Gay Men’s Health Hub
A Health Hub to Serve Gay, Bisexual and Other Men who have Sex with Men
Toronto is one of the only major cities in North America with a large gay population that does not have a health centre providing integrated services to meet gay men’s physical, mental and emotional health needs.
The goal of the health hub is to create a new model of comprehensive, wholistic and non-judgemental care for all gay men, including those who are not currently using health services, are not “out” to their providers and/or have had stigmatizing experiences with the health care system.
The Case for a Gay Mens Health Hub PDF
The Health Hub will be a one-stop shop that will provide:
- timely, convenient (i.e. walk-in), culturally competent, rapid HIV, STI and HCV testing services
- PrEP and PEP prescribing and monitoring, and HIV prevention counselling
- comprehensive mental health assessments
- mental health counselling and group programs (e.g. anxiety, depression, relationships, partner violence, crystal meth and other substance use)
- warm hand-offs and linkage to appropriate primary care services and specialized mental health and addiction services
- health navigators who will connect men with culturally competent providers
- social programming that will provide opportunities for gay men to come together, build community and reduce social isolation.
The health hub will also be a training ground for health care providers, including nurses, physicians, social workers, psychologists and psychiatrists, thereby building in Ontario a workforce with the knowledge and skills to provide coordinated, efficient, effective responses to the complex physical and mental health (syndemic) needs of all GBM, including Indigenous, racialized and immigrant men.
The health hub will evaluate the impact of its services on men’s health and identify best practices in gay men’s health.