Focal Point, Volume 05 Number 02
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Portland State University PDXScholar Focal Point School of Social Work Spring 1991 Focal Point, Volume 05 Number 02 Portland State University. Regional Research Institute Follow this and additional works at: https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/ssw_focalpoint Part of the Social Policy Commons, Social Welfare Commons, and the Social Work Commons Let us know how access to this document benefits ou.y Recommended Citation Portland State University. Regional Research Institute, "Focal Point, Volume 05 Number 02" (1991). Focal Point. 11. https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/ssw_focalpoint/11 This Book is brought to you for free and open access. It has been accepted for inclusion in Focal Point by an authorized administrator of PDXScholar. Please contact us if we can make this document more accessible: [email protected]. SPRING/SUMMER 1991 SERVING LESBIAN & GAY YOUTH n this issue ofFocal Point we address the special needs rejection, violence, school failure, and substance abuse. of lesbian and gay youth and their families. The United I States Department ofHealth and Human Services' 1989 DEMOGRAPlllcS Reporto!theSecretary's TaskForce on Youth Suicide defines Estimates on the prevalence of homosexuality among gay and lesbian youth as those who have a primary attraction adolescents vary widely. A key factor contributing to the to members of the same sex for intimate and sexual relation difficulty in identifying lesbian or gay youth are efforts to ships (4). A variety of explanations equate homosexual behavior with a have been offered to describe the ori homosexual sexual orientation (9). gins of individual sexual orientation. Within gay and lesbian communities it While homosexualitymay involve both is widely believed that approximately elements of nature and nurture, the ten percent ofthe population is homo origins of sexual orientation are gener sexual. ally believed to be established during "Project 10" described at page 9 is early childhood (1). an example of this widely held senti While lesbian and gay youth re ment. Adoption of the ten percent es ceive services from multiple systems timate suggests that approximately 24 including mental health, education, million Americans are gay or lesbian. child welfare, juvenile justice, and Of that number, approximately 4 mil health, historically, these service pro lion are youth ages fourteen through viders have neither identified nor ad twenty-four. Ifapproximately ten per dressed the special needs of this centofthe population is lesbian or gay, population. Most schools and other almost one-third of the population is youth-serving agencies do not have either homosexual or closely related to policies, programming, or staff train someone who is homosexual. ing designed to address the needs of sexual minority youth. COMING OUT Most gay and lesbian youth emerge Gay and lesbian youth pass through as healthy adults from the struggles a number of stages as they "come out associated with adjusting to a stigmatized minority status; of the closet." While the tasks of coming out parallel the however, their journey is often lonely, uncharted, and unsup developmental tasks ofadolescence~tablishing a personal ported by families, friends, neighbors, service providers and identity, and developing self-esteem and the socialization others. The difficulties these youth encounter may expose skills needed to maintain friendships and intimate relation them to serious depression, suicide, social isolation, family ships-thereis a continuous process of negotiating whether to The Bulletin of the Research• and Training Center on Family Support and Children's Mental Health VOLUME 5• NUMBER 2 • SERVING LESBIAN & GAYYoum CONf. These youth often experience two types of prejudice-racism and homophobia (an irrational fear or hatred of gay and disclose and riskharassment or other discrimination or whether lesbian people) (13). They may experience discrimination to remain hidden and subject to the false assumption of within the dominant culture because oftheir race and sexual heterosexuality (3, to). Coming out is an ever widening orientation and within lesbian and gay communities because process of acknowledging sexual orientation, first, to oneself of their race or ethnicity . and then to friends, family, classmates and others (3). Morales (1990) notes that living as a minority within a minority can lead to increased feelings of isolation, depres RACIAL AND ETHNIC MINORITY YOUTH sion and anger due to the fear of being separated from their Lesbian and gay youth ofcolor (African-American, Asian various support systems (7). Moreover, Morales states that American/Pacific Islander, Hispanic-American, Native attempting to integrate the various aspects of one's life American and Alaska Natives) live within at least three "requires a constant effort to maintain oneself in three differ communities: (a) their ethnic minority community; (b) the ent worlds, each of which fails to support significant aspects gay and lesbian community; and (c) the majority community. of a person's life." Racial and ethnic sexual minorities may RESEARCH AND TRAINING Families as Allies Project Denise Nelson CENTER Neal DeChillo, D.S.W., Principal Investigator E. Darey Shell, B.S. Regional Research Institute for Human Services Richard W. Vosler-Hunter, M.S.W. linda Tauber, B.A. Portland State University Katie S. Yoakum, B.S. Holly Winzulk, B.S. P.O. Box 751 Portland, Oregon 97207-0751 Families In Action Project GRADUATE SCHOOL OF SOCIAL WORK (503) 725-4040 Nancy M. Koroloff, Ph.D., Principal Investigator James H. Ward, Ph.D., Dean National Clearinghouse Richard W. Vosler-Hunter, M.S.W. (800) 628-1696 James L Mason, B.S. REGIONAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE FOR TOD (503) 725-4165 HUMAN SERVICES Empowering Families: A Policy Analysis William H. Feyerherm, Ph.D., Director Copyright © 1991 by Regional Research Institute John Poertner, D.S.W. NATIONAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE for Human Services. All rights reserved. Inter-Professional Education Project Penrussion to reproduce articles may be obtained Mary Hoyt, M.S. W., Cbair, Special Assistant to the Bamara J. Friesen, Ph.D., Principal Investigator Administrator, Oregon Children's Services Division by contacting the editor. Neil DeChillo, D.S.W. Danny Amrine, J.D., Tulsa, Oklahoma The Research and Training Center was Richard W. Vosler-Hunter, M.S.W. established in 1984 with funding from the Katie S. Yoakum, B.S. Richard Angell, M.D., Department of Psychiatry, Oregon Health Sciences University National Institute on Disability and Rehabilita Statewide Family Organization tion Research (NIDRR) in collaboration with the Demonstration Project William Anthony, Ph.D., Center for Rehabilitation National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). The Bamara J. Friesen, Ph.D., Co-Principal Investigator Research and Training in Mental Health, Boston content of this publication does not necessarily Nancy M. Koroloff, Ph.D., University reflect the views or policies of the funding Co-Principal Investigator agencies. William Arroyo, M.D., Assistant Director, Child! Harold Briggs, Ph.D. Adolescent Psychiatry, Los Angeles County We invite ouraudUnce 10 submit ktters and Kathy Richards, B.A. USC Medical Center comments. Case Management Project Marva Benjamin, M.S.W., CASSP Technical RESEARCH AND TRAINING CENTER Bamara J. Friesen, Ph.D., Principal Investigator Assistance Center, Georgetown University Batbara J. Friesen, Ph.D., Center Directoc John Poertner, D.S. W., Co-Principal Investigator Beth Dague, Stalk County Mental Health Board, Paul E. Koren, Ph.D., Director of Research Katie S. Yoakum, B.S. Canton, Ohio Richard W. Vosler-Hunter, M.S.W., Director of Training Resource Service and National Clearinghouse on Betsy Bulke, Ph.D., Chief, Special Populations, Family Support and Children's California State Department of Mental Health Family Caregiver Survey Mental Health Glenda Fine, Parents Involved Netwolk, Mental Thomas P. McDonald, Ph.D., Marilyn C. McManus, J.D., M.S.W., Manager Health Association of Southeast Pennsylvania Principal Investigator Colleen Wagner, B.S., Family Resource Coordinator Paul E. Koren, Ph.D., Co-Principal Investigator Denise Schmit, Publications Coordinator Bud Fredericks, Ed.D., Teaching Research, Inc., Richard Donner, M.S.W. Bamara Huff, Family Support Specialist Western Oregon State College Katie S. Yoakum, B.S Multicultural Initiative Project Paula Goldberg, PACER Center, Inc., Minneapolis, William H. Feyerherm, Ph.D., Focal Point Minnesota Principal Investigator Marilyn C. McManus, J.D., M.S.W., Editor Jody Lubrecht, Ph.D., Mental Health Project James L Mason, B.S., Project Manager Manager, Idaho Department of Health and Welfare Terry L Cross, M.S.W. Center Associates Shauna Adams, B.S. Brenda Lyles, Ph.D., Houston, Texas Supporting Families: A Strengths Model Monica Beemer, B.A. Phyllis Magrab, Ph.D., Director, Child Develop John Poertner, D.S.W., Principal Investigator Viki Bigler ment Center, Georgetown University Marilyn Page, M.S. W. Kathy Braker, B.S. Teresa Early Larry Platt, M.D., Office of the Regional Health Shad Jessen Administration, U.S. Public Health Services, Tina Landroche, B.A. Region IX Judith A. Mayer, B.S.N. 2 FOCAL POINT Spring/Summer 1991 • experience particular difficulties in their efforts to "come herfrom others rather than to confrontthe issues. The Gay and out" to their families (11). Lesbian Adolescent Social Services (GLASS) group home facilities and foster family programs described at pages 7 and ISOLATION, DEPRESSION, AND SUICIDE 8 demonstrate one community's response