Addressing Resistance and Fear in Caregivers of LGBTQ+ System Involved Youth

Dr. Laura S. Anderson

Training Description

Gender expansive and LGBTQ+ system involved youth face additional hurdles in the integration of a healthy identity. They deserve safe, informed and affirming care. This training will address the difficult issue of supporting caregivers who are not well informed about issues related to Sexual Orientation Gender Identity and Expression (SOGIE) and caregivers who may have biases and beliefs that are harmful to youth in their care.  We will discuss resources and specific scripts and tips for improving understanding and ways to show concrete affirmation for youth with SOGIE-specific needs in foster care and adoptive placements. Gender expansive and LGBTQ+ youth in care need us to continue to develop skills to support them fully and set them up to thrive.

Learning Objectives

1. Participants will be able to define 3 distinct challenges that gender expansive and LGBTQ+ youth experience as they integrate their child and adolescent identities while in the child welfare system.

2. Participants will be able to identify 3 concrete ways that caregiver misinformation, fear, and bias negatively impacts youth in care.

3. Participants will acquire at least 3 concrete scripts, strategies, and/or resources to support gender expansive and LGBTQ+ youth in care.

Agenda

10:00-10:30am  Introduction and statistics

10:30-11:00am  Distinct challenges for gender expansive and LGBTQ+ system involved youth

· Integrating their child and adolescent identities

· Unique challenges of being involved in foster care

11:00am-12pm  Learning to have hard conversations with caregivers

· Acknowledging misinformation

· Understanding the impacts

· Ways to prevent or address associated harm

12:00-12:15pm  Break (CE hours will not be offered for this time)

12:15-1:00pm  Learning to have hard conversations with caregivers

· Acknowledging fear

· Understanding the impacts

· Ways to prevent or address associated harm

1:00-1:45pm  Case examples: Practicing scripts and finding resources

1:45-2:15pm  Summary and wrap-up

Meet Our Trainer

Dr. Laura S. Anderson is a clinical child and family psychologist who is licensed in Hawaii and California, and she has worked with youth and families for over twenty years. Dr. Anderson is currently based primarily in Hawaii. Her areas of expertise include school-based behavioral health, assessment, support for adoptive families, support for gender expansive youth and their families, foster care consultation, and the provision of cross-culturally sensitive care. She is lucky to have had wonderful clinical mentors and enjoys teaching others things she has learned “in the trenches” of direct service to children, adolescents, families, schools, and various other agencies. Dr. Anderson enjoys working with kids, families, and systems as they overcome barriers, build on their strengths, and thrive.

This course meets the qualifications for (4) BBS CE hours for LCSWs, LMFTs, LPCCs, and LEPs as required by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences & is provided by Fred Finch Youth Center, CAMFT Provider #045295.