Did you know that June is Pride Month? It’s a time of human rights—a period to honor and shed light around the ongoing health and social justice struggle that the LGBTQIA+ community has and continues to face.
And as healthcare providers, parents, friends, coworkers, and community members at large, it’s critical we educate ourselves and shatter stigma.
Check out the video below to hear LGBTQIA+ young people tell their stories:
Stigma significantly impacts LGBTQIA+ youth, and data collected by the Trevor Project earlier this year paints a telling portrait of that.
Celebrating Pride Month— 5 Ways Mental Health Providers Can Support LGBTQIA+ Youth
Outcomes for kids drastically improve with acceptance and social support. Here are five things mental health providers can do to help LGBTQIA+ youth.
#1: Provide Trauma-Informed Service
Provide trauma-informed service via education on the impact of identity-based trauma and establish physical and emotional safety through meeting needs, communicating safety procedures, creating a predictable environment, and fostering respectful relationships.
#2: Be Inclusive
Adopt anti-discrimination practices that are inclusive of LGBTQIA+ kids and families that minimize potential re-traumatization.
#3: Create Continuity of Care
Work within your scope of practice and make referrals for outside support services when needed. And don’t forget to refer kids aging out of youth services to an adult mental health provider.
#4: Screen for Trauma
Screen for trauma, considering specific stressful life experiences in gender-diverse people.
#5: Understand and Promote Understanding
Understand and promote understanding via education on the effects of stigma such as prejudice, harassment, discrimination, and violence in the lives of LGBTQIA+ individuals.
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