New Program at SCS: Project INFORM for LBTQ Women using Crystal - Project Neon BLOG

New Program at SCS: Project INFORM for LBTQ Women using Crystal

Posted by Anthony R. Morgan on June 4, 2009 1:02 PM

PROJECT INFORM will work to increase awareness within the LBTQ community about methamphetamine and women and provide increased access to resources for those who want to change behavior related to abuse of or addiction to methamphetamine. The project is a collaboration between Seattle Counseling Service for Sexual Minorities and King County Department of Community and Human Services, Mental Health, Chemical Abuse and Dependency Services Division.

Increases in methamphetamine use have been associated with serious health problems across North America over the past decade. Between 2002 and 2003, methamphetamine-related treatment admissions rose 30% for women in the United States. In 2002, Washington ranked sixth among 13 states with methamphetamine admission rates more than twice the national rate (Washington had 150.4 admissions per 100,000 population in 2002, compared to the national rate of 52 admissions per 100,000 population.).

Because of the paucity of information about LBTQ women and crystal meth, learning will be the focus of the first of Project Inform's three phases. The learning phase will provide information about who/where/how women are using methamphetamine in the LBTQ community. Community members will be invited to participate in focus groups to talk about their experiences using methamphetamine. Peers in recovery who are part of the informal network of support will be interviewed, in the learning phase. The available existing research related to LBTQ women and methamphetamine will be reviewed and data on women in recovery will also be evaluated.

Connecting with LBTQ women and the organizations with which they may be interacting will be the focus of Project Inform's phase two outreach effort. This important phase will build and enhance our relationships with other agencies/organizations to reach women who are using crystal meth but, who are not "out" about either their sexual identity or their drug use. Project Inform outreach materials will be developed, including a project web site.

Phase three, the engagement phase, will connect women to the resources they want and need. Opportunities for individual and group engagement are anticipated, including peer to peer support, information and referral, case management, psycho-educational groups, trainings, workshops and social activities.

We are hosting a series of focus groups with LBTQ women about Crystal meth use.

Contact Project Inform Coordinator Susan Millender at susanm@seattlecouseling.org ,
(206) 323-1768, for more information.
ProjectInform_Bill (2).pdf

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This page contains a single entry by Anthony R. Morgan published on June 4, 2009 1:02 PM.

Hey Guys! The STD clinic will be moving... was the previous entry in this blog.

FOCUS GROUP for LBTQ Women using Crystal Meth is the next entry in this blog.

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