LGBTQ Specific Topics

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This section covers topics that frequently arise in providing mental health care to LGBTQ youth and their families. Resources are sorted by specific topics, for example bullying. Relevant AACAP Statements and Facts for Families are included. Some resources, when specified, are applicable to all youth, not just gender and/or sexual minorities.

LGBTQ Specific Topics

A. Notable Texts on LGBTQ Identities

Ehrensaft, D. (2016). The Gender Creative Child: Pathways for Nurturing and Supporting Children Who Live Outside Gender Boxes. New York, NY: The Experiment Publishing Company.
In this book, Dr. Ehrensaft explores assumptions about the gender binary and provides tips for supporting gender creative children. The book may be useful for families, teachers, and providers.  Dr. Ehrensaft conceptualizes gender identity in youth in her own unique way based on her years of clincial experience.

Erickson-Schroth, L. (2014). Trans Bodies, Trans Selves: A Resource for the Transgender Community. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.
This comprehensive book has individual chapters written by queer authors that provide unique perspectives on the transgender experiences, addressing topics such as mental health, medical transitions, and culture.

 

B. Bullying and School Climate

American Academy of Pediatrics – How You Can Help Your Child Avoid & Address Bullying
This brief set of guidelines helps parents support a child affected by bullying and is not LGBTQ specific.

American Academy of Pediatrics – Cyberbullying: Important Information for Parents
This site provides general information and advice for parents on cyberbullying from Healthy Children, a resource center from the American Academy of Pediatrics and is not LGBTQ specific.

National Education Association - Bully Free: It Starts with Me
National Education Association’s free online toolkit and resource list helps educators create bully-free schools. This is not LGBTQ specific and has Spanish resources.

The Tyler Clementi Foundation
This site lists programs available through the Tyler Clementi Foundation, which “works to end online and offline bullying in schools, workplaces and faith communities in the United States.”

 

C. LGBTQ Parents/Caregivers and Families

AACAP Facts for Families – Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Parents
This brief AACAP fact sheet is designed for lesbian, gay and bisexual parents.

AACAP Policy Statement on Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual or Transgender Parents
This brief statement emphasizes the Academy’s opposition to discrimination of parents on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity.

Family Equality Council
The Family Equality Council is a non-profit organization connecting LGBTQ parents and their children. Family programs include the Outspoken Generation program for children of LGBTQ parents and Pearls of Wisdom for families to connect through stories and experiences.

National Center on Parent, Family, and Community Engagement Healthy - Children's Books that Include Diverse Family Structures
This site from the U.S. government’s Office of Head Start Early Childhood Learing and Knowledge Center provides a list of books for toddlers and early childhood that feature diverse family structures and LGBTQ parents.

American Academy of Pediatrics - Promoting the Well-Being of Children Whose Parents Are Gay or Lesbian
This report published in Pediatrics reviews extensive study data on outcomes among gay and lesbian parents and their children.

COLAGE
This non-profit provides resources and programming for children of LGBTQ+ parents.

National Center on Parent, Family, and Community Engagement - Creating a Welcoming Early Childhood Program for LGBT-Headed Families
These documents are a series of government-funded guidelines for community programs, including schools, to help create a welcoming environment for diverse families.

Welcoming Schools - Resources for Embracing Family Diversity
This non-profit provides resources and lessons plans to help schools be inclusive of diverse families.

 

D. Homeless Youth

National Alliance to End Homelessness
The Youth and Young Adult resource center from the National Alliance to End Homelessness including background factual and policy information as well as links to toolkits, publications, and webinars.

National Runaway Safeline

The National Runaway Safeline is a hotline to connect runaway youth and their parents to acute as well as preventative resources.

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) - Homelessness Programs and Resources
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration provides this list of homelessness programs and resources for those with mental illness and/or substance use concerns.

True Colors Fund - The 40 to None Network (national network of service providers for homeless LGBTQ youth)
This non-profit organizes a network of people ranging from public service providers to health care workers to students working to address LGBTQ youth homelessness.

The Williams Institute – “Serving Our Youth: Findings from a National Survey of Services Providers Working with Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Youth Who Are Homeless or At Risk of Becoming Homeless” Report
The 2012 report provides data from the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) Homeless Youth Provider Survey, an online survey for organizations that provide services to homeless youth. The report provides demographic information about homeless LGBT youth.

 

E. Inclusive Schools

American Psychological Association – Resolution on Gender and Sexual Orientation Diversity in Children and Adolescents in Schools
This resolution highlights the stance the APA has taken regarding the rights of LGBTQ students in schools as well as the role of school psychologists in advocating for these students and their rights.

Family Equality Council
This website provides resources for families to help promote inclusiveness in schools for LGBTQ students as well as support for nontraditional families.

GLSEN
This organization provides guides and toolkits for educators on creating safer, more inclusive spaces in schools.

GSA Network
This is the “Genders and Sexualities Alliance” website that offers support to develop local chapters in schools and helps youth advocate on a larger scale for inclusive schools and communities.

Welcoming Schools
This site provides resources for improving school environment, including lesson plans, books, and tips.

 

F. Legal Resources

American Civil Liberties Union LGBT Rights
This website provides information on various ways in which the ACLU is advocating for LGBTQ rights in the US. It also includes the status of recent court cases related to the rights of LGBTQ individuals.

Gender Spectrum – Legal
This website provides facts about legal rights LGBTQ students have in schools and how to advocate for these rights to be upheld.

Lambda Legal
The Lambda Legal website outlines their mission to advocate for equal rights on behalf of LGBTQ individuals through litigation, education, and public policy. It provides updated information on current legal protections by geographic location.

Movement Advance Project
This non-profit organization provides easy-to-digest graphics and policies updates on LGBTQ issues around the U.S.

National LGBTQ Task Force
This non-profit organization provides updated reports about numerous issues affecting LGBTQ Americans.

The Williams Institute at the UCLA School of Law
This national think-tank provides law and public policy research related to LGBTQ inequalities.

Transgender Law Center (TLC)
The TLC website provides legal advocacy and community organizing initiatives to support transgender and gender nonconforming individuals.

 

G. Sexual Heath and Sexually Transmitted Infections/Diseases

Adolescent Health Working Group's Adolescent Provider Toolkit
This series of tip sheets from the Adolescent Health Working Group's Adolescent Provider Toolkit guides providers in taking sexual histories from adolescent patients.


Knight, D.A. & Jarrett, D. (2015). Preventive Health Care for Men Who Have Sex with Men, American Family Physician, 91:12, 844-851.
This overview article explores barriers to care, risk behaviors, preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and post-exposure management.

CDC – Evidence-Based HIV Prevention Interventions
This site provides a registry of evidence-based programs for youth risk behavior reduction.

CDC – HIV and Young Men Who Have Sex with Men
This factsheet provides an accessible overview of HIV in young men who have sex with men (MSM) as well as minority populations.

CDC – The Young Men Who Have Sex with Men (YMSM) Project
This goal of this initiative from the CDC is to “reduce the risk of HIV and STD infection in YMSM students (ages 13–19) with a focus on black and Latino YMSM.”

CDC GetTested
The CDC provides this national database for free, fast, confidential HIV testing.

CDC – The Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS)
This large-scale initiative tracks and analyzes health-related behaviors among high schoolers, including sexual behaviors. It currently surveys sexual identity but not gender.

Human Rights Campaign - Safer Sex for Trans Bodies
The HRC Foundation, in partnership with Whitman-Walker Health, created this sexual health guide for transgender and gender diverse communities.

HIV.org – National HIV/AIDS Strategy
This site provides updates on the National HIV/AIDS Strategy, which aims to reduce new HIV infections and address health disparities related to HIV.

Mravcak, S.A. (2006) Primary Care for Lesbians and Bisexual Women, American Family Physician, 74:279-86, 287-8.
This article explores barriers to care for lesbian and bisexual women as well as recommendations for sexual health and risk factor reduction.

Planned Parenthood – Sexual Consent
This site effectively explains consent and how to talk about consent. It also provides information on sexual assault and related resources. This resource may be useful for all youth and is not specific to LGBTQ-youth.

Rape, Abuse, & Incest National Network (RAINN) – Safety and Prevention
This site provides detailed information about consent and sexual safety for youth and young adults. Specific sections of the site address online safety as well. This resource may be useful for all youth and is not specific to LGBTQ-youth.

Sexuality Information and Education Counsel of the United States (SIECUS)- PrEP Education for Youth-Serving Primary Care Providers Toolkit
This toolkit equips providers with evidence-based knowledge for delivery of PrEP to at-risk youth.

Scarleteen
This website contains accessible, easy-to-digest information about sexual health topics for young adult and teenagers. It also contains materials specifically written for queer youth.

UCSF Center of Excellent for Transgender Health – HIV Prevention
This site hosted by the UCSF Center of Excellence for Transgender Health provides links to evidence-based practices for HIV in transgender populations.

 

H. Suicide Prevention

American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
This organization’s mission is to promote awareness of suicide, provide support for those affected, and enhance prevention efforts.

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
In addition to providing a suicide hotline, this website provides links to additional suicide prevention resources tailored to more specific populations, including LGBTQ individuals.

Trans Lifeline
This is a phone line staffed by trans individuals meant to support trans individuals in crisis with the ultimate goal to prevent self harm.

Trevor Project
The Trevor Project provides phone, chat, and text lines for LGBTQ individuals in crisis.

 

I. Substance Use

National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) -  Substance use and SUDs in LGBT Populations
This site reviews national data on substance use among sexual minority populations.

SAHMSA – A Provider’s Introduction to Substance Abuse Treatment for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Individuals (2012)
This comprehensive guide reviews existing literature and provides guidelines for treating substance use in LGBT patients.

The Center of Excellence on Racial and Ethnic Minority Young Men Who Have Sex with Men and Other Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Populations (YMSM + LGBT Center of Excellence) Resource Center (2015-2017)
This SAMHSA-funded center, a supplement of the Pacific Southwest Addiction Technology Transfer Center, offers online webinars, reports, and articles on treating substance use among LGBTQ populations.