Collaborative Mentoring Webinar Series

Making Mentoring Programs Safe and Welcoming For LGBTQ Youth

May 21, 2015 2015 Collaborative Mentoring Webinar Series Planning Team

Collaborative Mentoring Webinar Series Good to Know…

After the webinar, all attendees receive:

. Instructions for how to access PDF of presentation slides and webinar recording

. Link to the Collaborative Mentoring Webinar Series webpage, where all slides, recordings, and resources are posted.

Please help us out by answering survey questions at the end of the webinar.

Collaborative Mentoring Webinar Series Participate in Today’s Webinar

• All attendees muted for best sound • Type questions and comments in the question box • With 100’s of participants, only a handful of questions will be answered. Please be patient! • Respond to polls • Who is with us today?

Collaborative Mentoring Webinar Series Q&A for all Panelists

Type your questions in the question box:

Collaborative Mentoring Webinar Series Today’s Webinar

• Dr. Christian Rummell, American Institutes for Research

• Leslie Chudnovsky, Supporting Our Youth Mentoring Program (SOY)

Q & A throughout the presentation (use the Q & A panel)

Collaborative Mentoring Webinar Series Dr. Christian Rummell

Research • Senior Researcher, American Institutes for Research (www.AIR.org)

Training/Technical Assistance • Director of Training and Technical Assistance, MENTOR

Program Management • Program Director, “I Have a Dream” Foundation-- Oregon

Collaborative Mentoring Webinar Series Leslie Chudnovsky

Coordinator of CLICK Mentoring Program, Supporting Our Youth (SOY), , Canada • Leading CLICK since it’s inception in 2009

Building connections across generations of LGBT youth and adults

Experience • 30 years working as a counsellor, group facilitator, advocate and community developer

Collaborative Mentoring Webinar Series Session Goals

To raise awareness To learn about about challenges and research that informs struggles that LGBT about providing youth face services to LGBT youth

To examine real world To gain insight into challenges you might inclusive program face in your program practices

Collaborative Mentoring Webinar Series Definitions

Homosexual Bisexual Clinical term to describe A preferred synonym for women who are homosexual Someone who has romantic and individuals that have romantic (Mentoring Tactics, 2005) sexual attraction directed at and sexual attractions to people both genders (Mentoring Tactics, 2005) of the same sex (Mentoring Tactics, 2005)

Gay Queer Questioning Preferred synonym for A term used for individiuals that homosexual. is typically An umbrella term used by LGBT are still navigating through the used to describe men who are people. Term was pejorative but process of understanding , homosexual, but the term can is now “owned” by the accepting, and sharing identity be used for women community (Mentoring Tactics, 2005) (Mentoring Tactics, 2005) and/or orientation

Collaborative Mentoring Webinar Series 9 Definitions

Intersex Used to describe a variety of When a psychological self differs from conditions in which a person is born the social expectations of the physical sex with reproductive or sexual anatomy a person was born with (SMYAL, 2000) that do not seem to fit the typical definitions of male or female (isna.org)

Gender Identity Sexual Orientation: person’s emotional, sexual, and/or romantic attraction to others. Refers to whether a person identifies as male This can include attraction to people of the opposite or female, regardless of that person’s sex/gender (heterosexual), the same sex/ gender biological sex (SMYAL, 2000) (gay/lesbian), or multiple sexes/ genders (bisexual).

Collaborative Mentoring Webinar Series 1 0 Sexual Orientation

A same-sex sexual orientation Does NOT need to be “cured” or altered. American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Counseling Association, the American Psychiatric Association, the American Psychological Association, the American School Counselor Association, and the National Association of School Psychologists

Collaborative Mentoring Webinar Series Climate

Homophobia Heterosexism Transphobia

• The discomfort • Institutionalized and • The irrational fear of cultural homophobia: those who are one feels with any the legitimization of behavior, belief, or gender diverse prejudice on the basis and/or the inability attitude that does of non-heterosexual to deal with gender not conform to orientation through overt social practices ambiguity. traditional sex- (lgbtcenter.ucdavis. Edu) and systems and covert role stereotypes. social mores and (Jucovy, 2000) customs

• (Brown and Colbourne, 2005)

Collaborative Mentoring Webinar Series What do LGBT youth look like?

Collaborative Mentoring Webinar Series 1 3 The Mentoring Gap: LGBT Youth

• 46 million youth in US •3.2 million LGBTQ • 24 million youth The youth in US that could •1.3 million will not The benefit LGBTQ have a formal Mentoring • 9 million will Youth mentor (e.g., BBBS not have a programs) Gap: Mentoring (Mallory, Sears, et. al., 2014) mentor (Bruce & Bridgeland, 2014) Gap:

Collaborative Mentoring Webinar Series 1 4 Challenges: School Climate

GLSEN Climate Survey 2013 74% of LGBT students were verbally harassed • 7,898 students between the ages of 13 and 21. • From all 50 states and the 55% of LGBT student District of Columbia felt unsafe due to • Students were in grades 6 to 12, sexual orientation with the largest numbers in grades 10 and 11.

28% of students reported being disciplined for public displays of affection Trends: “getting better” but…

Collaborative Mentoring Webinar Series Challenges: Juvenile Justice

• Approximately 300,000 gay and transgender youth are arrested and/or detained each year • Comprise 13-15% of youth involved in the juvenile justice system.

• Pipeline that leads from school The Unfair Criminalization of Gay and Transgender Youth: An Overview of the and family rejection to being Experiences of LGBT Youth system involved. in the Juvenile Justice System By Jerome Hunt and Aisha Moodie-Mills June 29, 2012

Collaborative Mentoring Webinar Series 1 6 Challenges: Homelessness

• Up to 40% of homeless youth are LGBT • Many of which have left difficult home situations

(National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, 2007)

Collaborative Mentoring Webinar Series Challenges: Mental & Physical Health HIV • 1 in 4 individuals that are infected with HIV is a young person between the ages of 13-24 • Over 50% of these infections are among gay and bisexual males • Most youth not getting tested • African American gay/bisexual males at highest risk Factsheet, Vital Signs, CDC 2012

Collaborative Mentoring Webinar Series Challenges: Mental & Physical Health

Drug and Alcohol Use Meth Use Ever . More likely to use Admitted Use in Last Year cocaine 25.00% 20.00% Heterosexual . 15.00% Early initiation of drug 10.00% and alcohol use 5.00% Gay/Lesbian 0.00% Bisexual . Engaged in high-risk sexual behaviors than Not sure straight peers (Garofalo et al., 1998) (CDC, 2011)

Collaborative Mentoring Webinar Series Challenges: Mental & Physical Health

28% self-reported Heterosexual suicide attempt (6.5%) Gay/Lesbian (25%)

Attempts Past 12 Months Attempts 12 Past Bisexual (28%) Suicide and Suicidal Ideation Suicidal Suicide and Not sure (18.5%) (Ramafedi, 1998) (CDC, 2011)

Collaborative Mentoring Webinar Series Challenges: Transgender Youth

100% Physically attacked 80% Sexually harassed at 60% school Feeling unsafe at School 40%

20% Verbally harassed

0% Being a victim of assault Percent of Transgender Youth

Collaborative Mentoring Webinar Series Barrier to Support: Social Interaction Anxiety

• Characterized as “fear of initiating and maintaining social conversations and interactions with others”

• Barrier to receiving support that is available to them

Collaborative Mentoring Webinar Series Collaborative Mentoring Webinar Series

Q & A Type your questions into the Question Panel. We will try to answer as many as we can! Mentoring Makes a Difference

Toronto, Canada

Collaborative Mentoring Webinar Series2 4 SOY: Program Overview

• Supporting Our Youth (SOY) works with an anti oppression framework to create “ SOY is a place like no opportunities for LGBTTQ youth other. It is a safe haven for 14-29 years of age, and adults to youth who need a safe build an inclusive welcoming space to be themselves…It community together. provides a place for • SOY develops programs and growing and learning about initiatives that build skills and yourself and the capacities, provides mentoring community. It enriches the and supports and nurtures a lives of the youth who are sense of identity and belonging. part if it.” • SOY’s goal is to support the Vanessa, 20 health and well being of all queer and trans youth.

Collaborative Mentoring Webinar Series 2 5 SOY: Program Overview

• CLICK, SOY’S Mentoring Program, connects LGBTTQ youth to safe, out, volunteer mentors from the community. – Mentors are queer and trans ‘big brothers and sisters’ who help youth explore questions of identity, sexuality and community. – Mentors provide encouragement, support and a non judgmental listening ear for youth to talk about family, friends, relationships,

school and anything else important to them..

Collaborative Mentoring Webinar Series 2 6 SOY: Program Overview

“ The Monday night drop-in • Monday Night Drop-in is the first space I have – Geared to the needs of street come to where I feel like I involved LGBTTQ youth. truly belong. I have learned – Mentors works alongside staff to create a fun and safe so much about my space for socializing, learning community from the and relaxing. mentors and other youth – Mentors and Mentees share and my sense of pride just a home cooked meal. keeps growing.” Ryan, 21

Collaborative Mentoring Webinar Series 2 7 Scenario 1

You run a mentoring program serving middle school youth. The focus of your activity is year round indoor soccer. You:  Don’t know of any kids who are openly gay in your program.  Hear gender-based teasing and inappropriate language – but it isn’t focused on a particular youth.  Haven’t done anything “special” to address LGBTTQ youth needs, because that is not the focus of your program.

Collaborative Mentoring Webinar Series 2 8 LGBT Youth: Invisible but Present

Gay Youth Lesbian Youth

Report same-sex feelings at age Report same-sex feelings at age 10 11

Begin to self-label at age 15 Begin to self-label at age 16

First disclose their sexuality to First disclose sexuality to others at age 17 others at age 17

(D’augelli, 2006)

Collaborative Mentoring Webinar Series Creating Inclusive Climate

Intake should include: • Policy Statement: Describe who the program serves. – Our program welcomes all youth regardless of religious beliefs, ethnic background, gender identity, sexual orientation etc. • Statement of Inclusion Policy – All participants have the right to feel safe and included. We aim to create a space that is free of discrimination where everyone feels comfortable being themselves and participating fully without fear of being teased, attacked, or excluded. • Intake form questions – Provide opportunities for youth to paint a picture of themselves that includes whatever is important to them about their identity.

Collaborative Mentoring Webinar Series 3 0 Important to Do: Inclusive Climate

Consciously promote your Display images of LGBTT program to organizations youth in your offices Display “Safe Space” sign and that serve LGBTT youth including posters, brochures, ‘respect agreement’ (potential participants) and books etc. adults (potential volunteers)

Ensure intake forms provide opportunities for youth to Use inclusive language eg: Be prepared to respond to define themselves eg: instead asking a youth if they have a questions from parents about of having only ‘male’ and partner rather than a being inclusive of LGBTT ‘female’ categories add a boyfriend or girlfriend youth third option ‘other’

Collaborative Mentoring Webinar Series 3 1 Important to Do: Climate

Collaborative Mentoring Webinar Series 3 2 Important to Do: Climate

Collaborative Mentoring Webinar Series3 3 Scenario 2

You run a mentoring program serving middle school youth. The focus of your activity is year round indoor soccer.

• You’ve just enrolled a mentee who is gay and wants to be open about it.

Collaborative Mentoring Webinar Series 3 4 LGBT Adult/LGBT Youth Mentoring can be Beneficial Benefits to Relationships Unique Support for Identity Development “I guess our relationship Different from Introduction to has a lot to do with peer, online, and resources in LGBT group models of relationships themselves community and how to identify like support when you are in lust or Access to new peer when you are in love or Support for dating relationships how do you find somebody? How do you trust somebody?” Support for sharing Daniel, Gay Mentor Matched with Queer more about Mentee (at 17 months into mentoring identity with family relationship)

Collaborative Mentoring Webinar Series Important to Do:

Acknowledge youth’s courage Ensure that program recruits Ask LGBT youth if they’d like for coming out to you and let LGBT mentors and staff as to be matched with an LGBT them know they have your part of commitment to mentor or not. Don’t assume support and organizational diversity either way. support.

Ensure staff and volunteers Display ‘Safe space’ and anti- are comfortable and Create activities that homophobia and anti committed to challenging promote understanding transphobia educational homophobic and transphobic amongst diverse youth posters and other materials remarks and actions

Collaborative Mentoring Webinar Series 3 6 Hiring and Volunteer Recruitment

Develop anti- Educate staff on issues discrimination Recruit LGBTQ Volunteers facing LGBTQ youth & Inclusion policies

Provide volunteer training on issues facing LGBTQ Provide gender neutral youth washrooms whenever Provide trans youth possible specific training

Collaborative Mentoring Webinar Series 3 7 Collaborative Mentoring Webinar Series

Q & A Type your questions into the Question Panel. We will try to answer as many as we can! Additional Resources

American Institutes for Research: Standards of Care for LGBT Youth : http://www.air.org/resource/standards-care-lgbt-youth

Gay Lesbian Straight Education Network (GLSEN) http://www.glsen.org/

Gay Straight Alliance Network https://unite.gsanetwork.org/

Family Acceptance Project http://familyproject.sfsu.edu/

Centers for Disease Control http://www.cdc.gov/lgbthealth/youth.htm

Trans Youth Family Allies http://www.imatyfa.org/

Mentoring Programs

SOY http://www.soytoronto.org/mentoring.html True Colors http://www.ourtruecolors.org/

Collaborative Mentoring Webinar Series Additional Resources

National Mentoring Resource Center Apply for no-cost help for your mentoring program www.nationalmentoringresourcecenter.org

Mentoring Connector Recruit mentors by submitting your program to the Mentoring Connector (previously called the VRS) https://connect.mentoring.org/admin

Collaborative Mentoring Webinar Series Remember…

After the webinar: . Please help us out by answering survey questions at the end of the webinar.

. Everyone will get an email with information on how to download the slides, recording, and resources on the CMWS webpage on the MENTOR website:

http://www.mentoring.org/program_resources/training_ opportunities/collaborative_mentoring_webinar_series/

Collaborative Mentoring Webinar Series Stay Connected

• Email us at [email protected] • Tweet with hashtag #MentoringWebinar • Visit our webpage on the MENTOR website for past and upcoming webinars:

Collaborative Mentoring Webinar Series Join Us Next Month

“They always come, and they never say goodbye:” Healthy Closure in Mentoring Thursday, June 18, 2015 – 1-2:15 p.m. ET

Collaborative Mentoring Webinar Series