Henry Ford Health and Ruth Ellis Center Supporting LGBTQ+ Youth in Detroit

Henry Ford Health (Henry Ford), a 2023 MHA Ludwig award recipient, is improving the well-being of their community by delivering integrated healthcare and social services to LGBTQ+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning) young people in Detroit. By joining forces with the Ruth Ellis Center – a Detroit-area social services agency – access to care is expanded for members of the LGBTQ+ community through two safe, trusted and affirming Health & Wellness Centers that cater to those who’ve historically felt unsupported or misunderstood by the medical community. 

“Our goal is to provide a patient-centered, trauma-informed clinical care delivery model that targets the specialized needs of this population and provides those services in a gender-affirming manner,” said Dana Parke, Program Manager, Clinical & Social Health Integration, Population Health Management, Henry Ford Health. 

Claudia Jean-Pierre, a clinical therapist at Henry Ford Health, adds “The work that we do is really about changing the world, because these kids are going to change the world.”