Health Highlight: Fri. 2, June

Today’s Highlight(s): In honor of Memorial Day and Pride Month today we look at the VA’s PRIDE in ALL Who Served Program.

Jun 02, 2023

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🌐 *Title Card Article Link:* news.va.gov

THE BRIEF

An article published today in VA News gives us a glimpse of the emerging support system for LGBTQ+ Veterans in crisis. The PRIDE In All Who Served (PRIDE) program supports LGBTQ+ veterans and reduces barriers to care to improve their health. It was designed specifically to address the high suicide rates and health disparities among LGBTQ+ veterans. 1 2 3

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KEY POINTS

A doctor in the Hampton, Virginia, VA Office started the PRIDE program in 2016. Since then, it has been expanded to many other places in the US.
The program uses a manual and group facilitators to set up a peer support system and give LGBTQ+ veterans the tools they need to access the VA healthcare system.
The fact that the program is growing shows that it is working and that its importance in meeting the most important needs of LGBTQ+ veterans is being recognized.

DOUBLE-CLICK

The PRIDE program was created to fill a healthcare gap for LGBTQ+ Veterans, which had been attributed to increasing marginalization and suicidality within the community. 4

“LGBT Veterans are at a disproportionate risk for suicide and other poor health outcomes (Mereish, et al., 2012), due in part to barriers in accessing services and lack of social support (Bryant & Schilt, 2008; Moradi, 2009). Sexual and gender minority Veterans have faced stigma and discrimination, which can affect their health. LGBT Veterans are more likely to report that their health is fair or poor and that they have multiple chronic conditions.”
—U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
Office of Health Equity: Health Disparities Among LGBT Veterans

PRIDE offers ten weekly sessions on topics such as LGBTQ+ identity, relationships, families, and affirmative care.
The program’s goal is to create a support system and foster social connections among LGBTQ+ veterans, which will serve as preventative measures against suicide, stigma-related stress, and poor health outcomes.
The PRIDE National Diffusion Team 5 evaluates the program based on the results that participants and facilitators report and on feedback from veterans.

Veterans Health Administration: VA Health Care Priorities
These six VA healthcare priorities are the top–level strategic and operational advancements of the greatest importance that must be achieved by [the] VA.
Patient Care Services: VHA LGBTQ+ Health Program
As a healthcare institution, we need to make sure that LGBTQ+ Veterans know that they are welcome at Veterans Health Administration (VHA).
Diffusion Academy advances promising practices for third year
VHA Diffusion Academy is a three-day training that provides 10 teams with tools and resources needed to sustain and scale their practices over the next 2–3 years.

Keywords 🏷️: #Veterans #VA #LGBTQ #Pride #PrideMonth

FOOTNOTES

“Improving LGBTQ+ Veterans’ Whole Health through PRIDE”
https://news.va.gov/120424/improving-lgbtq-whole-health-through-pride/

“PRIDE In All Who Served”
https://marketplace.va.gov/innovations/pride-in-all-who-served-reducing-healthcare-disparities-for-lgbt-veterans

“Evaluation of Suicide Mortality Among Sexual Minority US Veterans From 2000 to 2017”
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7770555/

“Office of Health Equity: Health Disparities Among LGBT Veterans”
https://www.va.gov/HEALTHEQUITY/Health_Disparities_Among_LGBT_Veterans.asp?utm_content=&utm_medium=email&utm_name=&utm_source=govdelivery&utm_term=

“Diffusion of Excellence: Replicating and scaling Promising Practices”
https://www.innovation.va.gov/ecosystem/views/diffusion-excellence/doe.html