CBRC is proud to announce its involvement in the development of a 2SLGBTQ+ Health Hub, a unique $2.5 million Canada-wide effort to advance training and mentorship in 2SLGBTQ+ health.
As part of an interdisciplinary research team composed of principal investigators from four Canadian universities, CBRC will participate in a Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) grant to develop an innovative hub that will tackle a major training and capacity gap in intersectional and community-informed 2SLGBTQ+ health and community interventions, drawing on the expertise of a network of over 50 scholars, health professionals, and community leaders from across Canada.
“This innovative and sustainable Hub will be essential in building human capacity across sectors to train providers, researchers, and community stakeholders in 2SLGBTQ+ health needs in Canada,” says Daniel Grace, the Nominated Principal Investigator of the grant and Associate Professor at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health at the University of Toronto. “Our grant brings together national leaders in health interventions designed to meet the needs of diverse 2SLGBTQ+ communities, including Indigenous, Black and People of Colour queer communities throughout their lifespans.”
In 2019, the Standing Committee on Health (HESA) Report on the health of 2SLGBTQ+ communities in Canada found that there is a need to improve health provider training at all levels to include sexual and gender diversity. The grant to establish the 2SLGBTQ+ Health Hub will ensure that professionals across community, research, and healthcare sectors receive training and mentorship, involving both virtual classroom and community placements. The Hub will offer both an annual fellowship program for trainees (fellows) that features courses and experiential education and an open library of online learning resources available to professionals across sectors.
Thanks to the Hub’s unique, community-based approach to education, trainees will benefit from the lived experiences of diverse communities and placements there through partnerships with 2SLGBTQ+ community organizations throughout Canada. Community placements will be a key feature of their training. “The community’s participation and leadership with the Hub will not only strengthen the education, training, and mentorship offered, but will also uplift the capacities of community-based organizations to improve the health and wellbeing of 2SLGBTQ+ communities across Canada and beyond,” said Michael Kwag, CBRC’s Acting Executive Director.
In addition to professor Daniel Grace, the other principal investigators for this grant are: Professor Jacqueline Gahagan, Associate Vice-President, Research at Mount Saint Vincent University; Mark Gilbert, an Applied Public Health Chair at the University of British Columbia; Hannah Kia, an Assistant Professor at the University of British Columbia; and Nathan Lachowsky, CBRC’s Research Director and an Associate Professor at the University of Victoria. Co-investigators on the grant include Professor Ciann Wilson of Wilfred Laurier University and Jody Jollimore, CBRC's Executive Director.
Additional Quotes from 2SLGBTQ+ Health Hub Investigators:
“The 2SLGBTQ+ Health Hub supports my ongoing mentoring and capacity-building work with programs and organizations that support the education, health, and well-being of Black 2SLGBTQ+ youth and adults.”
Lance McCready,
Associate Professor, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education at the University of Toronto
“Being 2SLGBTQ+ is not the problem; rather, health policies and health systems that do not consider our communities are the problem by contributing to health disparities. This funding will allow our team to look at what contributes to positive health outcomes across the lifecourse for 2SLGBTQ+ populations in Canada.”
Jacqueline Gahagan,
Associate Vice-President, Research at Mount Saint Vincent University
“What to me is exciting about this training platform is that it will connect learners to mentors with real-world experience in 2SLGBTQ+ health issues, providing practical on-the-ground opportunities for learning.”
Mark Gilbert,
Applied Public Health Chair at the University of British Columbia
“In order to do EDIA well, we must ingrain anti-racist and anti-oppressive practice and frameworks in the work of conceptualizing the hub from recruitment and retention practices to training and curriculum development.”
Ciann Wilson,
Associate Professor at Wilfrid Laurier University and co-investigator on the grant
