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Harvard Medical School has taken a multi-pronged approach to ensure its physicians-in-training are prepared for the unique needs of LGBTQ patients.

Seeing a Harvard Medical School diploma hanging in your doctor’s office may in itself be impressive, but now, for some LGBTQ patients, the degree may provide some additional comfort. With a new LGBTQ elective course, the incorporation of LGBTQ health needs into existing courses and an LGBTQ-specific scholarship, the school is taking a leadership role in the health care of gender and sexual minorities.

In January 2016, Harvard Medical School (HMS) launched its first elective course dedicated to LGBTQ health, providing fourth-year students the opportunity to learn about different facets of sexual- and gender-minority health from the populations themself. While some other schools offer LGBTQ lecture-based courses, Harvard’s four-week elective is hands-on.

The multidisciplinary course, which addresses LGBTQ health disparities and unique health issues faced by the community, aims to prepare graduating physicians with the ability to provide high-quality patient care to individuals who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and gender-nonconforming, as well as those born with differences of sex development (DSD).

Dr. Alex Keuroghlian, an assistant professor of psychiatry at HMS and the director of education and training programs at The Fenway Institute’s National LGBT Health Education Center, said he customizes the elective course for each student, hoping to provide an “enriched experience toward the end of their medical school training, so that they can appreciate the fact that this is really a field in and of it itself.”

“LGBT health is a discipline many of us choose to devote our careers to,” Keuroghlian said. “This is a population facing a lot of what we call ‘minority stress,’ whether it’s sexual-minority stress or gender-minority stress, that leads to various behavioral health problems, poor self-care, decreased engagement in health care and a variety of physical health problems disproportionately compared to the general population.”

Students in this elective are able to choose a population focus, such as transgender youth or lesbian and bisexual women, and Keuroghlian creates a rotation specifically designed for them, so they can learn directly from care providers, like himself, who are already working in the field.

“When I have students with me in clinic, they’re seeing me do evaluations for gender-affirming surgical procedures to ensure that patients can have these procedures done,” Keuroghlian said. “I [also] write a letter to the surgeon and insurance company to make sure the patient can have this procedure. It’s a very specific kind of evaluation and a very specific letter I write that they would not be likely to experience or observe otherwise.”

Read more at NBCNews.com.

Survivor Day is the one day a year when people affected by suicide loss gather around the world at events in their local communities to find comfort and gain understanding as they share stories of healing and hope. In 2016, there were over 350 Survivor Day events in 18 countries.

The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) will host gatherings in communities around the world to mark the observance. This year, all gatherings will include a screening of The Journey: A Story of Healing and Hope, a compelling AFSP-produced documentary about the suicide loss experience, as well the new follow-up featurette, The Journey Revisited, in which six of the original Journey participants gather three years later to reflect on how their grief and healing journey is evolving.

To find a Survivor Day event near you, click here.

AFSP provides tools for people who are interested in organizing an event in their community on Survivor Day 2017, which will be held on Saturday, November 18. If you would like to host a Survivor Day event, please have a look at AFSP’s organizer resources page to see what’s involved, and to determine whether you have the necessary time, experience, and volunteer support to host an event. If you do, AFSP welcomes you to fill out an event organizer application form.

If you have any questions, please contact Inge De Taeye, AFSP Loss & Healing Programs Manager, at idetaeye@afsp.org.

Learn more at AFSP.org.

“Being Asian, especially from an immigrant Asian family, we avoid these things,” Tran said. “There’s … a cultural idea that if you have a mental illness, you’re kind of like a person in the family that needs to be hidden away.”

When it comes to seeking help for mental health, the Asian-American community lags behind other groups, including by avoiding it completely. In fact, research shows Asian-Americans are three times less likely to seek mental health help than white Americans.

In the case of Asian immigrants like Tran’s family, many come from cultures that do not see mental illness as a legitimate illness, leading to stigma.

But a new generation of mental health care providers is trying to change that. They’re offering services like family-directed therapy and employing specialists who speak different languages to help immigrants who can’t comfortably express themselves in English.

Dr. Samantha Liu of Asian Community Mental Health Services has seen the effects of mental health stigma firsthand in her 20 years as a psychiatrist. She specializes in working with Asian-American patients, especially Chinese-Americans.

“When I see them, a lot of these patients come to me in severe conditions compared to patients of other ethnicities,” Liu said. “By the time they go to the doctor or psychiatrist, they are already in bad condition. It’s very hard for them to recover.” 

“There is a fear among the community that if anyone finds out, they will be ostracized,” said Dr. Vasudev N. Makhija, founder and president of the South Asian Mental Health Initiative and Network. “They will be worried about what others think and might say. Even for seeking emotional support, they just keep quiet and just suffer in silence instead.”

Many psychiatrists who focus on Asian-American communities believe it’s most effective to educate the entire family while treating the patient.

One approach that works is informing the immediate family, said Dr. Albert Gaw of Asian Community Mental Health Services, who has written about best practices for working with Asian-American patients. Makhija agrees, saying that when he sees Asian-American patients, the family often accompanies the patient to the interview room ― with the patient’s consent. Using this strategy, doctors will fully inform the family about the medications and treatment, as well as what symptoms to watch out for.

To spread awareness about mental health in Asian-American communities, some organizations host public workshops, health camps and community outreach events that offer screenings and discussion of common conditions like depression and substance abuse.

Read more at HuffingtonPost.com.

The Black Women’s Health Imperative (BWHI) has reached millions of women, sharing the latest research, life-saving programs and health-promoting policies. Recently, they released IndexUS: What Healthy Black Women Can Teach Us About Health, the first health index focused exclusively on healthy Black women. It’s based on 20 years of data from the Boston University Black Women’s Health Study (BWHS), specifically, information from 38,706 BWHS participants who reported their health as excellent or very good. In 2013, when they responded to questions about their health, the average age of women in this study was 55.

It is a rare opportunity to get to listen to Black women talk about their health, and their voices, sorely needed, are seldom heard. Thanks to ESSENCE Magazine and the investigators of the Black Women’s Health Study (BWHS), BWHI has a unique and incredibly valuable look at Black women’s health, what is important to them, and what Black women are doing to maintain and improve our health. IndexUS is a result of listening to Black women—almost 60,000 strong.

The Black Women’s Health Study, led by researchers at Boston University, has contributed to the understanding of Black women’s health and wellness and the differences from White women and others. These differences have been examined over the past 20 years and determine that Black women’s health is worse than White women’s.  It has been learned that most of these differences are not due to genetics or biology, but to systems and structural barriers that prevent Black women and low-income women from choosing behaviors that help them to be as healthy as possible. And so, over time, a narrative that equates Black women with poor health, and poor health with poor behavior has been accepted. It is what is seen in media and read in the language of research reports. Medical providers accept this narrative and, as a result, often don’t offer Black women aggressive treatment or pain medication. Researchers accept this narrative and don’t ask questions of data, or don’t collect data that might change the narrative. And policymakers fail to advance legislation that would make engaging in healthy behaviors easier. 

Despite the constant narrative that something is wrong with them, Black women see themselves quite differently.  Black women exercise, eat healthy, are educated and work hard. It’s time to change the narrative. They do not see themselves as broken—stressed, yes, but not broken. They are inherently strong, resilient and passionate about our health. They are not defined by disease, obesity or poverty.

IndexUS visually represents data findings, provides an important narrative, shares useful tips, and explores a variety of topics including:

• Still Gotta Get Up in the Morning: Stress and Mental Health
• Our Black Bodies, Our Full Selves
• The High Price of Health
• Sexual Healing
• Nothing But a Number? Healthy Aging
• Why Black Women’s Health Matters to You
• Your Role in Black Women’s Health
• We Have Cause for Concern

Download a copy of IndexUS from BWHI.org.

Recognizing the critical role local officials play in supporting innovation and change, the National Association of Counties (NACo) has a national initiative to help advance counties’ efforts to reduce the number of rural children and families living in poverty. The Rural Impact County Challenge (RICC) seeks to highlight and support counties making a real difference in the lives of children in rural communities. County teams will be selected to receive assistance from a Roadmaps to Health Community Coach from the County Health Rankings & Roadmaps Program.

Community Coaches work with local, multi-sector teams through sustainable policies & programs addressing the broad factors that influence the health of communities. The County Health Rankings data and the Roadmaps to Health Action Center form the centerpieces of the coaching process.

The Roadmaps to Health Action Center is an online platform which provides practical help for communities working collectively to improve their communities. It provides guidance and tools to understand the Rankings data, and strategies that communities can use to take action. Coaches refer to the Take Action Cycle throughout coaching and are knowledgeable about its tools and resources. Coaches also bring expertise from a variety of disciplines—from public health to law to social work to urban planning to hospital community benefits—to support leaders in using Action Center tools and guidance to advance their goals.

How Can Community Coaching Help Your County?

Drawing upon tools and resources in the Action Center, Coaches provide support in a variety of ways including, but not limited to:

• Equipping new partnerships with tools and guidance as they get going
• Providing guidance to partnerships looking to strengthen or revamp their approach
• Propelling a community from data assessment to action
• Assisting with issue campaigns or policy advocacy
• Supporting teams in implementing new policies or programs
• Suggesting frameworks, tools, and consultants, for evaluation efforts, and
• Connecting communities to national leaders and expertise and other communities doing similar work.

Coaches customize their guidance for each community based on their assets and goals. Engagement with a Community Coach will last one year. Your county team may include as many members of the community as you would like, but for purposes of engaging with a Community Coach, four to seven core team members must be identified. These core members will engage with the Coach and their other team members during the year. Engagement might include webinars and monthly calls. The core team must be the same throughout the coaching process.The majority of coaching is conducted remotely using a variety of methods. Coaching sessions typically last from 60-90 minutes, but may vary depending upon the team’s needs.

Additionally, RICC Community Coaching teams will have the opportunity to work closely with each other, forming a close network of communities doing similar work.

Apply by November 3 for this opportunity to receive tailored assistance for a year (2018 calendar year) from a CHR&R Coach and join a growing network of communities who share your goals.

Learn more at NACo.org or apply now!

As part of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Red Ribbon Week campaign, the DEA and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) are co-sponsoring a Campus Video PSA Contest for colleges and universities to promote the importance of preventing alcohol abuse and the non-medical use of prescription stimulants among college students. Eligible entrants create and submit a 30- to 60-second video PSA showcasing the underlying message behind Red Ribbon Week— a commitment to a healthy, drug-free lifestyle, especially among college students.

After drug traffickers murdered DEA Special Agent Enrique “Kiki” Camarena in 1985, Red Ribbon Week has since become an annual event demonstrating intolerance for drugs in our nation’s schools, workplaces, and communities. Each year from October 23–31, people across the United States show their commitment to a healthy, drug-free lifestyle by wearing or displaying the Red Ribbon.

This year, college students can win $1,000 to put towards prevention efforts on their campus by submitting a drug-free PSA.

To be eligible for judging:

• The PSA must be between 30–60 seconds. PSAs that exceed 60 seconds will be disqualified.
• The PSA must focus on the underlying message behind Red Ribbon Week and the commitment to a healthy, drug-free lifestyle.
• The PSA must focus on preventing alcohol abuse and the non-medical use of prescription stimulants among college students.
• The PSA must resonate with its intended audience (i.e., college students) and inspire others to take action to prevent alcohol abuse and the non-medical use of prescription stimulants among college students.
• The Submission must be uploaded to the entrant’s own YouTube, Vimeo, or Daily Motion account and a link to the video provided as part of the entry.
• The Submission cannot have been submitted previously in a promotion of any kind or exhibited or displayed publicly through any means.
• Entrants must obtain all applicable consents, approvals, or licenses to submit their entry.

All submissions must be received by November 10, 2017.

Learn more at campusdrugprevention.gov.