Foster Care Training

With a suicide death every 12.8 minutes and over a million attempts in the United States every year, suicide impacts every community. This is especially true for the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and Questioning youth. Today, more research has shown elevated risk factors specific to these communities due to heterosexist & transphobic abuse that exists in society. LGBTQ+ Affirmative approaches are based on the understanding that LGBTQ+ people are not just tolerated or accepted but instead celebrated for their value in any culture. This perspective is essential for effective services since it challenges many years of hostility inflicted by the dominant culture. Providers familiar with LGBTQ+ Affirmative approaches and Suicide Prevention can improve their effectiveness for helping LGBTQ+ youth increase protective factors and resilience while decreasing risk of suicide attempts and death, particularly for youth in care.