Supportive families, healthy children: Helping families with lesbian, gay, bisexual & transgender (LGBT) children

Developed by the Family Acceptance Project (FAP) at SF State University, the Supportive Families, Healthy Children: Helping Families with Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Children booklet is a research-derived resource that educates diverse families on how to support their LGBT children; provides key prevention information for a range of readers; and teaches providers how to talk with families about decreasing risk for suicidality and related risks among LGBT youth and young adults. The booklet includes family stories and lists of specific accepting and rejecting behaviors that FAP research has shown to be significantly related to suicidal behavior. The booklet presents research results and recommendations to decrease risk and promote well-being for LGBT youth and young adults in an easy-to-read and easy-to-understand style for families from a range of backgrounds, including diverse religious backgrounds, with a version for Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon) families.

The Supportive Families, Healthy Children booklet was created with guidance from over 100 ethnically, socially and religiously diverse families with LGBT children, diverse LGBT youth, and their health, mental health and social service providers, with the help of multi-cultural literacy specialists. The English version and cultural translations of the booklet in Spanish and Chinese were piloted with ethnically diverse families, who provided guidance and feedback.

Objective:

Those who read the Supportive Families, Healthy Children booklet will have:

1. Increased awareness of how to support LGBT children, youth and young adults.
2. Increased knowledge of the relationship between specific family accepting and rejecting behaviors during adolescence and the health, mental health and well-being of LGBT young adults, including suicidality, depression, substance use and sexual health risks.
3. Increased knowledge of how to talk with parents, foster parents and caregivers about decreasing an LGBT adolescent’s risk for suicide and related-health risks and promoting their well-being (for providers).
4. Increased basic knowledge about sexual orientation and gender identity in children and adolescents.

Implementation Essential:

Information about local services and resources should be included when disseminating the Supportive Families, Healthy Children booklet.