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Symposium

LGBTQIA+
Symposium

Symposium 2 - Moving Toward Equitable Implementation of Behavioral Interventions for LGBTQ Populations

Thursday, June 25, 2026
9:30 AM - 11:00 AM PDT
Location: Golden Gate C2, B2 Level
CE: 1.5

Keywords: LGBTQ+, Health Psychology , Implementation
Level of Familiarity: Moderate
Recommended Readings: Smith JD, Li DH, Merle JL, Keiser B, Mustanski B, Benbow ND. Adjunctive interventions: change methods directed at recipients that support uptake and use of health innovations. Implement Sci. 2024 Feb 8;19(1):10. doi: 10.1186/s13012-024-01345-z.,   Macapagal K, Zapata JP, Ma J, Gordon JD, Owens C, Valadez-Tapia S, Cummings P, Walter N, Pickett J. Sexual and Gender Minority Adolescents' Preferences for HIV Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis Social Marketing Campaigns: Qualitative Preimplementation Study. JMIR Form Res. 2025 Jan 17;9:e60398. doi: 10.2196/60398.,   Insalaco ME, Clark V, Ramos-Santiago J, Mohamed ZA, Awad H, Mullins MA, Nagle LG, Kamen C. Dyadic Interventions for LGBTQ+ Individuals Facing Cancer: A Narrative Review. Curr Treat Options Oncol. 2025 Aug;26(8):716-725. doi: 10.1007/s11864-025-01344-2.,   Diamond LM, Alley J. Rethinking minority stress: A social safety perspective on the health effects of stigma in sexually-diverse and gender-diverse populations. Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2022 Jul;138:104720. doi: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104720.,  

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) people experience numerous health inequities relative to their cisgender and heterosexual peers, including in mental health, relational outcomes (e.g., violence), sexual health, and cancer. Behavioral health interventions for LGBTQ people are effective at improving health, but these interventions are not reaching individuals who need them most. Traditional venues for implementing effective interventions include hospitals/clinics, community health organizations, public health departments, and industry. While the field of implementation science has advanced understanding of how to engage these settings to implement interventions, programs designed specifically for LGBTQ populations are more challenging to implement for numerous reasons. First, larger organizations (e.g., hospitals/clinics, industry) are reluctant to implement LGBTQ-focused programs because they are a relatively smaller segment of the population, so the effort is seen as “not worth it” or “unprofitable.” Second, public health funding depends on the political context, which is currently less affirming of LGBTQ individuals, limiting health department implementation opportunities. Finally, community-based organization, particularly those serving LGBTQ communities, are often interested in implementing proven programs but lack the resources to stand them up.

Thus, it is critical that academics who develop LGBTQ behavioral health interventions study barriers and facilitators implementation a priori and work with favorable implementation settings to optimize reach. Our four presentations will highlight innovative approaches to studying implementation of LGBTQ health programs. First, Dr. Danielle Berke will present findings from a pilot implementation trial of a behavioral activation/exposure therapy group-based intervention tailored for transgender women of color. Findings will be discussed in terms of concrete, evidence-based guidelines for supporting community-based organizations in CBT delivery. Second, Dr. Charles Kamen will present findings from focus groups conducted to adapt a behavioral intervention aimed at enhancing quality of life among cancer survivors and caregivers to the needs of LGBTQ patients. These efforts were conducted to enhance intervention acceptability and reach during future implementation. Third, Dr. Michael Newcomb will present findings from key stakeholder interviews conducted in the context of an implementation-effectiveness trial of a digital relationship education and HIV prevention program for LGBTQ youth. He will highlight preparatory work conducted prior to an implementation study of this intervention in an psychotherapy practice. Fourth, Dr. Kathryn Macapagal will present strategies that demonstrate how capitalizing on interests and issues that are salient to LGBTQ adolescents’ everyday lives (e.g., mental health, hobbies, social ties) can increase interest, accessibility, and implementability of HIV prevention approaches. Finally, Dr. Steven Safren will provide a summary, highlight key innovations in preparing for future implementation of LGBTQ behavioral health programs, and facilitate discussion.

Learning Objectives:

  • Name unique considerations in implementing behavioral interventions for LGBTQ people across a variety of settings.
  • Describe innovative strategies for collecting data on future implementation of behavioral interventions.
  • Appreciate how tailoring interventions to community needs will enhance future intervention uptake.

Presentations:

  • 9:36 AM - 9:57 AM PDT
    (SYM 2) A Community-engaged Pilot Implementation Trial of a Behavior Activation/exposure Group Therapy Intervention to Address Syndemic Mental Health and HIV Risk Among Transgender Women

    Speaker: Danielle S. Berke, Ph.D. (she/her/hers) – Hunter College

  • 9:57 AM - 10:18 AM PDT
    (SYM 2) FOCUS on Us: Using LGBTQ Community Feedback to Adapt a Cancer Caregiving Intervention

    Speaker: Charles Stewart Kamen, M.P.H., Ph.D. (he/him/his) – University of Rochester

    Co-Author: Nora Akcasu, MPH – Wayne State University

    Co-Author: Francisco Cartujano Barrera, MD – University of Rochester

    Co-Author: Valerie Chiodo, BSN, RN – University of Rochester

    Co-Author: Linda Donahue, LCSW – University of Rochester

    Co-Author: Brian Holloway, BA – University of Rochester

    Co-Author: Milena Insalaco, BA – University of Rochester

    Co-Author: Heidi Miller, MPH – University of Rochester

    Co-Author: Lelaina Nagle, BA – University of Rochester

    Co-Author: Matt Poquadeck, MS – University of Rochester

    Co-Author: Hayley Thompson, PhD – Wayne State University

    Co-Author: Karen Young, BA – University of Rochester

    Co-Author: Theresa Hastert, PhD – Wayne State University

  • 10:18 AM - 10:39 AM PDT
    (SYM 2) Implementing a Couple-based HIV Prevention Program for LGBTQ Youth in a Psychotherapy Private Practice Setting

    Speaker: Michael E. Newcomb, Ph.D. (he/him/his) – Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine

    Co-Author: Emils Sietins, MA – Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine

    Co-Author: Dennis Li, Ph.D. (he/him/his) – Northwestern University

    Co-Author: Kathryn Macapagal, M.Ed., Ph.D. (she/her/hers) – Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine

    Co-Author: Brian Mustanski, Ph.D. – Northwestern University

  • 10:39 AM - 11:00 AM PDT
    (SYM 2) Weaving Behavioral HIV Prevention Strategies into the Fabric of Youth's Lives

    Speaker: Kathryn Macapagal, M.Ed., Ph.D. (she/her/hers) – Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine