Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Clients in a Substance Abuse Treatment Program Serving a Mostly Black and Hispanic Population

Abstract

There has been a lack of studies regarding non-White lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) clients in substance abuse treatment. In an urban inpatient program with mostly Black and Hispanic clients, 780 heterosexual and 86 LGB respondents completed surveys that compared their treatment experiences on factors including satisfaction, therapeutic alliance with counselors, social affiliation with peers, and connection to the program. Results indicated that LGB participants reported higher levels of therapeutic alliance than heterosexual respondents. No differences were found between their program completion rates. Bisexual participants were less likely to disclose their sexual orientation in treatment than lesbian and gay respondents. A content analysis of the responses to open-ended questions revealed that over 40% of LGB clients reported experiencing at least some difficulties in treatment due to their sexual orientation.

KEYWORDS:

• African American
• bisexual
• Black
• gay
• Hispanic
• Latino
• lesbian
• minority
• substance abuse treatment