Workshop
Jess Murray (Queer & Trans Health Collective, Peer N Peer Program), Steven Spurvey (QTHC, PnP), Tris Min (QTHC, PnP)
2SLGBTQ+ communities have historically been underserved and underrepresented in their need for community-based mental health and harm reduction support. Additionally, there is little research backing harm reduction, peer-based supports and mental health that is by and for the queer community. This has led to a reduction in understanding and meeting the needs of our most vulnerable members of our communities. We have seen too many in our rural communities turning to substances instead of connecting with others, also there has been an increase in overdoses, poisonings and even suicide, all from a lack of funding and support. Peer N Peer out of the Queer & Trans Health Collective in Alberta, one of the first empowerment-based harm reduction services in Canada, has begun this work. We will explore our innovative approach to mental wellness in our new initiative Bloom, explore our innovative method of research in this community and how to become a hub for rural community-based outreach support. We will discuss a unique peer based mental wellness initiative that is based in modern cognitive behavioral therapy, adapted from a tried and tested program for the GBMSM community to be more inclusive. It is our hope to reach all those in the queer continuum that could benefit from this support whether the reside in a large urban environment or outlying, rural communities.
