Lina Asset Mapping Recommendations Conclusion

The speaker discusses the importance of leveraging existing assets and protective factors at CECP to support LGBTQ+ youth. They acknowledge their own experience as a Gen Xer questioning their gender identity, but also recognize the challenges faced by students today. The speaker emphasizes the influence of adults in these students' lives and the need for accepting and nurturing adults. They highlight the impact of even one accepting adult as a protective factor against suicide and other negative outcomes. The speaker shares best practices for supporting LGBTQ+ students, including inclusive policies, representation, and creative expression. They also introduce Envision U, a nonprofit organization that provides resources and training for supporting LGBTQ+ individuals. The speaker concludes by urging adults to be affirming and supportive to help these young people thrive. Now for a look at leveraging existing assets and protective factors at CECP. My name is Lina, and I'm a Gen Xer who is just starting to question my own gender identity. I'm also a social worker and future mental health clinician. As part of my graduate studies, I'm focusing on mental health and LGBTQ plus youth. I realize I'm not in the same boat as these students. When I was in school, we didn't have the awareness, language, or permission to explore gender identity and sexuality the way we do today. Like them, I'm navigating the joys and perils of this liberating process. Unlike them, I'm an adult with considerable power and privileges to support myself as I explore my identity and choose how to come out to my family, friends, and colleagues. These students, on the other hand, rely on the adults in their lives for their safety, security, esteem, and survival. They are a captive audience at home and school and church, and they cannot avoid the influence of the adults in these systems, be it helpful or hostile. My research keeps pointing to a common theme about the... We now want to take a look at leveraging the existing assets and protective factors at CECP. My name is Lina, and I'm a Gen Xer who is just starting to question my own gender identity. I'm also a social worker and a future mental health clinician. As part of my graduate studies, I'm focusing on mental health and LGBTQ plus youth. I realize I'm not in the same boat as these students. When I was in school, we didn't have the awareness, the language, or permission to explore gender identity and sexuality the way we do today. Like them, I am navigating the joys and perils of this liberating process. Unlike them, I'm an adult with considerable power and privileges to support myself as I explore my identity and choose how to come out to my family, friends, and colleagues. These students, on the other hand, rely on the adults in their lives for their safety, security, esteem, and survival. They are a captive audience at home, at school, at church, and cannot avoid the influence of the adults in these systems, be it helpful or harmful. My research keeps pointing to a common theme about the impact of even one accepting adult as a significant protective factor against suicide and other dire outcomes for these young folks. Our intention in evaluating the protective factors at CECP and in the greater Denver Metro community is to empower you, the adults in leadership at CECP, to be the accepting and nurturing adults that your LGBTQ plus students need. To help leverage these strengths, we've identified best practices through our personal connections as well as research on the challenges of LGBTQ plus students. We have a colleague who is a social worker at South High School whose child is transgender. They share that bullying, harassment, and misgendering is an ongoing challenge at South High School, even though the staff have many pro-LGBTQ plus policies in place. These policies include students can change their name and gender in Infinite Campus without the permission of parents. Students can change their name and add pronouns to their yearbook photo without the permission of parents. Students can dress how they please. Students can use the bathroom of their choice, though in practice many use the nurse's bathroom on the first floor because it is private. South has hired LGBTQ plus staff. Our colleague notes that representation matters. This might be the single most important thing a school can do to support LGBTQ plus kids. The librarian and two staff requested and were granted funds from the PTSA to purchase all of the books on the banned books list, many of which deal with gender and sexuality. Our colleague's transgender child shared that the most affirming programs at South are the GSA, choir, and the National Thespian Society. We learned that creative expression is vital for mental health. Across the country, theater and choir often serve as safe spaces for queer students to express themselves authentically, share their gifts, and build confidence. All these community resilience factors correspond with GLSEN's 2021 National School Climate Survey State Snapshot for Colorado. The report recommends that we implement supportive and inclusive school policies such as comprehensive anti-bullying, harassment, and supportive transgender and non-binary student policies, that we support GSAs, that we provide professional development for school staff on LGBTQ plus student issues, and that we increase student access to LGBTQ plus inclusive curricular resources. Finally, we want to introduce you to a community ally in this cause, Envision U. Envision U is a Boulder-based non-profit that seeks to close gaps in behavioral health outcomes for LGBTQ plus individuals. They do this through co-created community programming, advocacy engagement, public awareness campaigns, and evidence-based training. I recently attended their Q is for Questioning training, a series of three interactive workshops led by licensed clinicians and community members. These workshops provide adults with education on LGBTQ plus identity and mental health. Participants receive tools and resources to better support and affirm the LGBTQ plus youth in their lives. Envision U also has programs to connect students with queer-friendly resources. These resources include the U Flourish site. This is a mobile app of trusted networks of peers, wellness resources, and professional mental health resources. They also provide LGBTQ plus behavior health training for mental health professionals. They provide a webpage summary of public policy efforts, including advocacy and Colorado bills to influence policies. They provide the state of the state survey. This is a report on LGBTQ plus mental health in Colorado. They also have an intersectionality initiative called IDEA, which stands for Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility. Finally, they recommend LGBTQ plus friendly recovery resources for addiction, such as Joy as Resistance and Purple Mountain Recovery. We hope this presentation empowers you, the caring adults in these kiddos' lives, to be the affirming adults they will need to thrive in school, at home, and beyond. We hope this toolkit helps your mental health team connect LGBTQ plus students with all the resources they need and may not be getting at home. Their well-being and their lives depend upon it. We have the power to help. Together we can make a world of difference in these young people's lives. In closing, we would like to leave you with the words of Brittany, whose story shows how professionals can help foster positive mental health outcomes for LGBTQ plus youth. We encourage you to watch the whole video following this presentation for a deeper context and inspiration to support our LGBTQ plus youth.