(Journal of Gay & Lesbian Mental Health, 2022) Williams, Natasha D.; Winer, Brennan; Aparicio, Elizabeth M.; Smith-Bynum, Mia A.; Boekeloo, Bradley O.; Fish, Jessica N.
Introduction: Mental and behavioral health professional organizations use their governing documents to set expectations of provider competence in working with LGBTQ+ clients.
Method: The codes of ethics and training program accreditation guidelines of nine mental and behavioral health disciplines (n=16) were analyzed using template analysis.
Results: Coding resulted in fives themes: mission and values, direct practice, clinician education, culturally competent professional development, and advocacy. Expectations for provider competency vary greatly across disciplines.
Conclusion: Having a mental and behavioral health workforce that is uniformly competent in meeting the unique needs of LGBTQ populations is key for supporting the mental and behavioral health of LGBTQ persons.
