Substance Use Disorders in Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Clients

The incidence of substance abuse among lesbian, gay, bisexual, andtransgender individuals is estimated to be twenty-five percent higher than that ofthe general population. Internalized homophobia, alienation, poor supportstructures, and high levels of depression are believed to contribute to thisstatistic, with social activity at bars and clubs reinforcing addictive behavior.The threat of heterosexual bias in treatment programs also prevents many fromseeking help.Human service professionals who work with LGBTclients are in dire need of a resource that offers the latest research on theseunique issues. Sandra Anderson has responded with a volume that features both stateof the art practices in treating substance use disorders and the most up-to-dateanalyses of sexual orientation and gender identity issues, heterosexism, and theethical challenges of working with members of the LGBT community. She discussespractice with individuals, couples, families, and small groups, as well as practiceat the program level. Drawing on case studies from her own practice and from socialservice agencies that treat LGBT clients, Anderson emphasizes evidence-basedtreatment models, including motivational enhancement therapy, contingencymanagement, the matrix model, and community reinforcement. Sure to become a leadingtext among students, scholars, and practitioners, this volume provides solid,empirically-based knowledge for confronting not only the issues faced by clientswith addictions but also by the LGBT population.

Sandra Anderson is a professor emerita of social work and former director of the MSW program at Portland State University, and a clinician in private practice.