[:it]The Arcigay Valle d'Aosta Queer Vda association and the Mental Health Department of the Aosta Valley Local Health Authority have signed an agreement. This collaborative relationship aims to provide listening, support, and inclusion to all members of the LGBTQIA+ community, their families, and loved ones.
Thanks to the signing of this agreement, it will be possible to put the volunteers of Arcigay Valle d'Aosta Queer Vda in contact with assisted people, relatives and friends belonging to the Mental Health Department, thus offering support to anyone who finds themselves in address difficulties related to the affirmation and acceptance of one's identity, orientation and sharing with relatives and acquaintances. The association is committed to providing support to those experiencing difficulties as a result of violence and discrimination. This is done to reduce stigma and prevent suicidal behavior, a dramatically prevalent issue in the Aosta Valley that often affects members of the queer community.
«A little over 30 years have passed since homosexuality was officially removed from the list of mental disorders, and only since 2019 has gender dysphoria been considered a condition rather than a pathology or disorder. The fight against homophobia and transphobia is still long, but this collaboration is a fundamental step in the fight against discrimination. – declares Charlène Rolland, health manager of the association – It's not just about actively engaging in inclusive healthcare through open and ongoing dialogue with the NHS, but above all about offering safe spaces where everyone who is connected, in any way, to the LGBTQIA+ community can be heard and welcomed.»
“The aim of this agreement is to create a network for the interception of the discomfort due to the affirmation and acceptance of one's identity and to prevent the suicidal actions that could result from it. – explains Dr. Anna Maria Beoni, Director of the Mental Health Department of the USL Company -. The innovative model of integration between professionals and the world of volunteers is already well-established and well-structured in other Italian settings, where healthcare volunteering represents a vital resource for the healthcare system, thanks to the presence of numerous associations operating at all levels and in various sectors, from patient care to information and health promotion activities. Volunteers provide information, guidance, assistance, listening, and comfort to patients and their families, who often have needs that go far beyond the provision of healthcare services. Volunteering certainly does not replace the healthcare or social professional but it is a fundamental resource of the service system capable of offering help in the hospital setting but also in de-hospitalisation, a crucial issue within the redesign of hospital-territory care pathways.”.
Arcigay Valle d'Aosta volunteers are ready to work with healthcare professionals to provide support and guidance throughout the clinical journey. The goal is always to help LGBTQIA+ people take full control of their health and well-being, despite the social inequalities that still characterize people's lives and impact their health.
«The presence of local associations within treatment pathways is what will increasingly foster a public health system that is attentive to the needs of the population, open to dialogue, and ready to respond to citizens' needs to create health and well-being, both physical and social, throughout the region.» concludes Rolland.[:]