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June 2015Vol. 16, No. 5Creating Safe Environments for Traumatized LGBTQ Youth

The National Child Traumatic Stress Network developed a training video for professionals on how to create a welcoming environment for traumatized lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (LGBTQ) youth. The video features interviews with LGBTQ youth who have experienced trauma, how trauma has impacted their lives both mentally and physically, and what factors they consider when seeking support services. The video also consults professionals specialized in working with traumatized LGBTQ youth.

Professionals are encouraged to use the supplementary video resource guide to facilitate discussion on how professionals and organizations can become more LGBTQ friendly. The resource guide breaks the video into four sections: basic concepts, assessing program capacity, creating a safe and affirming environment, and taking action. Each section provides a list of questions professionals and organizations can discuss to reach their goal of fostering a safe space for LGBTQ youth.

Access the video Safe Spaces. Safe Places: Creating Welcoming and Inclusive Environments for Traumatized LGBTQ Youth at http://www.nctsn.org/products/nctsn-safe-places-video and the resource guide at http://www.nctsn.org/sites/default/files/assets/pdfs/spss_resource_guide.pdf (531 KB).