. 2019). Through the process of the identification of the ones that are unique to LGBTQ+ community as well as specific challenges and obstacles, the level of these diseases can be reduced and sexual health and welfare is ensured to all.
Application Of Socioecological Framework to Population-Based Intervention Strategy Development to Improve Health and Reduce Inequities for LGBTQ Population
At the individual level, interventions may focus on developing health literacy and equipping individuals with self-efficacy and a resilient mental state. This could involve the introduction of culturally competent healthcare services, mental health support, and sexual health education, among others. For instance, affirmative therapy programs for LGBTQ+ individuals may include tools to cope with minority stress factors, such as stigma and discrimination (Gower et al., 2019). Interpersonally, the efforts are to reinforce social support where persons come together to experience a sense of community. Peer groups, community centers and online forums create safe environments for the LGBTQ+ individuals where they can interact, share their experiences and get resources help. Through social support and diminishing social isolation, such interventions help in achieving positive mental health results and general wellness (Gower et al., 2019). Moreover, the interventions can be conducted on family, school, and workplaces to make the LGBTQ+ individuals feel accepted and not get negative rejection treatment which is highly relevant for their wellness.
At the community level, interventions are aimed at creating a supportive environment and removing the structural barriers to health. This may be accomplished through advocating for LGBTQ+-inclusive policies, laws, and regulations at the municipal, state, and federal government levels. For instance, by advocating for nondiscrimination policies in healthcare settings, one will make sure that there is no place for discrimination or mistreatment of LGBTQ+ people in the process of receiving care. Community-focused agencies are the key to delivering the services, mobilizing the resources, and also promoting policy change for healthier lives and the betterment of the LGBTQ+ group. At the organizational level, interventions have targeted institutions of health, schools, offices, and other institutions with environmental concerns. Cultural sensitivity and attitude changing programs can help to upgrade the level of quality of healthcare services and reduce the gap in care provision. An example is when gender-neutral policies and practices are applied in both schools and workplaces. This creates more security and comfort for LGBTQ+ individuals (Gower et al., 2019). Through organizational change and fostering inclusionary practices, these interventions lead to better health and reduced inequalities.
Analysis Of the Insights Gained Concerning Aspects of Gender, Race, Poverty, History, Migration, And Culture When Working Toward Health Equity at Organizational, Community, And Societal Levels
Intersectionality and Health Inequities
Intersectionality is the concept that social categories including race, gender are sexuality interrelated translating to some individuals experiencing privileges while others facing oppression. Intersectionality in health disparity means that multiple marginalized identities like race, gender, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, immigration status, and disability contribute to and intensify healthcare disparities, poor outcomes, and general well-being (Lett et al., 2020). For instance, the LGBTQ+ person of color experiences dual discriminations that must address his or her identity as both sexual minorities and people of color in accessing healthcare services. Further, individuals with more than one marginalized identity areas usually confront the discrimination and the barriers of support that only singular-focused intervention deal with. The priority should be given to interventions that are tailored, culturally cognizant, and that help to address the varied requirements of marginalized populations (Lett et al., 2020). Achieving health equity can be supported through awareness of intersectionality and concrete actions aimed at making healthcare systems and environments more equitable and inclusive for all.
Historical Trauma and Structural Inequities
Historical trauma and structural inequality are the main factors affecting the health of marginalized groups. Indigenous peoples globally are face with different types of disease, mental health disorders and drug dependence as a result of colonial war, relocation and cultural genocide. Hence, the Natives are still wronged today by the issues of the healthcare system, unemployment, and education (Lett et al., 2020). However, the health problems of African Americans in the USA today can be traced back to previous centuries of slavery and segregation, subsequently causing racial discrimination and inequality in the distribution of good quality health care, nutritious food, and safe places to live, which worsen the health issue (Lett et al., 2020). The process of dealing with historical trauma and structural injustices begins with acknowledging the past oppression and then implementing actions that are targeted at the achievement of social justice, equality, and reconciliation in order to better the lives of marginalized communities.
Differences Among Availability, Acceptability, And Accessibility of Health Care Across Diverse Populations
Availability
Refers to the physical presence of the healthcare services and the resources in a particular geographical locality or a particular community. Availability includes the specific number of the medical facilities, healthcare professionals and the needed medical equipment required to meet the healthcare needs of the involved population. Taking a rural area with a sparce population, the areas may witness limited availability of healthcare services translating to travels over long distances in pursuit of healthcare services (Wallace & Enriquez-Haass, 2021). The similar situation may be witnessed in low-income urban areas, manifesting by fewer number of clinics and other healthcare services translating to reduced healthcare services for the present residents.
Acceptability
Refers to a social consideration relating to a particular cultural adherence, relevance, and sensitivity of the accorded healthcare services to the beliefs and values of different individuals and particular communities. Acceptability takes into consideration elements like language barrier, cultural beliefs and norms, about illness and treatment. A typical example in this case is a healthcare service providing the services in a language that is not easily understood by the population in which the facility has been initiated translating to communication barrier, thus an impediment in the access of care. Additionally, the healthcare professionals may not be able to adhere to the cultural consideration of a particular population thus perpetuating biasness, discrimination and making some populations feeling unwelcomed, isolated and misunderstood (Wallace & Enriquez-Haass, 2021). Acceptability therefore involves the provision of healthcare services that align with the cultural and social community demands such using the common language and adhering and respecting their common activities when [resenting the healthcare services.
Accessibility
Refers to the ability to obtain the needed healthcare services without witnessing any potential barriers like financial issues, transportation issues, or any discriminative elements. Accessibility incorporates both the physical elements like proximity to the healthcare facilities and availability of the transportation medium to facilitate the movement to the healthcare facilities. A perfect example in this case is the individuals from lower socio-economic status struggling to meet their healthcare needs. The high healthcare cost may impede their access to the required healthcare services. Further, having to cope with physical barriers like unreachable buildings or no alternative mobility means when they want to attend medical appointments can be a frightening challenge for a person with disabilities. In these kinds of contexts, access becomes worrying through cancellations of the financial barriers like reduced healthcare programs and increased physical accessibility such as ramps, lifts, and other alternatives that will allow the physically challenged to obtain healthcare services (Wallace & Enriquez-Haass, 2021). In the end, availability stands out for obtaining healthcare services without much effort being exerted.
How Community-Based Organizations (CBOs) Serving The LGBTQ+ Community Compare to Other Agencies Serving Diverse Populations In Terms of Structure, Systems, And Public Health Practices
Structure and FlexibilityTop of Form
CBOs serving the LGBTQ+ community exhibit a unique balance of structure and flexibility. Compared to the other larger agencies, CBOs contain a more fluid and organized structure fostering an easier adaptability with the dynamic needs of the LGBTQ populations. A typical example in this case is that the LGBTQ youth centers can easily have the flexibility to introduce a new program to support the ever-changing LGBTQ issues such as mental issues and bullying. The agility allows the CBOs to be relevant and responsive of the diverse needs of diverse population (Fish et al., 2019). Further, CBOs benefit from having leadership and members from the LGBTQ community, allowing for building trust and increased engagement. The flexibility also presents several challenges, for instance, the lack of formalized systems and resources if the larger agencies make the CBOs struggle with sustainability. Further, limited funding and reliance on volunteer programs impedes the ability to maintain long term programs or even the attempts to expand the reach (Fish et al., 2019). Therefore, even though flexibility proves to be a vital strength, it needs a keen balancing with strategic initiatives and planning and appropriate resource allocation to ensure it remains afloat for the continued effectiveness of CBOs in serving the LGBTQ+ community.
Cultural Competence and Tailored Services
Elements of cultural competence and tailored services are very vital aspects of CBOs that are offering service to the LGBTQ community, allowing them to address the particular issues that may be affecting LGBTQ individuals. A perfect example in this case is that the LGBTQ+ health center can opt to provide specialized care services like hormone therapy for the transgender individuals or provision of the Pre-exposure-prophylaxis to prevent the chances of getting HIV for the involved individuals (Fish et al., 2019). These strategies are very vital as they are tailored towards the provision and meeting the specific needs of the LGBTQ+ community. Additionally, the organization have the highest priority for creation of a seamless environment and an affirming space where the LGBTQ individuals feel valued and respected. The organizations can opt to train the different members of stuff on LGBTQ+ cultural competency to foster a free interaction free from discriminative vices and any element of biasness (Fish et al., 2019). Ultimately, through the centering of the CBOs to address and represent the voices and experiences of the LGBTQ community, CBOs can instil the free environment perspectives where the LGBTQ+ community have a sense of belonging and feel empowered, thus promoting better health outcomes and well-being in the long run.
How Professional Ethics And Practices Relate To Equity And Accountability In Diverse Community Settings
Professional ethics and practices have a critical role in fostering equity and accountability among diverse populations in their diverse settings. Ethical principles like justice, autonomy, and non-maleficence are the main ethical guidelines that a professional should take into account while interacting with people and communities so as to ensure that everyone gets what is fair and just in every situation. As an instance, in the healthcare sector, the professionals are associated with the ethical values of providing a culturally-competent and patient-disciplinary care to the people belonging to different cultures. This could include respecting the autonomy of patients in decision-making, addressing social determinants of health that exacerbate health inequalities, and campaigning for equitable healthcare resource distribution (Hess et al., 2023). Through the maintenance of ethical principles, workers can work to minimize health inequities and advance human rights in society
Additionally, the ethics of professionals are tightly associated with accountability since following ethical principles contributes to the reliability and openness of relations between professionals. Professionals are not only responsible for their clients as well as patients but also for the whole community they serve. For example, social workers in multicultural community settings are responsible for promoting the rights and welfare of vulnerable populations like LGBTQ+ youth or immigrants who are being discriminated against. Practitioners can be successful in addressing racial disparities and inequities by maintaining high ethics and doing self-reflection. Ethics helps them point out and get rid of biases and structures in the community that contribute to unequal levels in the community (Hess et al., 2023). Professionals can be made accountable for their deeds through the use of accountability mechanisms such as supervision, peer review, and the use of professional codes of ethics to ensure that their actions are consistent with ethical principles and advance equity and justice in diverse communities.
Systems-Thinking Tools Used At LGBTQ+ Community-Based Organizations
Among two system-thinking tools that are frequently used at the community-based organizations for the LBTQ+ community are the causal loop diagram and stakeholder map. Causal loop diagrams show the intricate relationships between different factors affecting a matter that the LGBTQ+ community is dealing with or the LGBTQ+ community’s conviction on a certain issue. For instance, a CBO targeting the LGBTQ+ homeless might employ a causal loop diagram to explain interconnected factors that cause homelessness, discrimination, lack of family support, and economic hardship being the main ones (Gillani et al., 2024). The CBO additionally demonstrates the real impact of homelessness amongst LGBTQ+ community members by constructing linear relationships, which in turn creates possibilities to find intervention points and design comprehensive strategies that treat the systemic problems contributing to persistent homelessness among LGBTQ+ groups.
In addition to the use of systems-thinking tools such as stakeholder mapping by the LGBTQ+ CBOs, these organizations can identify and analyze the different stakeholders having to do with a particular problem or its solution. This instrument aids CBOs in understanding the agendas, power relations, and potential influence of stakeholders, thereby enabling CBOs to form effective partnerships and mobilize resources strategically. For instance, a CBO working for LGBTQ+ healthcare could create stakeholder mapping and recognize key actors, such as healthcare providers, policymakers, community leaders, and LGBTQ+ advocacy groups. The knowledge from the stakeholders’ perspectives and priorities can enable the CBO to customize its advocacy initiatives and participate in the partnership-based move-making that meets the requirements of the LGBTQ+ community. Although the causal loop diagrams and the stakeholder mapping are valuable system-thinking tools for LGBTQ+CBOs, their effectiveness depends on the issue at hand and how competent the organization is in using these tools for the planning and decision-making process (Gillani et al., 2024). The right training and support are a must to guarantee that CBO staff would be able to use the mentioned tools productively and bring about maximum impact for providing justice and equity for the LGBTQ+ community.
References
Fish, J. N., Moody, R. L., Grossman, A. H., & Russell, S. T. (2019). LGBTQ Youth-Serving Community-Based Organizations: Who Participates and What Difference Does it Make? Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 48(12), 2418–2431. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-019-01129-5
Gillani, B., Prince, D. M., Ray-Novak, M., Feerasta, G., Jones, D., Mintz, L. J., & Moore, S. E. (2024). Mapping the Dynamic Complexity of Sexual and Gender Minority Healthcare Disparities: A Systems Thinking Approach. Healthcare, 12(4), 424. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare12040424
Gower, A. L., Saewyc, E. M., Corliss, H. L., Kane, L., Erickson, D. J., & Eisenberg, M. E. (2019). The LGBTQ Supportive Environments Inventory: Methods for quantifying supportive environments for LGBTQ youths. Journal of Gay & Lesbian Social Services, 31(3), 314–331. https://doi.org/10.1080/10538720.2019.1616023
Hess, J. L., Lin, A., Whitehead, A. L., & Katz, A. (2023). How do ethics and diversity, equity, and inclusion relate in engineering? A systematic review. Journal of Engineering Education. https://doi.org/10.1002/jee.20571
Lampalzer, U., Behrendt, P., Dekker, A., Briken, P., & Nieder, T. O. (2019). The Needs of LGBTI People Regarding Health Care Structures, Prevention Measures and Diagnostic and Treatment Procedures: A Qualitative Study in a German Metropolis. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 16(19), 3547. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16193547
Lett, E., Dowshen, N. L., & Baker, K. E. (2020). Intersectionality and Health Inequities for Gender Minority Blacks in the U.S. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 59(5), 639–647. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2020.04.013
Wallace, S. P., & Enriquez-Haass, V. (2021). Availability, accessibility, and acceptability in the evolving health care system for older adults in the United States of America. Revista Panamericana de Salud Pública, 10(1). https://doi.org/10.1590/s1020-49892001000700004