Skip to main content
NewsPodcast

Ask a DBH: Addressing Challenges in the LGBTGEQIAP+ Community

By September 19, 2023February 12th, 2025No Comments4 min read

In the latest episode of Disruptors at Work: and Integrated Care Podcast hosts Dr. U. Grant Baldwin, Jr., DBH, Director of the Doctor of Behavioral Health (DBH) program at Cummings Graduate Institute for Behavioral Health Studies (CGI), and Dr. Larry Ford, DBH, Member of the CGI Board of Directors, discusses the impact that having LGBTQ+ friendly providers can have on the healthcare of members of the LGBTGEQIAP+ community, how listeners can support the healthcare needs of this community, and how to address inequities and discriminatory practices.

Thank you to our panel of experts:

  • Jeremy Henderson-Teelucksingh, MHR, M.A., LPC/MHSP, NCC/CCMHC
  • Brandy K. Biglow, LMHC, NCC, CCTP, QS, DBH-C
  • Cory Cannady, MEd, BCBA, LBA

Listen to the episode below.

About the Subject Matter Expert:

Jeremy Henderson-Teelucksingh, MHR, M.A., LPC/MHSP, NCC/CCMHC

Jeremy Henderson-Teelucksingh, DBH Student at Cummings Graduate Institute for Behavioral Health Studies, is a counselor, leadership and management coach, and corporate and community human relations consultant. Jeremy brings passion, innovation, and creativity to his clients to enable them to live fulfilling lives. As a counselor, Jeremy works with adults, couples, and families, focusing on anxiety and anger, trauma, personality disorders, relationships, and issues related to adoption and foster care. Jeremy works with the LGBTGEQIAP+ community and is an “out” counselor with a history of diversity, equality, equity, inclusion, and belonging advocacy.

Before becoming a clinical mental health counselor, Jeremy spent nearly 20 years in the technology industry. Jeremy was frequently the first-ever employee engagement leader guiding the employee, manager, and leadership experiences at companies like Salesforce, eBay, VeriSign, and Aricent (now Capgemini). Currently, in addition to providing mental health services, Jeremy serves as Chief Operating Officer at Centro Health Solutions, a Nashville health tech start up creating a better way to healthcare by putting the patient at the center of their healthcare experiences and wrapping their providers around them.

Brandy K. Biglow, LMHC, NCC, CCTP, QS

Brandy K. Biglow, DBH Student at Cummings Graduate Institute for Behavioral Health Studies, is the CEO and founder of Renovation Integrative Health, LLC. She has a broad range of licenses and certifications including but not limited to being a licensed mental health counselor, a certified clinical trauma professional, and a Doctor of Behavioral Health candidate at the outstanding Cummings Graduate Institute of Behavioral Health. She has over 20 years working with children, individuals, and families. She started out as a teacher of students with exceptionalities and moved into the field of counseling seeking to provide support outside the educational realm via social-emotional education, family resources, and more. Today, she continues her work in this arena and has expanded it to include integrative health and certifications as a professional life and group coach. She is also passionate about preventing burnout one person at a time. Using a large dose of humor and current information from research (anecdotal and qualitative), she changes the lives of those she works with in every encounter.

Cory Cannady, MEd, BCBA, LBA

Cory Cannady, DBH Student at Cummings Graduate Institute for Behavioral Health Studies, is from a small town in West TN originally but has lived in Chattanooga for the past 14 years. He taught middle school for 5 years before transitioning paths to enter the mental health field as a behavior analyst after receiving his masters degree in applied behavior analysis from the University of Cincinnati. He has served as a behavior analyst for the past 4 years where he serves children with developmental disabilities with a specialization in autism as the Assistant Clinical Director for Elevate Behavior Services. In this role he oversees a small caseload of patients while also serving as the operations and clinical specialist. He is currently a student at Cumming’s Graduate Institute where he is over halfway through the Doctor of Behavioral Health program. Outside of work and school, Cory lives with his husband and foster son who is about to turn 7. He is an animal lover and has 4 dogs and various other small animals. He likes to read historical fiction and is always learning something new with an interest in playing music.

Testimonials

“As a member of the AAPI community, I’m very familiar with the barriers to mental health services and the need to break through the glass wall of cultural stigma that prevents many from receiving potentially life–saving treatment. I was the only Asian American person in my master’s cohort, the only Asian American person in many of my clinical work settings, the only Asian American person to walk into many of the professional settings that I pushed myself to show up to. In my current practice, I’m constantly reminded by my patients of how difficult it is to find an Asian American mental health provider, though this reminder constantly informs me that more needs to be done for my community. Day after day, I read stories of Asian American people who die by suicide as a consequence of our culture’s avoidance of mental health topics. As a DBH, my biggest goal is to use my expertise in whole–person care to amplify the conversation around mental health and help my community understand that mental healthcare is not a privilege that we are not entitled to, it is a crucial part of our healthcare that will manifest differently in us than what many Western psychology or psychiatry textbooks will describe, and that our unique experience of mental health issues are valid, important, and is time to be part of the larger conversation.”

Willam Chum, LMHCDBH Candidate, Cummings Graduate Institute for Behavioral Health Studies - September 16, 2022

“The Doctor in Behavioral Health (DBH) program has changed my understanding of the subject and career path. Before this academic journey, my knowledge of behavioral health was primarily theoretical, including essential ideas and methods. However, the DBH curriculum combined intense academic research with practical application, helping me understand behavioral health from multiple angles. Recognizing mental health as part of total health changed my perspective. The biopsychosocial model, which showed how biological, psychological, and social variables affect mental health, was stressed in the DBH curriculum. This comprehensive approach made me realize how complex human behavior is and how important it is to address mental health issues. Effective interventions must target the individual’s surroundings, relationships, and life experiences, not just symptoms. The curriculum also gave me enhanced evidence-based practice training to execute successful solutions. Studies methods and data analysis classes improved my critical thinking and allowed me to evaluate and apply behavioral health studies. This gave me the confidence to contribute to the field’s knowledge base through practice and research.”

Dr. Rhea Hill, DBH, LPCDBH Alumna, Cummings Graduate Institute for Behavioral Health Studies - February 17, 2025

“This program will change how you present to the world, not just as a professional but as an individual. Understand this is work but the work is worth it and the journey is undeniably transformative. If you are seeking a doctorate for the title, this is not the program for you. If you are seeking a doctorate to interrupt and disrupt the course of healthcare, then this is the program for you. You won’t find a more supportive program with professors who are dedicated to your success and your education. This program is not about the regurgitation of information. It is about the appropriate applied application of knowledge and information to push forward and become an advocate for equitable and quality care for all.”

Brandy K. Biglow LMHC, CCTP, QSDBH Candidate, Cummings Graduate Institute for Behavioral Health Studies - February 5, 2024

“The Doctor of Behavioral Health (DBH) program has definitely transformed my understanding of behavioral health. Understanding the links between physical and mental health has taught how to make better treatment decisions. The DBH program has also given me insights that otherwise would not be possible and allows me to view individuals through a lens that I was previously ignorant of. This program has helped me grow into a more confident individual, provider, and parent.”

Cory H. Cannady, BCBA, LBADBH Candidate, Cummings Graduate Institute for Behavioral Health Studies - March 13, 2024

“The DBH program has reinforced my vision of viewing behavioral health (BH) as an integrated component of the healthcare system rather than a siloed service. As a practitioner in the focused BH realm of substance use disorder (SUD) treatment, I observe on a regular basis how identifying and serving SUD patients is often missed, ignored and stigmatized in primary healthcare, despite the fact that early intervention at these check-points often has the potential to intervene earlier and lessen the negative SUD outcomes frequently seen by the time a patient reaches specialty SUD services. Reinforcement received in my DBH program has motivated me to promote integration as a leader in my workplace and is a primary factor in considering the long-term trajectory of my individual career path.”

Kenneth L. Roberts, MPS, LPCC, LADCDBH Candidate, Cummings Graduate Institute for Behavioral Health Studies - November 5, 2024

“Graduating from the DBH program has influenced and enhanced my approach to addressing behavioral health challenges and making a difference in the field by preparing me to become a serious business owner. Through the DBH program, I understand now that becoming a business owner not only assists me in reaping the financial benefits of working for myself, but the program also offers me a sense of freedom to make a difference in an individual’s life.”

Dr. Rebecca K. Wright, DBH, LBA, BCBA, QBADBH Alumna, Cummings Graduate Institute for Behavioral Health Studies - December 18, 2024

“I have always wanted to pursue a higher degree but never found a program that met my needs. When I investigated the DBH program, I can honestly say I was excited. It was a program that would expand my knowledge in behavioral health but also how it relates to physical health. The philosophy of treating the whole person was exactly what I was looking for.”

Elizabeth Nekoloff, M.Ed., LPCC-S, NCCDBH Candidate, Cummings Graduate Institute for Behavioral Health Studies - January 16, 2025

“Prior to obtaining my DBH, I practiced behavioral health within the boundaries of behavior analysis. The DBH degree has given me the ability to broaden my scope of competence allowing me to provide a higher quality of care to my clients through a person-centered approach, while still staying within my scope of practice. I was in the beginning stages of opening my business when I enrolled in the DBH program which set my trajectory towards being a stronger leader. The program equipped me with essential healthcare leadership and entrepreneurial skills, allowing me to ensure high-quality services for my clients and foster a supportive work environment for our staff. It has also given me the confidence to expand my business and pursue other healthcare ventures, reaching a broader range of patients in need.”

Dr. Pauline Tolentino Pablo, DBH, BCBA, IBADBH Alumna, Cummings Graduate Institute for Behavioral Health Studies - January 21, 2025

“Although I have worked with many patients who have mental health diagnoses, or behaviors which make managing their medical diagnoses and day to day life difficult, the DBH program at CGI is broadening that knowledge and providing a deeper understanding of behavioral health and how best to help these individuals manage their health and improve their quality of life. This will allow me to provide and advocate for more meaningful and seamless integrated care, providing new tools for my intervention toolbox, and the confidence and skills to collaborate within and lead whole person focused interdisciplinary teams. I also anticipate building upon my knowledge as a nurse case manager and long time caregiver, as well as my personal passions and professional vision, learning about processes and operations, to be in position to start up and lead my own company one day, offering the services and care I know every person should have access to.”

Hollie Wilson, MSN, RN, CCMDBH Candidate, Cummings Graduate Institute for Behavioral Health Studies - February 11, 2025

“The DBH program will open opportunities for me to contribute to healthcare system innovation, particularly through trauma-informed care and integrated behavioral health settings. I will be better positioned to advocate for and implement holistic care models that improve health outcomes for underserved populations. Ultimately, this program will help me transition into higher-level roles, such as a director or consultant in behavioral health, where I can influence broader system changes and contribute to the future of healthcare delivery.”

DeKyn Rashad Peters, MPH-CHES,BSW/BA,APCDBH Candidate, Cummings Graduate Institute for Behavioral Health Studies - March 4, 2025

Accreditation & Affiliates

Partners