lgbtq+ youth homelessness · homelessness angela weeks, mpa project director, national quality...
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LGBTQ+ Youth Homelessness
Angela Weeks, MPA
Project Director, National Quality Improvement Center for LGBTQ+ Youth in Foster Care
Jorge Membreño, LCSW
Director of Youth Housing, SMYAL
Agenda
●Disparities in the System of Care
●Pathways to Homelessness
●Lessons Learned from the Los Angeles LGBT Center
●Lessons Learned from SMYAL in DC
●Strategies that Help
● Individual Action Plans
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Clarifying Language
●LGBTQ+ = Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Questioning/Queer, and other identities related to sexual orientation and gender
●Diverse SOGIE = Diverse Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Expression
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Disparities in Systems of Care
Wilson, et al. (2014).
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120% higher risk of reporting homelessness
40% who report homelessness
Luke’s Story
Pathways to Homelessness
How do you think these systems and disparities are connected?
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Discussion
Have you seen young people experience similar situations in your communities?
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Strategies that Help
• Having non-discrimination policies • Trainings for all staff • Inclusive spaces/symbolism/resources• Clothing/hygiene for all • Intake forms/questions that are inclusive• Room/bathroom arrangements for all • Providing/connecting to competent services• Using inclusive language
Making an Impact with Language
▪ Terms like lifestyle, choice, popular, phase, preference, homosexual, “he/she” or “it” convey bias.
▪ Self-definition is key, reflect client’s terminology
▪ Use inclusive/gender neutral language
▪ Use appropriate gender pronouns▪ She/her/hers
▪ He/him/his
▪ They/them/theirs
▪ All
▪ No pronoun
▪ Mis-gendering hurts and damages rapport
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Programs that help
• AFFIRM CBT Group Clinical Interventions
• Family Acceptance Project• Adapted Family Finding
