Spotlight On: Garden State Equality
We recently spoke with Nealon Isaacs, Development Manager, Garden State Equality (GSE) to learn more about Garden State and the critical programs they offer the LGBTQ community.
Q: Can you share with us the mission and purpose of Garden State Equality?
Nealon: Garden State Equality (GSE) was founded in 2004. Our mission is to provide community education and programming to meet the needs of LGBTQ individuals in New Jersey and ensure that pro-equality policies are passed and properly implemented. We do this through staff and volunteer efforts in three areas: Advocacy and Policy, Community Education and Youth Development, and Health and Wellness. Each component offers support to New Jersey’s LGBTQ community—from youth to seniors—and incorporates partnership collaborations that are essential to our success.
Q: What challenges do members of the LGBTQ community face when it comes to accessing healthcare?
Nealon: Many LGBTQ people experience significant barriers when attempting to access healthcare services. Oftentimes, members of the community have difficulty finding providers who are knowledgeable about their specific needs, encounter discrimination from practitioners and/or insurers, or delay or forego care altogether because of concerns about how they will be spoken to or treated.
Because some members of the community can go significant lengths of time without visiting a medical professional, over time, we see pervasive health disparities appear within the LGBTQ community when compared to their straight and/or cisgender counterparts. These disparities express themselves in the form of LGBTQ people being at higher risk for developing mental health conditions, cancer, and a myriad of other diseases. Data also shows that LGBTQ people are also at a higher risk for participating in risky behaviors that negatively impact health, such as smoking, drug use, and excessive alcohol consumption. It is also important to note that these issues are often compounded by intersectional factors, such as race, class, and gender.
Q: Can you share what challenges LGBTQ members deal with when it comes to accessing dental care, specifically?
Nealon: Similar to my previous answer, the barriers and inequities that LGBTQ people face are attributed to a number of factors, some of which I’ve mentioned already. If I personally had to pick three that stick out the most, I’d have to say, in no particular order:
- Lack of insurance coverage
- Fear of discrimination from the provider or other staff, and
- A lack of cultural and clinical competencies in the dental and healthcare systems.
The overarching issue is that sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) data is not included in the national and (many) state surveys used to create health goals, making it difficult to determine the general and dental health status of the LGBTQ community.
As our team at GSE continues to collect data and hear the stories of our community, it’s become clear that the transgender and gender non-conforming populations are the most stigmatized in the healthcare industry, and likely dental care as well. Similar to doctor visits, I’d presume that data on trans and gender non-conforming people would show that they experience the most discrimination and are the least able to afford dental care, likely leading them to visit the dentist the least. I know that I’m preaching to the choir, but we all know that regular dental visits are key to avoiding major oral health issues. Even without financial barriers, it is likely that many LGBTQ people might avoid going to the dentist because of fear that the dentist or staff may not be LGBTQ-affirming or friendly.
There are steps that dentists can take. Despite not receiving LGBTQ cultural competence training in dental school, providers need to continuously grow their knowledge about culturally diverse groups in order to provide effective care. We at GSE believe that dental and healthcare providers should engage with a qualified organization to seek continuing education and professional development around LGBTQ concepts, community affirming and accepted terminology, effective communication, intersectionality, and known health disparities within and across the LGBTQ community, before they even begin thinking about advertising that they are LGBTQ-friendly and affirming.
Q: What is Garden State Equality doing to address the healthcare disparities that exist for the communities you serve?
Nealon: Addressing disparities in access to healthcare is actually one of the cornerstones of our work at GSE. We’ve been developing our Map & Expand project with Rutgers University School of Public Health-Center for Health, Identity, Behavior & Prevention Studies (CHIBPS).
Map & Expand is devoted to ensuring that LGBTQ New Jersey residents of all ages have access to quality, affirming healthcare practitioners (i.e., doctors, therapists, and other direct-service providers) who respect them and promote safe and inclusive environments. The program works by doing significant outreach to identify LGBTQ-friendly healthcare practitioners, providing them with a suite of LGBTQ-related cultural competency training, and literally mapping out their locations throughout the state on an easily accessible, online resource. This program is far more comprehensive than a resource list of trustworthy providers for the LGBTQ community in our state. Trained members of GSE’s team work closely with the selected practitioners to determine what individual policy changes and greater advocacy efforts need to be addressed in order to provide the best care possible for LGBTQ patients.
Over the last year alone, GSE provided training in cultural competencies to thousands of healthcare professionals, which has the potential to impact the lives of tens of thousands of LGBTQ patients across NJ. Given our overwhelming success and positive reception, we are now seeking to advance our Map & Expand program by creating the online “map” that LGBTQ New Jerseyans can access to find culturally and clinically competent practitioners in their area of the state. This is a multi-year project that will include fine-tuning the criteria by which a provider earns a place on the map; finalizing the survey for practitioners in New Jersey to assess their competence in working with the LGBTQ community; collecting and analyzing that data; and designing and deploying the web page/map.
Q: Can you share what resources you have for medical and dental providers when it comes to sensitivity training and educating providers on LGBTQ healthcare needs?
Nealon: Garden State Equality provides several, fee-based professional development opportunities that we invite dental providers to take advantage of.
Administrative Leadership & Support - This module provides leadership with an expansive view of LGBTQ identities, experiences, social challenges and legal expectations of the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination, HIPAA, and the Healthcare Equity Index. Participants walk away with an in-depth knowledge about the LGBTQ community’s experiences in healthcare and in their communities as well as what professional healthcare staff can do to support inclusive affirming environments.
LGBTQ 101: Health and/or TGNC 101: Health - This module helps participants understand the basics of sexuality delineating the terms “lesbian”, “gay”, “bisexual”, “transgender”, “non-binary”, “heterosexual”, “cisgender” among others, as well as how these categories are “defined”. The workshop begins with sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, and continues with LGBTQ healthcare disparities and experiences, and effective practices for increasing inclusiveness.
Mental Health and the LGBTQ Community - This module focuses on the challenges faced by LGBTQ people and the impact on mental health. Participants will learn ways to support LGBTQ people in the healthcare setting and in their community. Participants will learn about mental health disparities, and the history of the mental health community towards LGBTQ people.
Cycle of Prejudice & Intersectionality - Participants will explore personal identities and the intersection of marginalized identities, power, privilege and the achievement gap. This workshop helps healthcare providers improve their relationships and services for the LGBTQ community (and other minority groups). It concludes with strategies on how to create safe, inclusive spaces for the LGBTQ community and therefore making spaces safer for all individuals.
Q: What motivates and inspires Garden State as an organization?
Despite the hard-won victory of marriage equality in 2015, violence and discrimination continue to create barriers to equity and opportunity for LGBTQ people. GSE continues to be motivated by the experiences of the LGBTQ community. We remain committed to advocating for LGBTQ individuals in the classroom, workplace, and beyond. As an organization, we will never yield when it comes to advocating for inclusive and progressive change and developing equitable models for other states to follow. With New Jersey being one of the most densely populated states in the country, we have our work cut out for us!
Q: Is there anything else you’d like to share about Garden State Equality and the work you do?
Nealon: The best way to keep up with GSE’s work is to follow us on our social media (Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram) and sign up for our email blasts! You can also check our calendar page for upcoming events! Please visit our donation page to make a 100% tax deductible gift to GSE!
