HHS Hosts Satisfaction Summit and Celebrates Satisfaction month

Day-long occasion introduced collectively a whole lot of advocates and allies, Administration leaders, for celebration of Satisfaction month and discussions about assist for LGBTQI+ neighborhood

On Monday, June 26, 2023, the U.S. Division of Well being and Human Providers (HHS) hosted a Satisfaction Summit that includes a whole lot of advocates and allies from the LGBTQI+ neighborhood and leaders from throughout the Biden-Harris Administration. The HHS Satisfaction Summit highlighted key accomplishments of the Biden Administration together with efforts to enhance entry to well being care providers, well being fairness, assist for id affirmation, and civil rights, in addition to forward-looking conversations about continued assist for the LGBTQI+ neighborhood

Secretary Xavier Becerra opened Summit with remarks that highlighted the Biden-Harris Administration’s dedication to increasing well being fairness, supporting gender-affirming care, and defending LGBTQI+ rights. He additionally detailed quite a few methods HHS had celebrated Satisfaction month.

“Supporting the LGBTQI+ neighborhood is a high precedence for me and HHS. Fairness runs on the coronary heart of each initiative we tackle right here,” stated HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra. “We face daunting challenges proper now – with some politicians spewing hateful rhetoric and imposing restrictions towards the LGBTQI+ neighborhood. However, because of the management of President Biden, I’m assured we’ll make it by way of this second.”

Along with the Secretary, HHS and Administration officers collaborating within the Summit included: Assistant to the President and White Home Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre.

White Home Deputy Nationwide Mpox Coordinator Demetre Daskalakis, HRSA Administrator Carole Johnson, SAMHSA Coverage Lab Director Brian Altman. HUD Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Neighborhood Planning and Improvement Marion McFadden, Assistant Secretary for Well being Admiral Rachel Levine, Director of HHS Workplace of Civil Rights Melanie Fontes Rainer, Director of the Workplace of Nationwide AIDS Coverage on the White Home Harold Phillips, Senior Advisor for LGBTQI+ Well being Fairness at OASH Adrian Shanker, and extra.

Exterior members within the summit included: Kelley Robinson, President of the Human Rights Marketing campaign and Imani Rupert-Gordon, Government Director on the Nationwide Middle for Lesbian Rights, Arli Christian, Trans Justice Strategist from the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), Casey Choose, Director of Legislation and Coverage for the Trevor Undertaking, Julie Seaver, Government Director of the Compass LGBTQ Neighborhood Middle of Florida, Robert Salcido, Government Director of the Middle-Satisfaction Middle San Antonio and Kelley Blair, Founding father of the Range Middle of Oklahoma.

All through the day, Administration and HHS leaders detailed the historic actions taken by the Biden-Harris Administration to make sure that LGBTQI+ communities – youth, adults, households, caretakers, and suppliers – have the assets and assist they want and deserve. Actions embody:

• As of immediately, the federal web site that HHS launched final month, FindSupport.Govmay have new assets for LGBTQI+ people looking for entry to inclusive and affirming psychological well being care and helps, and the way to keep away from and take care of dangerous approaches like ‘conversion remedy.’ FindSupport.Gov is a brand new user-friendly web site, designed for most of the people, to assist individuals determine out there assets, discover unbiased details about numerous therapy choices, and learn to attain out to get the assist they want for points associated to psychological well being, medication, or alcohol.

• Making historic investments in youth psychological well being to ensure all our youngsters have the possibility to thrive.

Earlier in June, asserting that HHS will quickly difficulty a Behavioral Well being Care Advisory on Transgender and Gender Various Youth to supply evidence-based practices for psychological well being suppliers.

• Releasing steerage to state little one welfare businesses that makes clear that states ought to use their little one welfare programs to advance security and assist for LGBTQI+ youth, which incorporates entry to gender-affirming care;

• Releasing steerage on affected person privateness to make clear that well being care suppliers are usually not required to reveal non-public affected person info associated to gender-affirming care;

• Issuing a Discover of Proposed Rulemaking for Part 1557 of the Reasonably priced Care Act – which we’re working onerous to finalize – to codify protections for transgender individuals in each well being care and medical insurance protection. HHS SAMHSA has additionally launched an LGBTQI+ Family Support Grant to supply $1.7 million in federal funding for applications that stop well being and behavioral well being dangers for LGBTQI+ youth (together with suicide and homelessness) by serving to households to affirm and assist their LGBTQI+ little one. This NOFO will shut on July third.

As we speak, June 26, Secretary Becerra additionally spoke to a nationwide coalition of well being care professionals that present gender-affirming care to the LGBTQI+ neighborhood. The Secretary provided his assist and admiration for his or her work and shared that the Biden-Harris Administration has their again. He was joined by Workplace for Civil Rights Director Melanie Fontes Rainer and DOJ Assistant Legal professional Common Kristen Clarke.

HHS additionally celebrated Satisfaction month with a number of totally different actions and actions:

• Secretary Becerra has traveled across the nation for occasions celebrating the LGBTQI+ neighborhood, together with a roundtable with LGBTQI+ youth on psychological well being and an occasion centered on entry to gender-affirming-care for transgender people.

• HHS raised the inclusive Progress Satisfaction flag at headquarters in Washington D.C., and at its totally different company headquarters, and regional workplaces throughout the nation. HHS was additionally the primary federal company in U.S. historical past to fly the transgender pleasure flag outdoors its headquarters in 2022.

• Secretary Becerra and Admiral Levine marched within the DC Satisfaction parade and led a contingent of HHS appointees and their households to point out that HHS helps the LGBTQI+ neighborhood; regional leaders have attended Satisfaction parades and different Satisfaction month occasions.

• A number of company heads and Assistant Secretaries at HHS have met with LGBTQI+ stakeholders and members of the neighborhood to hear and pledge their ongoing dedication to motion on behalf of LGBTQI+ people and their well being and well-being.