Connecting Conversations: Digital Solutions for Mental Health

LGBTQ+ communities have historically been early adopters of new technologies to share knowledge, build community, and find joy. This legacy continues with initiatives like The Trevor Project, which engages a vast network of LGBTQ+ youth with life-affirming programs, and new organizations like SameSame, which cross borders to provide essential mental health resources to a global audience.

This panel will feature research expertise, mental health advocacy, and tech innovation to illustrate how digital platforms, apps, and online communities can be harnessed to deliver accessible, inclusive, and effective mental health support for LGBTQ+ individuals. Don't miss this opportunity to learn how you can leverage digital tools to make a positive impact on LGBTQ+ mental health!

Panelists:

José Bauermeister, Eidos LGBTQ+ Health Initiative

Dr. Jose Bauermeister (he/him) is the Founding Faculty Director of the Eidos LGBTQ+ Health Initiative at University of Pennsylvania. His work focuses on synergizing systems-level interventions, community engagement, digital strategies, and clinical innovations to optimize the health and well-being of LGBTQ+ communities.

José has led projects funded by the NIH, CDC, Ford Foundation, MAC AIDS Fund, HopeLab, and Herb Ritts Foundation. He has published over 250 peer-reviewed publications. He is also Penn's Albert M. Greenfield University Professor of Human Relations and Psychiatry at the Perelman School of Medicine. José is an Aspen Institute’s Health Innovators Fellow, and a member of the Aspen Global Leadership Network.

Derrick Matthews, The Trevor Project

Dr. Derrick Matthews (he/him) is the Director of Research Science at The Trevor Project. He is a social and behavioral public health scientist whose work focuses on enhancing research methods with the lived experiences of people and communities, especially as it relates to intersectionality and its consequences for health. His research areas include LGBTQ+ mental health, racial inequities in the US HIV epidemic among sexual minority men, and ways to thoughtfully operationalize identity and discrimination in health equity research. He completed his PhD in Health Behavior at UNC [University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill], MPH in Health Behavior and Health Education at the University of Michigan, and BA in English from Rice University. Dr. Matthews also received postdoctoral training in HIV-related health disparities at the University of Pittsburgh, and a training fellowship in LGBTQ+ population health from the Fenway Institute.

Jonathan McKay, SameSame

Jonathan McKay (he/him) is a queer designer working at the intersection of digital media and social change. The majority of his career has focused on using technology to address systemic inequalities faced by marginalized youth. Today, he is co-founder and Executive Director of SameSame, a non-profit leveraging digital technologies to support LGBTQI+ youth mental health in challenging environments. Previously, as Chief Creative and Programmes Officer at Girl Effect, he led global teams creating digital platforms that empowered millions of girls and young women worldwide, particularly in regions where gender inequality limits access to essential information and support. A South African social entrepreneur, Jonathan specializes in developing inclusive digital solutions that overcome barriers faced by underserved communities. His projects have reached over 50 million people across 40 countries.

Host or Publisher Eidos LGBTQ+ Health Initiative