News

Spotlight on Services: Murray’s Initiative – LGBTQ+ Wellbeing Service

Thursday 12 November is Scotland’s first ever Alcohol Action Day. Together, we’re using the day to celebrate the organisations providing alcohol support across Scotland and to raise awareness that help is available for anyone who needs it.

In this Spotlight post, Murray’s Initiative describe in their own words their pioneering LGBTQ+ Wellbeing Service, providing dedicated substance use support for members of the LGBTQ+ community.

The LGBTQ+ Wellbeing Service at Murray’s Initiative provides a unique opportunity for members of the LGBTQ+ community to seek support for substance use and to connect with like-minded community members. This service offers rare dedicated substance use support for LGBTQ+ clientele in Glasgow and was first established in 2020 under the name Kinder Stronger Better. The service was developed for and by members of the Glasgow LGBTQ+ community.

Participants within the LGBTQ+ Wellbeing Service are able to access 1:1 support from staff who share lived experience to learn about harm reduction methodologies, access resources, discuss strategies for change and have a safe, supportive place to discuss sexuality and gender. The service also operates a topics-based, peer support discussion group where members gather weekly to discuss various topics related to substance use, mental health and identity. The demand for group support has been so high that the service opened a second weekly group in August 2026!

Participants from our service regularly report having to take a piece-meal approach to seeking other support for substance use and mental health. At general substance use services, they often wonder if they will be received with understanding and compassion if they disclose aspects of their identity, especially in group settings. While attending LGBTQ+-specific services, they wonder if the staff and attendees will have competency and understanding around substance use. At our LGBTQ+ Health & Wellbeing Service, participants don’t have to compartmentalize or second-guess sharing their experiences and can show up consistently as their full selves. This provides huge relief and helps to reduce feelings of stigma and shame. Having the baseline knowledge that support workers and other group members hold an automatic level of shared understanding means that less session time needs to be spent establishing this and allows for easier progression into support and planning for health and wellness.

LGBTQ+ community members report the frequent need to engage in extra labour before accessing support, through additional time and effort spent screening potential supports for inclusivity and competency. This is even more prevalent in cases where fewer support options are available, including individuals living in remote areas or organisations offering time-limited programmes. In these instances, community members often downplay or avoid mentioning their identity entirely, limiting the effectiveness of the support they can receive as big pieces of the picture are missing from the conversation.

When asked what other services can do to increase and signal safety for LGBTQ+ people seeking substance use support, our participants offered the following suggestions:

Substance Use Service Considerations

• Where possible and safe, staff members should share their own connection to the LGBTQ+ community, including in program descriptions or in staff bios on websites
• Where possible and safe, new referrals should have the option to indicate any preference to be seen by a member of the LGBTQ+ community
• Providing clear statements of inclusivity on service websites and in available resources, especially for gendered services
• Inclusivity noted as an expectation in participant conduct agreements, especially in group and residential settings
• Welcoming, inclusive imagery in entrances and waiting rooms
• Easily visible signage directing participants, staff and visitors to inclusive toilets
• Easily visible pamphlets and resources for LGBTQ+ partner agencies and supports in reception areas
• Accessible, supportive processes in place for sharing feedback
• Inclusive volunteer pathways and regular opportunities to participate in service design and delivery

LGBTQ+ Service Considerations

• Where possible, explicitly reference substance use as an available area for support
• Refraining from stigmatising language towards substance use in participant conduct agreements, especially in group settings
• Easily accessible harm reduction supplies and education (e.g. Naloxone, alcohol unit measures)
• Easily accessible directory of substance use supports and resources, especially those that have a positive relationship to LGBTQ+ services
• Increase networking with substance use services, building relationships with other professionals. Community members reported feeling more confident accessing substance use services that their existing support team could vouch for
• Consider offering social and community-building groups that do not centre alcohol, especially during evenings and weekends or offer groups explicitly meant for meeting others who are abstaining from substance use.
• Accessible, supportive processes in place for sharing feedback
• Inclusive volunteer pathways and regular opportunities to participate in service design and delivery

Our participants note that existing supports are often inclusive of both the LGBTQ+ community and people engaging in substance use, but taking the time to make this obvious makes a big difference! Simple statements of inclusion on websites and pamphlets go a long way and help to reduce the stress of vetting services before attending.

If you would like more information before making a referral, please look at our website:  https://www.murrays.scot/services/lgbtq-health-wellbeing-service or contact us directly: lgbtqi@murrays.scot

Access to the LGBTQ+ Wellbeing Service at Murray’s Initiative is by referral only. We accept both professional and self-referrals via the following link: Murray’s Initiative LGBTQ+ Health and Wellbeing Service Referral Form