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Scholarships  
Your Health. Your HEART.
FIGHTING ADDICTION, PROMOTING HEALTH
Jorja Jamison
Ph.D. Candidate – University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
2007 HEART Scholar

“Several faculty members in my program have commented that I did not choose an easy research path. I’ve encountered many financial, institutional and logistical obstacles in the course of [my education], but it has been a valuable and rewarding experience. I know I am making a unique contribution to advance the health of the LGBT population”

- Jorja Jamison, 2007 HEART Scholar
PIONEERING RESEARCH
Presently completing her Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology, Jorja is a talented scholar, a cutting-edge researcher and a gifted counselor who infuses her work with her passion for LGBT health. Jorja’s Master’s thesis examined lesbian and gay men’s disclosure of sexual orientation to healthcare providers, crafted a model of disclosure in healthcare interactions and identified five outcomes that flow from the interaction. The first research of its kind in counseling psychology, Jorja’s work paves the way for future research in this critical area.


COMMUNITY PILLAR

As anyone who is LGBT and grew up in a small or rural community can attest, the challenges are vast. Since arriving in Urbana-Champaign, Jorja has used her skills to benefit the local LGBT community.


Jorja quickly stepped into the role of a facilitator and coordinator for OUTzone, a local organization providing support and resources to LGBT youth and their allies. At the same time, she has continued to provide counseling to LGBT men and women struggling with substance abuse and addiction. To further her work to combat substance abuse and provide the local LGBT community with social alternatives to the bar scene, Jorja helped to operate an LGBT coffeehouse in the community.

As Jorja looks to the future she continues to see herself actively engaged in promoting the health and well-being of the LGBT community. After graduating, she plans to become Clinical Director of mental health services for an LGBT community health center while continuing to research the link between the stressors of self-identifying as LGBT and substance abuse and addiction.
“I have yet to speak to an [LGBT] person about my research who did not share their health care stories - positive and negative. We have a long way to go to
make quality health care available to all LGBT individuals. I feel honored to play a part in our journey.”

Jorja Jamison at a Glance:

Home:
Urbana, IL

School:
Univ. of IL at Urbana-Champaign
Ph.D. Candidate – Counseling Psy.
Expected Graduation – 2009

Past Education:
Univ of IL at Urbana-Champaign
M.S. – Educational Psychology
Univ of NC at Chapel Hill
B.A. – Latin Language & Literature

Activities:
Masters thesis studying how
sexual orientation is disclosed
to health care providers

Research on substance abuse
issues in the LGBT community

Research on lesbians patients’
experiences in health care

Coordinator for non-profit LGBT
Coffeehouse, offering social
alternative to bar scene

Awards:
Outstanding Undergrad. Teaching
For Teaching Assistants (2007)
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