OUTreach
What If We Told You? ...
... that lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer/questioning (also referred to as LGBTQ+) children who are not accepted by their families are five times more likely to attempt suicide, six times more likely to report depression, and 78% were removed or ran away from foster placements due to hostility?
And what if we told you the steps to help these children were as simple as connecting them with an LGBTQ+ role model, discussing their identity with them, and welcoming their friends into the home?
Trillium developed Project OUTreach to share the research and tools available with our stakeholders, providers, faith-based organizations, and more. We work with North Carolina Families United to help educate our communities with the skills needed to address the specific health concerns of and abuse toward LGBTQ+ youth. Research shows that between 2-7% of all adults identify as LGBTQ+. For youth who are LGBTQ+, most recall feeling different from their peers in early childhood, often before 10 years of age.
OUTreach Purpose:
- Improve health and mental health outcomes of LGTBQ+ youth in Eastern NC.
- Help ethnically and religiously diverse families and caregivers to decrease rejection and increase support for LGBTQ+ children, youth, and young adults.
- Support the critical needs of youth in foster care related to LGBTQ+ health.
- Facilitate systems change to address needs by increasing awareness and support of LGBTQ+ youth.
Kick-off OUTreach 2020!
Supporting LGBTQ+ Youth & Families with All Children-All Families
Trillium collaborates with the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Foundation’s All Children-All Families project to build and reinforce safe and loving homes for all our LGBTQ+ youth and families involved in child welfare.
Our youth and families are deeply impacted when safety, permanency, and well-being are absent. For many of LGBTQ+ children and teens, this absence is often a reality. It shows up as life-long, real consequences of higher rates of suicide, illegal substance use, mental health disparities, and HIV infection among our LGBTQ+ youth. Yet in households where safety, permanency, and well-being are present, LGBTQ+ youth overwhelmingly have better outcomes and report happier lives in adulthood.
Trillium’s partnership with All Children-All Families uses two tools to share best practices and information with those involved in child welfare in our catchment area. The first tool is a group of Trillium staff trained to engage with agencies and community stakeholders. Staff facilitators provide high-fidelity trainings to these groups. The second tool is working with those agencies to train the families in the Therapeutic Foster Care (TFC) network.
These trainings are designed to equip participants with the best practices and strategies for providing welcoming and inclusive homes without challenging their personal beliefs or values. Since LGBTQ+ youth represent 30% of the total youth in foster care, this work is vital to their outcomes and the success of TFC networks providing safety, permanence, and well-being.
North Carolina Families United was created around a kitchen table by dedicated parents eager and frustrated to create policy change in schools, medical practices and their communities that would not only help their children but those that were to come that struggle from emotional and behavioral issues.
Resources:
Trained counselors and support for the LGBTQ+ community
Online training and tip sheets for parents, school staff, and students related to mental health and more
