Upstate NY research initiative centers mental health of LGBTQ+ women

A University at Albany research initiative is working to strengthen mental health support for sexual minority women across upstate New York by formalizing the peer care networks LGBTQ+ communities have relied on for generations. The project, LGBTQ Support, Opportunities for Learning, And Community Empowerment (LGBTQ SOLACE), is housed in UAlbany’s School of Social Welfare within the College of Integrated Health Sciences.

Led by assistant professor Angie Wootton, LGBTQ SOLACE is developing a free peer mental health and suicide prevention training program tailored to LGBTQ+ people, beginning with women who identify as lesbian, bisexual, queer or otherwise non-heterosexual. The program aims to equip community members with foundational skills to support loved ones and to create a pathway into roles as registered peer support workers and clinical helping professions in a region that faces a shortage of LGBTQ+-affirming care.

Backed by a Faculty Research Award Program grant and support from UAlbany’s Minerva Center for High-Impact Practices, the team has conducted interviews with mental health providers, run focus groups with LGBTQ+ women and completed a comprehensive review of existing peer support interventions. In response to this input, LGBTQ SOLACE formed a seven-member Project Advisory Board of LGBTQ+ women from across upstate New York, who contribute expertise in mental health, social services, program design and community engagement.

Wootton’s work has drawn significant recognition, including UAlbany’s Excellence in Research Award during Research and Entrepreneurship Week 2025 and a Lavender Award for Excellence in LGBTQ+ Scholarship. The SOLACE team is now seeking additional funding to launch its free training program with local partners and plans to broaden its reach to other marginalized LGBTQ+ communities as resources grow.

Initiatives like LGBTQ SOLACE highlight how organized, community-led support can improve mental health outcomes for LGBTQ+ people; to further connect with inclusive professional and networking opportunities, readers can sign up for myGwork.

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