Working with the LGBTQ community as the chosen Special Population
According to the CDC, the members of the LGBTQ community are highly susceptible to drug abuse and plunging to addiction. Due to the constant stigmatization that these groups counter and other depressive issues, they regularly plunge to addictive behaviors as an avenue to relieve their worries and find solace (Cochran & Cauce, 2016). Such activities translate to these individuals getting wholly immersed in the addictive behavior, pushing them to the periphery of the precipice.
One of the challenges of working with the group is addressing the social prejudice that they encounter. Owing to their difference in sexual or gender orientation, the LGBTQ always face discrimination in healthcare, making it relatively hard to convince them to seek medical intervention (Cochran & Cauce, 2016). The other challenge is reducing finding ways to dispel their fear, make them overcome their solitude, and earn your trust. Some of the factors that makes the members of the LGBTQ community engage in drug abuse is the constant stress and struggle to conform to the societal expectations and to overcome the potential discrimination in the society (Cochran & Cauce, 2016). Thus, offering a platform for remedying such shortcomings could prove immensely challenging.
The first remedy that could be effectively employed to address these challenges is designating facilities that strictly focuses on offering treatment plans for the LGBTQ community (Senreich, 2010). Owing to their constant fear of the societal backlash, tailoring the addiction treatment plan in a facility that strictly meant for this population would ensure that the members of this population would access medical intervention without fear of discrimination and other societal prejudice. The other strategy is upholding professionalism when dealing with the vulnerable population. The existing societal prejudice, discrimination, and stigma are some of the impediments that cause hurdles in the quest of these individuals to access healthcare and medical interventions in dealing with addictive behaviors (Senreich, 2010). Therefore, enhancing professionalism without looking into the sexual orientation of the patients would be essential in addressing these challenges.
References
Cochran, B. N., & Cauce, A. M. (2016). Characteristics of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals entering substance abuse treatment. Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, 30(2), 135-146.
Senreich, E. (2010). Are specialized LGBT program components helpful for gay and bisexual men in substance abuse treatment?. Substance Use & Misuse, 45(7-8), 1077-1096.