This spring, the Gay Men’s Mental Health Alliance (GMSH) hosted “Synchronizing our Impact,” a unique event for people providing mental health care to cis & trans, gay, bi, 2 Spirit, queer and other men who have sex with men.
The event drew over 100 community-based workers, social workers, and care providers to learn about the issues that impact gay men’s mental health, and to reflect on and improve their own practices. The event has also spawned efforts to develop a gay men’s mental health network that would provide a supportive community of practice for these mental health professionals, ongoing opportunities for learning, and a referral network for cis and trans queer men.
A summary report and review is now online, as well as more detailed videos and presentation materials from many of the Summit’s workshops and training sessions. OHTN staff and funded researchers were involved throughout the day including presentations by:
- Barry Adam, OHTN Director of Prevention Research – A Systematic Approach to Syndemics in Toronto
- David Brennan, OHTN Applied Research Chair – Hooked Up for Hooking Up (slides)
- Treavor Hart, OHTN Applied Research Chair – Cognitive Behaviour Therapy for Gay/Bi/Queer Men (slides)
- Ryan Kerr – OHTN, Lead of Capacity Building in Evidence Based Practice – Positively Forked (Plenary)
- Paul MacPherson, OHTN Applied Research Chair – Gay and other MSM Living Outside the Urban Metropolis (slides)
- LaRon Nelson, OHTN Applied Research Chair – Treating Stigma to Improve Mental Health and HIV Outcomes in Black Gay Men (slides)