5.7 serving lgbtq youth through equality and inclusion
DESCRIPTION
5.7 Serving LGBTQ Youth through Equality and InclusionSpeaker: Curtis ShepardIt is important that Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Questioning (LGBTQ)youth receive culturally-competent services that consider their unique trajectory into, and experience of, homelessness. LGBTQ youth have an opportunity for improved outcomes when programs provide interventions that facilitate healthy family connections, provide equal access and treatment, and foster their positive development by connecting them with affirming LGBTQ health and community services.TRANSCRIPT
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Permanent Families for LGBTQ Children and Youth
in Foster Care in Los Angeles County
The RISE Initiative is funded by the Children’s Bureau, Administration on
Children, Youth and Families, Administration for Children and Families, U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services, under grant number 90-CT-0154.
The RISE Initiative is funded by the Children’s Bureau, Administration on
Children, Youth and Families, Administration for Children and Families, U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services, under grant number 90-CT-0154.
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LGBTQ youth languish in foster care
- LGBTQ youth lose their placements more frequently- Multiple placements = lack of educational
progress- 100% of LGBTQ youth in group homes report
abuse- LGBTQ youth more readily give up on family
connections and age out with nowhere to go
RISEThe Need
The RISE Initiative is funded by the Children’s Bureau, Administration on
Children, Youth and Families, Administration for Children and Families, U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services, under grant number 90-CT-0154.
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Federal Permanency Innovations Initiative (PII)
LAGLC one of 6 projects funded nationwide-- $13.3 million for a 5-year demonstration project to improve…
i. Safetyii. Wellbeing
iii. Permanency…for LGBTQ children and youth in foster care
RISEThe Focus
The RISE Initiative is funded by the Children’s Bureau, Administration on
Children, Youth and Families, Administration for Children and Families, U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services, under grant number 90-CT-0154.
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The theory of change espoused by the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center’s (LAGLC) RISE Initiative is that:
When lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning (LGBTQ) foster youth and their families are competently identified and appropriately served, then they can achieve safe and stable permanency.
RISE The Theory of Change
RISE Interventions
RISE Training & Coaching Institute (TCI) that develops
and supports training and
coaching efforts needed for the
three interventions
Care Coordination Team (CCT)
RISE will create CCTs using a wraparound approach
combined with family finding and engagement, plus
LGBTQ-competency strategies, in order to
increase durable connections and emotional and legal permanence by reducing
barriers to permanency for LGBTQ youth at risk for long term foster care, including
those arising from heterosexism and anti-
transgender bias.
A child and family level intervention
Identification Survey (I)
RISE will create an anonymous survey of foster youth ages 11+ years that
focuses on safety and youth development domains, which includes questions designed to assess the proportion of
lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning (LGBTQ) youth in foster care.
A system level intervention
Outreach and Relationship Building
(O)
RISE will provide LGBTQ competency training to
public and private agency staff, and use posters and
other visual symbols in the environment to communicate
that diversity in sexualorientation and
gender expression as well as equal rights are valued.
An organizational level intervention
Improve permanency for LGBTQ youth in the foster care system by reducing heterosexism and anti-transgender bias.
The RISE Initiative is funded by the Children’s Bureau, Administration on
Children, Youth and Families, Administration for Children and Families, U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services, under grant number 90-CT-0154.
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RISE Perspective On Permanency
LegalEmotiona
l
Durable
The RISE Initiative is funded by the Children’s Bureau, Administration on
Children, Youth and Families, Administration for Children and Families, U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services, under grant number 90-CT-0154.
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RISE is a 5-year demonstration and research project aimed at: Competently and safely identifying LGBTQ children and youth, Creating a climate/ecology of acceptance for them Coordinating their care, and Producing trained, competent professionals to serve them.
Intended long-term outcome: LGBTQ children & youth gain forever homes.
It is hoped that RISE Interventions will be replicable across the country
RISE An Emphasis on Research & Evaluation
The RISE Initiative is funded by the Children’s Bureau, Administration on
Children, Youth and Families, Administration for Children and Families, U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services, under grant number 90-CT-0154.
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Foster Care Providers Five Acres Hathaway-Sycamores Children & Family Services Penny Lane Centers Southern California Foster Family and Adoptions Agency Vista Del MarHomeless Youth Providers
Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles (CHLA) Hollywood Homeless Youth Partnership (HHYP)Other Key Partners
L.A. County Courts, DCFS and DMH Williams Institute (UCLA School of Law)
RISE Key Partners
The RISE Initiative is funded by the Children’s Bureau, Administration on
Children, Youth and Families, Administration for Children and Families, U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services, under grant number 90-CT-0154.
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Evaluation Plan submitted Implementation Plan approved by Children’s
Bureau Leadership structure established and operational Collected data about LGBTQ children & youth in
foster care, and the experiences of staff : Baseline Data (GLASS residential placements) Case Reviews of 20 closed and 20 open cases Youth Speak Outs DCFS Staff & Agency Provider Speak Outs Expert Roundtable on Outreach & Identification
RISE Year One
The RISE Initiative is funded by the Children’s Bureau, Administration on
Children, Youth and Families, Administration for Children and Families, U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services, under grant number 90-CT-0154.
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Commonalities among the Cases- Increase in suicidal ideation; Lack of connecting struggles with sexual orientation or
gender identity with acting out behaviors; Children who seemed to fare best had stability and
stayed in one placement for an extended period of time;
There is a disconnect between training and practice; and
Youth who were older or entered the system at an older age had more successful outcomes.
RISE Case Reviews
The RISE Initiative is funded by the Children’s Bureau, Administration on
Children, Youth and Families, Administration for Children and Families, U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services, under grant number 90-CT-0154.
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Boundaries need to be put into place and staff needs to be held accountable for their actions when they are disrespectful towards LGBTQ youth.
Staff need to be trained thoroughly on LGBTQ issues and there should be a specialized training on transgender issues.
Safety is the biggest issue for youth, workers need to let LGBTQ youth know that they are safe in their care.
RISE Youth Speak Outs
The RISE Initiative is funded by the Children’s Bureau, Administration on
Children, Youth and Families, Administration for Children and Families, U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services, under grant number 90-CT-0154.
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Case workers would like a “script” to help guide them when they are discussing LGBTQ issues.
The majority of staff at both DCFS and partner agencies were not aware of AB 458 which bans discrimination based on actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity.
Top-down insistence on agency-wide adherence to non-discrimination policies and laws.
RISE DCFS Staff & Agency Provider Speak Outs
The RISE Initiative is funded by the Children’s Bureau, Administration on
Children, Youth and Families, Administration for Children and Families, U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services, under grant number 90-CT-0154.
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RISE 5 Year Schedule
Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5
Est. number
of children served
- - - ~ 20 ~ 80 ~ 80~
100
Plan
Develop And Test
Scale-up and Evaluate
The RISE Initiative is funded by the Children’s Bureau, Administration on
Children, Youth and Families, Administration for Children and Families, U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services, under grant number 90-CT-0154.
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Curt Shepard, Director, Children, Youth & Family Services
Lisa Parrish, Director, [email protected]
Corri Frohlich, Administrative Coordinator, [email protected]
RISE Contact Information