The Implementing Inclusion Desk Guide looks at lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning (LGBTQ or queer) youth from attachment and positive youth development perspectives. The desk guide also offers insight into the experiences of asexual youth, youth with developmental disabilities, and queer youth of color. Because every organization’s understanding of LGBTQ youth issues is different,
Implementing Inclusion offers a wide range of interventions. From Baseline Necessities such as safety and cultural competence to more nuanced suggestions such as creating a targeted campaign, this desk guide has recommendations that fit any organization. This section includes tips on how organizations can improve their practices and facilities to best help LGBTQ homeless youth. No matter the type of service, the Implementing Inclusion Desk Guide offers practical recommendations that every agency can easily integrate into its practices in order to best serve queer youth. The Implementing Inclusion Training provides youth service providers with a comprehensive training about lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning (LGBTQ or queer) youth issues and ways they can improve their services. The training is divided into two parts and begins by establishing a baseline understanding of terminology and issues. This half of the training uses experiential techniques to develop youth worker’s sensitivity to the challenges faced by queer youth and role plays to help youth workers learn empathy for LGBTQ youth. The second half of the Implementing Inclusion Training provides youth service providers with practical tools they can easily incorporate to improve their services for queer youth. The tools are taken directly from the Implementing Inclusion Desk Guide and tweaked to fit every organization’s needs. At the end of the day, youth workers and organization administrators will not only walk away with a better understanding of queer youth issues, but ideas and tools they can easily implement to better serve LGBTQ youth.
