Beyond Diversity: Preventing Veteran Suicide Through Deepening Our Understanding of the Lived Experiences of LGBTQ+ Veterans

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When: Friday, June 23rd (12 - 2 pm PST)

Where: Virtual/Online

Trainer: Lindsay Church

CEs Available: 0

Description:

LGBTQ people have been serving in our nation’s military dating back to the Revolutionary War. In spite of this, LGB and trans inclusion in our Armed Forces is a relatively new policy. In modern history, most Americans remember exclusionary policies such as ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ and the ‘Military Trans Ban’ that criminalized the identities of sexual and gender minorities in the military.

These policies have left real and lasting trauma among generations of LGBTQ veterans who had to hide parts of all of themselves in the name of service to their country. The lasting effects of LGBTQ-exclusionary policies and criminalization of queer identities is only beginning to be understood through studies on LGBTQ+ military and veteran population (despite deep data equity issues) that show that LGBTQ+ veterans face greater instances of military sexual trauma, experience legal barriers to identity disclosure while serving, and have increased rates of suicidal ideations and mental health crises as veterans.

In the past 10 years since the repeal of ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’, the landscape of policies relating to the provision of care and benefits through the Department of Veterans Affairs has changed dramatically. Discharge upgrades for those who were removed under these policies have been administered, and the aperture for what’s available through VA is growing, but the VA, government agencies, and community providers struggle to reach and create trustful relationships with the LGBTQ veteran community.

The damage of the institutional harm endured by the community is surmountable, but only through understanding and hearing of the nuanced ways that these policies have manifested in the lives of those who lived through them. Deepening our knowledge base of the LGBTQ veteran community can create a greater understanding of the issues of veteran mental health and suicide, homelessness, substance use, and more, and better outcomes for all served through VA.

This training is for behavioral health providers, service providers, and members of the community who want to develop a better understanding of the challenges and evidence-based/best practices and treatments for each topic area when serving their clients.

Objectives:

• Understand historic and current policies that have shaped service for LGBTQ service members, veterans, and their families
• Create greater understanding of LGBTQ+ veterans identities and the impacts of LGBTQ identity has on service 
• Develop tools for creating stronger relationships with LGBTQ veteran patrons and clients