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A Place of Respect: A Guide for Group Care Facilities Serving Transgender and Gender Non-Conforming Youth

This guide offers group care facilities information and tools to provide transgender and gender non-conforming youth with appropriate and informed care. It  describes laws requiring facilities to protect these  youth from harassment and abuse and to provide them with appropriate medical care. This publication assists staff in understanding the experiences and concerns of transgender and  gender non-conforming youth, and responding to these youths’ safety,  programmatic, and health care needs.

National Center for Lesbian Rights and Sylvia Rivera Law Project (2011)

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All Children-All Families: Training Curriculum

As part of the broader All Children-All Families initiative, the curriculum is intended to provide expert LGBTQ competency support that can be customized based on the needs of the organization. The curriculum includes 1) An Introduction to LGBTQ Competency for Child Welfare Professionals, 2) Best Practices for Serving LGBTQ Families, and 3) Best Practices for Serving LGBTQ Youth in Foster Care. The training is supported through a fee-for-service with an average cost approximately $1,500 per trainer per day.

Human Rights Campaign

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Bending the Mold: An Action Kit for Transgender Students

This toolkit is designed to assist transgender, gender non-conforming, questioning, and ally students to make school a safer place. Resources include how to advocate for change as well as an extensive list of resources to help you connect with the transgender community and find support.

Lambda Legal & National Youth Advocacy Coalition

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Caring for LGBTQ Children & Youth: A Guide for Child Welfare Providers

This booklet was developed to provide information about the care and support of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning children and youth.  Unfortunately, we know LGBTQ youth are disproportionately represented in the child welfare system and often face discrimination and mistreatment in out-of-home care. This guide includes information on terminology and several basic, but key, tips on how to best support and care for LGBTQ children and youth.

Human Rights Campaign  (n.d)

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Comprehensive Services Model

With the Comprehensive Services Model, LGBTQ-affirming drop-in centers serve as a one-stop shop. Using a strengths-based case management model, youth at the drop-in center have access to a comprehensive array of LGBTQ-affirming services within the center. Some of the service providers available include Medicaid enrollment specialists, physicians, and attorneys. Staff and peers offer group skills training throughout the day.

Ferguson & Maccio, 2012

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CWLA Best Practice Guidelines: Serving LGBTQ Youth in Out-of-Home Care

This easy-to-use resource contains the first-ever set of comprehensive professional guidelines for how child welfare and juvenile justice professionals can best serve LGBT youth in state care. The Best Practice Guidelines for Serving LGBT Youth in Out of Home Care developed out of recommendations from the Model Standards Project, a collaboration between Legal Services for Children and the National Center for Lesbian Rights.

Child Welfare League of America (2006)

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Dissemination: Top 10 Tips

Dissemination is an important part of implementation science and this handout will give you tips on how to make successful dissemination decisions.

Children’s Bureau Child Welfare Information Gateway (2014) 

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Ensuring Competent Residential Interventions for Youth with Diverse Gender and Sexual Identities and Expressions

This paper focuses on the many issues faced in the field in providing quality residential interventions for youth of sexual diversity, including sexual orientation and gender identity. For lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning, intersex, and two-spirit (LGBTQI2-S) youth in residential care, open expression of sexuality or gender identity can be a significant challenge, with many barriers faced both within the program and in the community at large. This paper provides guidelines and strategies for serving and supporting LGBTQI2-S youth, building on the efforts of programs that have successfully created “sexual and gender minority-positive” cultures.

American Association of Children’s Residential Centers (2014)

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Family Acceptance Project ™ (FAP)

FAP is a research, intervention, education, and policy initiative targeting families of LGBTQ youth and young adults to prevent health and mental health risks and promote well-being. FAP has developed a research-based family intervention model to help diverse families learn to support their LGBT children to promote permanency and reconnect LGBT youth and families. FAP produces multilingual family education materials and videos that are “Best Practice” resources for LGBT youth, with assessment tools, key practice guidelines, and training for human service workers and families. FAP’s model provides services and supports for LGBT youth in the context of their families, cultures, and faith communities.

Dr. C. Ryan, San Francisco State University

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Gay Affirmative Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Sexual Minority Youth 

Cognitive Behavior Therapy that has been adapted to ensure (a) an affirming stance toward LGBTQ+ identities, (b) recognition and awareness of LGBTQ+-specific sources of stress, and (c) the delivery of CBT content within an affirming, developmentally relevant and trauma-informed framework.  AFFIRM helps clients to identify and challenge internalized stigma and negative core beliefs in a safe and supportive clinical context.

Shelley L. Craig, Ashley Austin, Edward Alessi