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LGBTQI Program

LGBTQI Program

New Hope Recovery Center recognizes the unique addiction treatment needs of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender, Questioning and Intersex (LGBTQI) population.  Having a successful treatment stay means discovering what lies at the heart of the addiction.  Through addressing a variety of issues –  all forms of homophobia, gender identity and expression, the coming out process, trauma, anxiety, depression, sexual compulsivity –  an individual can begin to examine the role of drugs/alcohol in their lives and develop healthier coping skills.

New Hope Recovery Center provides safe, supportive specialized addiction treatment to the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community.  We recognize that individuals in the LGBT community may not seek out treatment services for fear of rejection or prejudice.  You can rest assured that every member of our staff strongly believe in the diversity of the individual and honor their dignity and self worth.

Located in Lincoln Park, Chicago (right off the Diversey Brown Line Stop), we have a variety of resources in the area to draw from in order to strengthen your recovery program including 12-step clubhouses and LGBT meetings, a strong Alumni/Volunteer base, as well as therapists and doctors dedicated to the mental health, as well as physical health, of the LGBT community.  Our goal is to assist you in finding new ways to live life without the use of drugs and alcohol and find greater levels of balance and self-acceptance.

New Hope Recovery Center is a proud member of NALGAP (Association of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Addiction Professionals and their Allies) which is dedicated to the prevention and treatment of alcoholism, substance abuse, and other addictions in lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer communities.

New Hope Recovery Center is an LGBT Business Enterprise, certified by the NGLCC.

Want more information? Below are some articles from our journal about addiction and the LGBTQI community.

LGBT Adult Children of Alcoholics: A Cause for Concern The topic of adult children of alcoholics (commonly referred to as ACOA, or ACA) is important for many reasons. Sadly, most helping professionals have little knowledge of it, especially for clinicians outside of the substance abuse treatment field.  This problem, impacting the lives of nearly 22,000,000 Americans, poses a double threat to healthy psychological development of LGBT community.

Addiction and the LGBTQI Community: Socializing and Sobriety One overarching question exists for LGBTQIs facing addiction: “Where and how do I socialize after I get sober?” For most gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people in their 20’s and 30’s, their social lives often are centered in and around bars. There is no doubt that the prevalence of alcohol and drugs in the LGBTQI Communities is rampant for all age groups.

Addiction, Mental Health, and Bisexuality People often lump lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning and intersex individuals into one group, referring to this population as the LGBTQI Community. Bisexual individuals constitute an important group within this larger community whose specific concerns often remain hidden or ignored. A majority of sexuality and mental health research combines people that identify as lesbian, gay, or bisexual.  This erroneously assumes their rates of mental health problems are similar. In actuality, research conducted in 2008 found bisexual people report more unmet health and mental health care needs than both heterosexual and gay or lesbian people.

Lesbians Seeking Drug and Alcohol Addiction Treatment Alcohol and drug abuse is a major concern for individuals who identify as lesbian. A report published by SAMHSA in 2011 found people who identify as LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) are significantly more likely than the general population to use and abuse drugs or alcohol. This same study found lesbians are significantly more likely than heterosexual women to drink alcohol heavily. Another study published in 2004 from the Journal of Gay & Lesbian Social Services noted the incidence of substance abuse among lesbians is far higher than their heterosexual peers.

Crystal Meth and Gay Men: What you need to know  Crystal methamphetamine has a long and storied history.  From its discovery in 1893 to World War II where it was used by Hitler to energize the German troops  to the 1960’s where it became commonly used among motorcycle gangs, crystal meth is highly addictive and wreaks havoc on whoever uses it. More recently, it has become problematic, in the rural areas of the United States as well as in the LGBT community, most notably with gay men.  Chicago has been hard hit by the crystal meth epidemic.

Warning Signs for Crystal Meth Abuse Methamphetamine, also called crystal meth, is highly addictive.  It can be used by snorting, smoking or injecting.  The components of Meth are highly toxic and include: sodium hydroxide (lye), brake fluid, lithium from battery acid, lighter fluid, rubbing alcohol, drain cleaner, paint thinner, anhydrous ammonia, hydrochloric acid, red phosphorus lye, ether, iodine and ephedrine.