School News

The Adler School of Professional Psychology has established the Adler School LGBTQ Mental Health and Inclusion Center to educate and train clinicians who are culturally competent in social justice and service delivery for sexual orientation and gender-variant minorities.

“LGBTQ mental health is a significant area for modern psychologists to understand, and the Adler School has a strong record of incorporating LGBTQ issues into its practitioner training, education and initiatives,” said the center’s founding director, Kevin Osten, Psy.D. 

“This center represents another initiative in addressing the needs of LGBTQ individuals and communities and society as a whole, through training socially responsible practitioners whether they are Adler School student or already practicing clinicians and professionals.”

Osten came to the Adler School in fall 2011 from Chicago Lakeshore Hospital, where he was clinical coordinator of adult outpatient services and psychologist for the Valeo program, an inpatient and intensive outpatient program for LGBTQ people. Osten is a licensed clinical psychologist specializing in LGBTQ issues, severe mental illness, and chemical and behavioral addictions.

Under Osten’s direction, the Adler School LGBTQ Mental Health and Inclusion Center has developed programs and opportunities for advancing social justice for marginalized sexual orientation and gender-variant groups, through community engagement, advocacy, and clinical practice.

Its offerings for behavioral health clinicians, physicians, nurses and allied healthcare professionals include:

• Seminars, workshops, and continuing education programs designed to help improve clinical competencies and service delivery methods for sexual orientation minorities and gender-variant people.
•  Community forums and discussions on social justice issues relevant to sexual orientation minorities and gender-variant people.

For the community, the center provides:

• Referrals for people requesting LGBTQ-competent mental health or addiction services.
• Referrals for networking and partnership with LGBTQ-focused agencies and community groups.
• Opportunities to become involved in the center’s advocacy and research efforts.

At the Adler School, the center provides students with:

• Curriculum that is culturally competent in sexual orientation and gender variance for all degree programs.
• Evidenced-based scholarship and culturally competent service delivery training for sexual orientation minorities and gender-variant people.
• Training sites that specialize in the clinical care of sexual orientation minorities and gender-variant people, including an Adler School exclusive partnership with Valeo at Chicago Lakeshore Hospital to provide an internship for a doctoral student in clinical psychology.

In its work to research, identify and target the structural and systemic causes of social exclusion, the Adler School LGBTQ Mental Health and Inclusion Center focuses on strengthening the inclusion of sexual orientation and gender identity minorities in public and health care policy, legislation and government decisions.

This includes the center’s application of the Mental Health Impact Assessment approach pioneered by the Adler School’s Institute on Social Exclusion to ensure that public proposals—including legislative, policy and programmatic initiatives put forth by federal, state or local governments—are vetted for their impacts on the collective mental health and well-being of LGBTQ communities. 

The center is currently examining the mental health impact of the lack of employment protection provided to LGBTQ employees in federal work environments due to marriage inequality and non-passage of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA). 

In Chicago, the center is active with the Chicago LGBT Behavioral Health Training Consortium, the Chicago LGBT Task Force on Substance Use and Abuse, and the Chicago Citywide LGBT Coalition.

For more information about the Adler School LGBTQ Mental Health and Inclusion Center, visit www.adler.edu/lqbtq, email lgbtqcenter@adler.edu or call 312-662-4000.

About the Adler School

The Adler School of Professional Psychology has provided quality education through a Scholar/Practitioner model for more than 50 years. The School’s mission is to train socially responsible graduates who continue the visionary work of Alfred Adler throughout the world. The Adler School offers 13 graduate-level programs enrolling more than 1,000 students at its campuses in Chicago and Vancouver, British Columbia, and through Adler Online.

Contact

Kim McCullough
Director of Communication
(312) 662-4124 or via email