Serving LGBTQ+ People with Substance Use Disorders

Emil K. Smith, MSW, LCSW, is a doctoral student at the Pitt School of Social Work. Their work to support access to mental health care for LGBTQ youth in MN led them to pursue an MSW at Smith College School for Social Work. After graduation, they worked as a behavioral health consultant in Springfield, MA and Philadelphia, PA, where they developed expertise in substance use assessment and treatment. They went on to start an LGBTQ+mental health intensive outpatient program and they have also worked as an outpatient therapist in private practice.

 

Nickolas Summa, PhD is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT) Approved Supervisor in the state of Pennsylvania. He has been working with diverse client populations for the majority of his career, and he specializes in working with LGBTQ+ and sexually diverse couples and families.

 

John Easter is the Co-Executive Director of True T PGH, an organization that serves queer communities of color through creative art, linkage to resources, and social activism. John is originally from Erie, PA then moved to Pittsburgh to attend Pitt, eventually graduating with degrees in Psychology and Sociology. Through his community work with the underground ballroom scene he created an emergency housing program for trans and nonbinary people in Pittsburgh and owns and operates the only queer black community center in Pittsburgh.

 

Charles Grove, PhD, LCSW served as a Behavioral Health Consultant from 2014-2021 in a primary care and HIV clinic that serves the LGBTQ+ population of Philadelphia. He has been in private practice in Philadelphia since 2018 with a focus on providing addiction/recovery support for LGBTQ-identified clients.