Fawcett Presents Book Reading and Workshop in New York

On December 13, 2015 Dr. Fawcett presented a reading and discussion called “After Meth: Rebuilding Your Life, Intimacy and Sex” to a packed house at the Bureau of General Services Queer Division at the LGBTQ Center in New York.  Based on his book “Lust, Men, and Meth: A Gay Man’s Guide to Sex and Recovery,” Fawcett outlined key points about the physiological and psychological impact of methamphetamine as well as critical skills and tools to promote recovery and healing. After his presentation and reading, Dr. Fawcett had a lively question and answer session with the attendees followed by a reception.

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Portions of the workshop are available on video:

“Why I Wrote this Book”

“After Meth Part 1”

“After Meth Part 2”

STARTING HIV MEDICATIONS: A LIFE-SAVING CHALLENGE

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This article was originally posted on TheBody.com on David's blog "Riding the Tiger: Life Lessons from an HIV-positive Therapist"

    Gwen was thirty when she found out she was HIV positive, yet this news didn't come as a surprise.  She had injected heroin for several years but managed to get clean when she was twenty-eight.   Her struggle with drugs was a terrible phase in her young life and had left her with HIV,  but those years also had given her a beautiful baby girl whom she totally adored and who, thankfully, did not have the HIV virus.

    Gwen now faced a dilemma.  Her doctor just told her, based on her recent lab results, that she needed to start HIV medications.   While not unexpected, she felt pangs of anxiety at this news.  Since getting clean, she had always been determined to create a good life for herself as well as her baby.  She worked part-time from her home and attended community college in the evenings.  Gwen's only nearby relative, her sister, worked during the day but was able to watch her daughter while she was at class.   Gwen's mind began racing.  Who would care for her child if the medications made her sick? The lab, the doctor, and her case manager were available only during business hours.  Who would watch her baby while she took public transportation to various appointments to get her meds and the follow up labs?  How could she afford time away from work? How could she even afford the drugs?  She knew there must be some programs to help her obtain them, but she had also heard there were waiting lists for medication assistance. 

    Starting HIV meds is among the most serious commitments one will ever make.  Like Gwen, anyone facing this decision needs to consider numerous factors which will affect their ability to adhere to a daily regimen for the rest of their life.  Disruptions cause resistance, which can render a drug ineffective.  Fewer medication options increase the risk of dire consequences.   More than almost any other, one's relationship with his or her HIV medications is an intensely personal, long-term obligation that, while certainly life-saving, requires consistency, determination, and acceptance of side-effects, both anticipated and unanticipated.

    I have been on this road since 1988, and I am most certainly alive only because of these medications.   I am fortunate that my body generally tolerates them and I am able to maintain my daily routines, although it has not always been a smooth ride.  In the early days, I survived AZT, which was dosed every four hours around the clock and which caused anemia that hospitalized me and killed several friends, including my HIV doctor.  In the 1990s, when the situation was far more desperate, I, along with thousands of others, lent my body for drug trials.   Despite pancreatitis and permanent neuropathy, I have no regrets because new, life-saving medications became available.  And I remember the miracle when protease inhibitors arrived and, despite serious side effects, dramatically reshaped the AIDS epidemic.

    Co-existing with our HIV meds has certainly become easier.   There are more medication options than ever before, there is an increased understanding of side effects, and drug combinations have greatly improved convenience.  But it is critical not to lose awareness of the tenuous balance between the risk and benefit of HIV medications, because despite today's reassuring, carefree, almost casual portrayal of life on HIV meds, taking them remains a serious, life-long commitment with medical, emotional,  social, and financial consequences.  Because of the nature of this commitment and its significance, anyone starting HIV medications needs to consider several factors.  Here are a few:

  • Side Effects:  I don't know anyone taking HIV meds who doesn't, on occasion, have an accident when they can't get to a bathroom.  It challenges one's dignity, but most people find they can adapt with medication and a routine that includes carrying extra underwear (there's even an app for that: several bathroom-finder apps have proven very useful to clients and friends!).   Rashes, headaches, and nausea can also occur, often when starting a new drug.  Long term effects of HIV medications are now emerging, including liver, cardiac, and metabolic problems, as well as diabetes, high cholesterol/triglycerides, and osteoporosis.    Unfortunately, we just don't know the long-term impact of these drugs, but despite these side effects, most people choose to begin HIV meds and work with their doctor to closely monitor their impact not just on HIV but on other physiological systems as well. 
  • Substance Use:   I work with many patients whose substance abuse has particularly devastating consequences on their medication adherence.  This is especially true for methamphetamine.  Most meth users take the drug over several days, during which genuine commitments (like using condoms or taking one's HIV meds) are abandoned.  Some people make heroic, but usually unsuccessful, efforts to take their HIV meds (setting mobile phone alarms, asking friends to prompt them).  Others just give up while partying.   Recreational drugs can also interact with HIV meds in a variety of ways which can cause a dangerous increase in blood levels (this can lead to an overdose of the recreational drug) or the rapid metabolism of the antiviral, creating an opportunity for mutation.   Anyone starting HIV meds needs to seriously consider their recreational drug use and its potential impact on their ability to maintain their medication regimen.  HIV meds don't mix well with recreational drugs.
  • Drug Interactions:  Many HIV medications interact with other prescribed medications and nutritional supplements.  It's important for anyone starting meds to understand how they work and their potential interactions.  For example, many people use St. John's Wort, an over-the-counter supplement, to treat symptoms of depression.  Simultaneous use of this supplement with ritonavir (Norvir) can cause dangerous interactions.  Ritonavir, along with many other HIV drugs, causes unexpected increases or decreases in blood levels of other medications, so speaking frankly with your physician about everything you take, including supplements, is essential. 
  • Mental Health:   HIV medications, even if taken only once a day, require consistency and stability.  Mood disorders that cause fluctuations in motivation or unpredictable behavior can be a great concern.  I have had clients with Bipolar Disorder who stopped taking their mood stabilizers during manic phases and soon stopped taking their HIV medications as well.  Depression can be equally debilitating if one loses interest in self-care, including HIV therapy.  Others find that taking HIV medications is a disturbing daily reminder of their status.   This can be greatly alleviated by identifying and expressing the strong feelings that emerge after diagnosis and reframing taking medications as one more empowering activity we do to suppress the  virus.   Managing mental health is a critical component of managing HIV.
  • Strong Support System:  Like Gwen, anyone taking HIV medications needs to maintain a strong and supportive network of friends, family, and professionals.   A variety of issues can arise when one might need help, such as experiencing strong physical side effects, needing moral support when things seem overwhelming, or finding assistance accessing the medications or making copayments.  Physical health and stigma sometimes isolate people living with HIV, yet no one can manage it by themselves.    A robust support system is essential.
  • Personal Empowerment:  Starting HIV medications, like the initial diagnosis, can be traumatic.  Most people can't help but view it as one more step toward the inevitable progression of the virus.  It's not unusual to catastrophize, or minimize, or even deny what's happening.   I encourage my clients to process these feelings, network with others having the same experience, and find their way toward a personal peace with the virus, a place in which they are empowered to remain actively engaged in maintaining their health.

    Starting HIV medications is a big deal, but millions of us have done it and found ways to successfully co-exist with these drugs.  It requires investing time to understand the meds, creating a collaborative relationship with your healthcare providers, and taking care of yourself emotionally and physically.  But with that effort, one quickly adapts to taking these medications  and viewing them as just another critical component of living with HIV.

“Let Them Die“? – The Dangers of Losing Compassion

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This article was originally posted on TheBody.com on David's blog "Riding the Tiger: Life Lessons from an HIV-positive Therapist"


O for God's sake
they are connected
                -Muriel Rukeyser “Islands”

    Several widely-televised incidents recently exemplified the harsh and frightening polarization we are experiencing in our society.  The first was at the Republican debate at the Reagan Presidential Library where the audience spontaneously clapped and cheered when Governor Rick Perry's record of 234 executions was discussed.   The second was a clear shout from the audience of "let them die" when Representative Ron Paul was asked hypothetically if he would treat an uninsured individual who required medical attention.   For me, these were stunning moments of disbelief.

    Themes of independence, personal responsibility, and self-sufficiency have long been at the core of American culture and, overall, I believe they have served us well.  But they have been balanced and tempered by a belief in a role for government that provides services and infrastructure beyond the capabilities of any single individual. Indeed, a functioning democracy surely relies upon a degree of empathic feeling among its citizens.  From a medical point of view, anyone who states they can take care of themselves (and that they will have nothing to do with the needs of others) has either had astoundingly good luck in terms of health or is so blinded by ideology that they have become delusional.

    What does this mean for HIV?   Is it realistic for anyone to be able to pay for their own medications?  Most persons with HIV have experienced periods when they were too weak to care for themselves.  Should they be abandoned?  Earlier this year, I heard a nationally- prominent HIV/AIDS advocate state that every year in Washington, for 25 years, he has believed that politicians would ultimately do the right thing in terms of AIDS funding.  He stated that this year, for the first time, this might not be the case, and that indeed essential funding and the lives are in jeopardy. 

    Ironically, self-sufficiency has been central to the AIDS epidemic.  In the 1980s and 1990s, when government was not responding, we at the grassroots level took matters into our own hands.  We were the ones who cared for the sick, who sat with them when their families turned their backs, and who did not let them die alone.  It was demand from the bottom up that fueled services and drug research, and it was persons living with the virus who gave our own bodies for drug trials.

    It seems now that large (and growing) segments of our society have come to view basic compassion, the emotional capacity to experience another’s pain, as a character defect, yet it is an essential element of what makes us human. Neuroscience is beginning to provide some intriguing clues about compassion.   Each of us has "mirror neurons" in our brain that allow us to emotionally simulate and actually experience the pain of others, which causes us to feel empathic distress.  That is, at some level we experience the emotions of others as if they were happening to us.  Such feelings are thought to motivate pro-social behavior.   These mirror neurons have been observed in both primates and other species, including birds.  And while they certainly play a role in imitation and learning, they appear to have an emotional component as well.

    This begs the question: how can there be applause about executions and shouts of "let them die" if we have these mirror neurons that promote compassion?  Buddhists might say it concerns the self-centered focus that flows from the fundamental delusion of believing one is a "separate self," essentially disconnected from others.    This doesn’t have to be the case.  Intriguing scientific research utilizing fMRI studies is beginning to map out areas of the brain that are activated by compassion.  This research is documenting the increased capacity of experienced meditators (>10,000 hours) to rid themselves of a “self-focused delusion” and thereby understand their integral connection with others and experience more intense compassion for other persons.

    When individuals see themselves as essentially separate from others, normal "empathic distress" can actually trigger memories of emotionally painful or upsetting events from their own past.  This can, in turn, motivate them not to experience painful compassion for someone else but actually throw up a defensive posture that reinforces separateness and disconnection from others. 

    When empathic distress is very intense, it can move someone entirely out of a compassionate mode, according to Martin Hoffman (a theorist in this area).  Other factors that negatively impact the ability of empathic distress to translate into compassion include familiarity bias (identifying strongly only with an “in-group”) which inhibits identifying with the experiences of someone who is “different,” and habituation (repeated exposure to distress over time).   

    What does all this mean for the HIV/AIDS community?  I believe we have to continue our grassroots tradition of activism.  Stigma blossoms where there is invisibility and silence.   Such callous and immoral shouts as "let them die" need to be challenged.   The destructive myth that we are all separate from one another, and that anyone experiencing HIV (or any illness, for that matter) is on their own, will lead to further stigma, cuts in essential funding, and deaths.   It also contributes to the fallacy that our destinies, as individuals and as a society, are not inextricably bound together.

    Ironically, despite my anger, I have some level of compassion for these rigidly self-focused, "self-reliant" people.   While this certainly doesn't mitigate their destructive potential, I believe that anyone who applauds executions or shouts "let them die" is, at some emotional level, in pain.   They might benefit from the words of the Dalai Lama: "if you want others to be happy, practice compassion…if you want to be happy, practice compassion."     
   

When the Crisis Lasts a Lifetime: HIV, Burnout, and Emotional Survival

Living with HIV creates one stressful event after another: anxiety about getting tested, dealing with news that one is positive, when to start medications, dealing with anxiety, depression and stigma…The list is endless.  It is critical that we learn how to manage these feelings because the toll created by chronic stress is directly related to a drop in CD4 counts.

At the recent Positive Living 15 conference in Fort Walton Beach, I gave this presentation on some ways to cope.  Here is a pdf verson of my presentation:

Download Positive Living 2012

The slides explain how stress impacts the body, symptoms, and tools to address them, including gaining a sense of optimism, improving interpersonal skills, identifying and appropriately expressing feelings, and most important, getting connected to others with whom you can give and receive support.  

Emotional survival with HIV is certainly possible but doesn't come without work, commitment, and sharing the experience with others.

David Fawcett Receives Who’s Who in Florida Prevention Award

David Fawcett PhD, LCSW, has been honored with the "Who's Who in Florida Prevention Award" in recognition of his leadership in both substance abuse and HIV/AIDS prevention.   The Florida Office of Drug Control named individuals recognized for their leadership at the annual statewide Prevention in Florida Conference in Orlando in early October.  This award acknowledges the accomplishments and dedication of individuals and groups within Florida’s prevention community.  Dr. Fawcett's nomination specifically recognized a decade of leadership working to strengthen individuals and families, especially within the LGBT community.

Dr. Fawcett has worked on a number of community projects, including serving as Chair of the South Florida Methamphetamine Task Force, which fostered community partnerships to address the methamphetamine crisis through training of professionals and creation of an infrastructure for prevention and treatment.  He was a founder of Meth and Men South Florida, a program of Sunserve, which continues to provide sliding-scale individual and group therapy for substance abuse within the LGBT community.  He also serves on the Board of Governors of the Broward County Commission on Substance Abuse; the Clinical Advisory Board of Sunserve; and recently was Program Co-Chair of the 2010 National Gay Men's Health Summit, a five-day event that drew nearly 500 people from around the nation to address concerns related to the health and wellness of gay men. 

Dr. Fawcett frequently makes presentations on topics of HIV and substance abuse both locally and nationally, most recently at the US Conference on AIDS.  He has been in private practice and created and now facilitates the "Connections" group for gay men at Fusion, a drop-in center funded by the Broward County Health Department.  The weekly "Connections" group is open to all and provides a rare opportunity for gay men to discuss a variety of topics, including body image, self-esteem, intimacy, relationship skills, stress reduction, and many more.  

NATIONAL GAY MEN’S HEALTH SUMMIT TO BE HELD IN FORT LAUDERDALE AUGUST 25 – 29

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Hundreds of gay men and their allies from throughout the country and beyond will gather on August 25 – 29, 2010, at the Sheraton Fort Lauderdale Airport and Cruise Port Hotel to participate in the 2010 National Gay Men’s Health Summit. The theme of the event is  “Creating a Brighter Future: The Next Decade of Gay Men’s Health” and will be held jointly with the 9th annual Southeast Regional Gay Men’s Health Summit.   Over 250 gay men (as well as, bi, trans men, other men who have sex with men and their allies) will gather to reflect on and celebrate gay men’s lives while working on a brighter future for gay men’s health and wellness.

The summit is open to all and registration has been underwritten for residents of Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach Counties by the Broward County Health Department and the Florida Department of Health.   Pre-summit workshops begin on Wednesday, August 25, and include a panel featuring an intergenerational dialog around gay youth, adults, elders and ancestors; another focusing on body image and weight issues; and a gay men’s leadership institute.

The formal summit begins on Thursday, August 26, and concludes on Sunday, August 29, and features a number of plenary speakers and nearly 70 workshops on topics as diverse as addictions, mental health, HIV, wellness, dating and relationships, and spirituality.  Many of the workshops will address special topics and populations, such as HIV negative youth of color, building community among Hispanic gay men, return to work issues for those on disability, and addictions recovery.  The summit is designed to promote social interaction and fun.  A significant number of the workshops are experiential, such as laughter yoga or meditation, and are intended to be edgy, such as the impact of GRINDR on our community and the use of social media to improve gay health and wellness.  Besides casual interaction with gay men from around the country (and beyond), there will organized social events such as a show and a pool party.

The gay men’s health movement grew from an interest in expanding the scope of gay men’s health beyond (but certainly including) HIV to a full range of other issues that impact our health and wellness.  At the Summit, gay men and their allies will have frank and open dialogue about race, racism, identity and gender politics, aging and class. We will discuss these and other domains and paradigms for thinking about gay men’s health. Our conversations will cover the broad spectrum of interests for gay men with key focus on strengths-based organizing, emerging issues, and other hot topics.
One of the key challenges facing gay men is to ensure that we continue to be involved in the strategizing and implementation phases of Health Care Reform. Another key challenge is to develop creative funding strategies and work alongside key policy makers while we simultaneously work with fellow advocates to shape policy such as ADAP and the National HIV/AIDS Strategy.

Walk-up registration is available beginning at 10:00am on Wednesday, August 25.

MAY 15 ABSTRACT DEADLINE APPROACHES FOR NATIONAL GAY MEN’S HEALTH SUMMIT

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The deadline to submit abstracts for the 2010 National Gay Men’s Health Summit is fast approaching.  See details below.  For more information or to submit your proposal visit www.gmhs2010.com

NATIONAL GAY MEN’S HEALTH SUMMIT 2010

Creating a Brighter Future:

The Next Decade of Gay Men’s Health

August 25-30, 2010

Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Press Release:

The 6th National Gay Men’s Health Summit will gather together gay men (as well as, bi, trans men, other men who have sex with men and their allies) to reflect on and celebrate gay men’s lives while working on a brighter future for gay men’s health and wellness.

In sunny Ft. Lauderdale, Florida hundreds of gay men and their allies from throughout the country and beyond will gather August 25 – 29, 2010, and convene at Sheraton Ft Lauderdale Airport and Cruise Port Hotel to share space together and engage about their exciting work and their lives while they attend the 2010 National Gay Men’s Health Summit. The theme of the event is  “Creating a Brighter Future: The Next Decade of Gay Men’s Health” and will be held jointly with the 9th annual Southeast Regional Gay Men’s Health Summit.

Gay men are creative, strong, and resilient. We have developed our own home-grown social networks, support structures, definitions of community, communities and communal rituals, formulated systems and structures for and around health and wellness- all for and by us.

Gay men continue to create, build and sustain lives that are satisfying and fulfilling, even in the face of formidable obstacles, persistent stigma, and incredible challenges. One of the key challenges we face is to ensure that gay men and their allies continue to be involved in the strategizing and implementation phases of Health Care Reform- our voice will be heard. Another key challenge is to develop creative funding strategies and work alongside key policy makers while we simultaneously work with fellow advocates to shape policy such as ADAP and the National HIV/AIDS Strategy. Gay men face the challenge to fully explore and develop solutions to decrease health and wellness disparities.

At the Summit, gay men and their allies will continue to have frank and open dialogue about race, racism, identity and gender politics, aging and class. We will discuss these and other domains and paradigms for thinking about gay men’s health. Our conversations will cover the broad spectrum of interests for gay men with key focus on strengths-based organizing, emerging issues, and other key hot topics. Gay-identified Trans men will certainly be a key area of dialogue with a focus on discovering, dreaming and agenda setting for gay transmen. We will also broach an intergenerational conversation around youth, adults, elders and ancestors, and the impact of a loss of a large part of a generation as a result of the AIDS epidemic with discussion of how to move forward together. We will look into an expansive research agenda to ensure a holistic approach that is also culturally responsive and appropriate toward gay men and their health and wellness.

We will explore our individual, collective and inter and intrapersonal sexual health through interactive workshops, laughter, and play- a journey of past, present, and future.  We will review and use the Gay Men’s Health Agenda to guide national efforts around political action and local organizing and rallying. The Gay Men’s Health Agenda will seat its first National Steering Committee in collaboration with its Leadership Core. We will continue to think outside the box, challenging and expanding social categories and promoting culturally appropriate and responsive directives with novel programmatic approaches.

 

Living Longer by Living With Purpose

    Purpose Some years ago a friend of mine sold his successful veterinary practice in the midwest, bought a van, and headed to California to pursue his lifelong dream of writing music.  People no doubt thought he had lost his mind, or at least regressed from being a responsible adult to a frivolous adolescent searching for himself.   Years later, he has had some success with his music, but most of all, he has experienced the thrilling notion that he followed his heart.

    Not all of us, of course, have the opportunity to drop out of our lives and begin anew, but we all certainly have the chance to discover what gives our life meaning and follow it to our best ability.  The daily satisfaction is enormous, and so are the health benefits.  A study at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago found that people who followed their life’s purpose were only about half as likely to die over the follow-up period as compared to people who expressed less sense of purpose.   These findings have been replicated in other studies: following your dreams is a protective factor for your health.

For many of us, identifying our personal mission, goals, and objectives is not an easy task.  There are many helpful resources, one of which is Martha Beck’s Finding Your Own North Star.  She outlines several steps that are useful in identifying and following through on living your dreams.

    The first step is articulating what is important to you.  Many experts recommend sitting down without distraction and writing freely about questions such as what makes you smile; what activities cause you to lose track of time; what do people ask you for help with; or what would you regret not fully doing, being, or having in your life.    It will take time and numerous lists before a convergence of themes appears, but it will.  These are your core desires.

    Once you have a notion of your own purpose, it’s important to compare it to how you live your life.   Many of us have unconscious beliefs about ourselves that hold us back – these need to be identified and repaired.  For example, a client of mine had a childhood learning disability that affected his performance in school   He not only had trouble studying, he also believed (and was told) that he wasn’t as smart as others and would never be able to succeed in school.   As an adult he wanted to become a nurse, which required college courses in biology and chemistry.  He took a chance and enrolled, asked for help where he needed it to overcome his learning problems and develop good study habits, and became an “A” student.  He realized his core belief about his intelligence and learning was wrong.

    A second critical step is to compare what life offers you with your own mission and objectives.  The opportunities we accept must align with our goals.  Without the guidance of our life’s purpose in making choices about which to pursue and which to let go, we can become frustrated, disillusioned, or simply burn out. 

    With practice it becomes increasingly easy to know when we our activities resonate with our life’s purpose.  Nurturing our intuition can be a corrective force when we temporarily get off track from the real source of satisfaction and health: cultivating and living our dreams.

David Fawcett, PhD, LCSW

This article first appeared in Out in the News, Volume 3, Issue
21 (April-May 2010), a publication of the Broward County Health
Department, S-Men Campaign for a Safer, Healthier Community.

Volunteering Can Make You Healthy and Happy

    Volunteering

Did you know that giving your time and effort on behalf of someone else can actually improve your mood and overall health?  Although it sounds too good to be true, that is the conclusion of a number of studies on a variety of populations from around the world.  Scientists are still unraveling the specifics, but there are some intriguing clues documenting the health benefits of volunteering.

    First, there are positive physical health effects.  Volunteering was associated with reduced mortality risk in a number of studies, especially in persons aged 60 and over, although the benefits appear to hold true for all ages.    Simply put, persons who consistently give their time on behalf of others lived longer than those who did not.  More surprisingly, the health status of the volunteer didn’t matter.  Even if they had a serious medical condition themselves, volunteering provided a protective factor for their own physical wellbeing.

     Volunteering was also associated with increased positive emotions and a significantly-improved  sense of purpose.   It increased access to social and psychological resources which countered negative moods such as depression and anxiety.  People who volunteered reported a greater degree of overall happiness, with improved social support and cohesion that benefits both the individual and the community.  Finally, volunteering has been shown to improve self-satisfaction and mastery of new skills, both of which reinforce a positive self-image.

    These studies also reveal interesting ways to maximize the positive effects of service work.  The total number of volunteer hours per week was not as important as consistency and length of service.  That is, just one hour a week was more effective at promoting the health and wellness of the volunteer than lots of hours, as long as it was consistent over a period of months or even years.    Studies also revealed that there are health benefits even if the service work is informal and privately arranged, such as spending time with a homebound neighbor each week.  Volunteer work doesn’t have to be “official” to benefit, just consistent.

    In the end, these studies showed that “mattering” was the crucial link between volunteering and wellbeing.  By moving beyond our own needs and helping others, we begin to make a difference and “matter” to both our community and ourselves, and we get the bonus of being healthier and happier.

David Fawcett, PhD, LCSW   

This article first appeared in Out in the News, Volume 3, Issue 1 (February-March 2010), a publication of the Broward County Health Department, S-Men Campaign for a Safer, Healthier Community.

DON’T BE INVISIBLE – JOIN “THE COUNT”

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Did you ever wonder about the LGBTQ population where you live? How many of us are there? How old (or young) are we? What races and ethnicities do we represent? What is the status of our health, or our households, or our finances?

Today it is impossible to determine the answers to these questions, but if you live in Broward County that’s about to change. This summer you will be able to participate in an online census for the gay, lesbian, and transgender community called “The Count.” The collected data will finally give us a statistical presence that not only provides an awareness of our numbers but also assembles information that can be used for public policy and funding decisions. The census is a collaborative effort that includes the United Way, Sunserve, the GLCC, Broward House, and the Broward County Department of Health. This is the first effort to quantify and document information about our community.

Why is this important? One key reason is that it will enable better funding for health care, social services, and other vital resources. For example, as Chair of the South Florida Methamphetamine Task Force, I have been frustrated in applying for funds that could provide additional treatment services because there is no specific data on the pervasiveness of substance abuse among Broward’s LGBT population. In the case of meth, we know there is a serious problem but grant makers want specifics, and documenting how many people are affected, their other health concerns (like HIV or Hepatitis), or their treatment needs is impossible because there is no data. This seriously affects our ability to get funding to help the community. If we aren’t seen or heard, we will be overlooked.

Many of my psychotherapy clients express frustration about what they perceive to be a lack of community. This census is an important step in affirming that we are not only here, but that we will be seen, heard, and counted.

“The Count” will go live this summer, but you can register now on the site to be notified about updates.