Supporting Safe and Healthy Schools for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ) Students (3 CE)

Course Level: Intermediate

This course is for: Social Workers, Psychologists, Counselors and Graduate Students

Course By: Helen Hinton, LPCC

Content By: GLSEN, ASCA, ACSSW, & SSWAA. (2019). Supporting safe and healthy schools for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer students: A national survey of school counselors, social workers, and psychologists. New York: GLSEN.

Course Description: School Mental Health Professionals (SMHPs) are aware that lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) students endure greater challenges in comparison to non-LGBTQ students. Specifically, SMHPs acknowledge that LBGTQ students frequently endure bullying, bias, and harassment. Many SMHPs report LGBTQ-affirming beliefs and attitudes, commensurate with a willingness to provide LGBTQ-services in their school communities. However, most of these professionals have also acknowledged that they lack the necessary education, training, and confidence that is necessary for effectively working with this population. The Supporting Safe and Healthy Schools (SSHS) study is conducted in partnership with the American Council for School Social Work (ACSSW), the American School Counselor Association (ASCA), and the School Social Work Association of America (SSWAA). Members of these organizations collaborate to examine the perspectives, efforts, and challenges that SMHPs struggle with. Thereafter, they provide feedback and guidance to SMHPs in response to identified issues.

Learning Objectives:

1. Understand the key findings that were derived from the Supporting Safe and Healthy Schools (SSHS) study regarding perspectives, efforts, and challenges that SMHPs encounter in relation to their ability to support LGBTQ students
2. Identify SMHPs perspectives concerning perceptions of LGBTQ students’ safety in an academic setting
3. Recognize the SMHPs’ level of preparedness, and degree of self-efficacy, in relation to providing a full array of services to LGBTQ students

4.Understand feasible approaches for addressing the gap between SMHPs’ willingness to provide, versus their ability to provide, LGBTQ-sensitive services

5. Understand recommendations for school counselors, school social workers, and school psychologists who provide services that address the needs of LGBTQ students

Course Outline:

• Read and understand Supporting Safe and Healthy Schools for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Students: A National Survey of School Counselors, Social workers, and Psychologists
• Read and review the Course Description and Learning Objectives
• Consider challenges and obstacles that SMHP’s encounter when working with LBGTQ students
• Work through the post-test questions; bear in mind that answer selections should be derived from the respective journal article
• Return to the referenced article for any missed questions, or to review related treatment approaches and recommendations specified for use when working with this population

Approvals: