The San Luis Obispo County LGBTQ+ Mental Health Equity Task Force hosted a virtual town hall on Feb. 25.
The goal of the event was to discuss mental health needs for the LGBTQ+ community in SLO County.
Dr. Jay Bettergarcia presented a research project to better identify needs, as well as barriers to healthcare.
Their report was a mixed-method mental health needs assessment conducted among focus groups of LGBTQ+ youth and adults in SLO County and Santa Maria. It contained both a quantitative online survey, as well as qualitative focus groups.
The study included some of the following recommendations:
- Organizations identify areas for growth and change to help support LGBTQ+ mental health and wellness
- Transgender and nonbinary community members are in need of more affirming mental health support
- Suicide prevention efforts need to purposefully include LGBTQ+ members
The report in its entirety can be read here, along with more information on their website.
Other groups like Cuesta College, Cal Poly, Tenet Health Central Coast presented and talked about efforts to create more LGBTQ+-affirming spaces.
