Alliance Cultural Competence Committee
The Alliance for Rights and Recovery’s Cultural Competence Committee stands in strong support of LGBTQ Health Awareness Week and the 2026 theme, “Organize to Outlast.” We recognize both the resilience of LGBTQIA+ communities and the urgent need to come together in the face of a rapidly shifting and often harmful federal landscape.
At a time when policies and rhetoric are increasingly threatening equitable access to services, we remain steadfast in our commitment to uplifting, protecting, and advancing the health and well-being of LGBTQIA+ individuals. Access to affirming, culturally responsive mental health and substance use services is not optional, it is essential. Efforts to roll back protections or limit access to services only deepen disparities and harm communities that already face significant barriers.
We echo the call to organize, educate, and advocate. This includes supporting proven, affirming services such as the Standards of Care 8 and ensuring that systems are responsive to the lived experiences of LGBTQIA+ individuals. As a committee, we are committed to advancing equity, challenging stigma, and working alongside partners to build systems that are inclusive, respectful, and rooted in dignity.
Now more than ever, we must stand together to ensure that LGBTQIA+ communities not only endure, but thrive.
The State Office of Mental Health recognizes the devasting impact the current federal landscape has on healthcare for LGBTQIA+ individuals in . In honor of LGBTQ Health Awareness Week, we take this opportunity to amplify resources that assist the community in actionable ways. The leads the efforts for this week with the theme of “Organize to Outlast” for 2026. The coalition calls on the LGBTQ community, their allies, and those who provide healthcare for the community to organize against regressive action in policy and culture. In mental health care, one way this year’s theme presents itself is in upholding the tenets of the from the World Professional Association for Transgender Health. We encourage everyone to explore the linked resources and consider how you can foster health equity for the LGBTQIA+ community in tumultuous times.
Office of Diversity and Inclusion
State Office of Mental Health
44 Holland Ave.
Albany, NY 12229
518-473-4548
OfficeDiversityInclusion@omh.ny.gov