Resources

Below are some available resources for youth and professionals working with LGBTQ+ Youth.

• An Online Support Group for LGBTQ+ Families - In this support group for LGBTQ+ families, led by C.A.S.E. training specialist Tony Hynes and C.A.S.E. therapist Regi Corbie, LCMFT, you will have the opportunity to talk about the challenges you and your family may be going through, while receiving support from professionals with lived experience in LGBTQ+ households. Meeting dates: 10/24/24, 11/21/24, 12/19/24, 1/16/25, 2/20/25, 3/20/25, 4/17/25, 5/15/25, 6/19/25, 7/17/25, 8/21/25
• Family Urgent Response System (FURS) - FURS is a coordinated statewide, regional, and county-level system designed to provide collaborative and timely state-level phone-based response and county-level in-home, in-person mobile response during situations of instability, to preserve the relationship of the caregiver and the child or youth.
• Questions to ask when inquiring about SOGIE - Tip sheet regarding Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, and Gender Expression.
• LGBTQ+ Mental Health Resources - The Trevor Project offers several resources supporting the mental health of LGBTQ+ young people, including self-care guides and articles regarding mental wellness.
• LGBTQ+ Community Resources - The Trevor Project offers several resources for members and allies of the LGBTQ community, including self-care guides, educational articles for parents and supportive adults, and other informational pieces regarding LGBTQ young people facing homelessness, creating safe spaces in schools, and developing healthy relationships.
• Resources about Gender Identity - The Trevor Project offers several resources for members and allies of the LGBTQ community, including articles about understanding gender identity and the gender spectrum and guides for supporting transgender and non-binary young people.
• Foster Youth Bill of Rights - The complete list of foster youth rights.
• The National SOGIE Center - The National Center for Youth with Diverse Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity & Expression (The National SOGIE Center), provides a centralized site for accessing resources on providing culturally responsive care to children, youth, young adults with diverse sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression (SOGIE) and their families across systems, including child welfare, juvenile justice, mental health (including school mental health), substance use systems, and housing and homelessness.
• National Native Children’s Trauma Center: Trauma-informed training, prevention, and healing resources for Tribal communities, schools, families, youth, child welfare and juvenile justice, and other youth-serving organizations.
• True Colors United: Resources for LGBTQ+ youth experiencing homelessness.
• Queer & Now Toolkit from Advocates for Youth - Subscribe to access comprehensive resources for professionals to work with and support LGBTQ+ youth.
• Trevor Space: Peer support groups for LGBTQ youth.
• Trans Youth Online Talk Group: A weekly support group for trans youth.
• Language Guidance related to sexual orientation, gender identity, and expression (SOGIE) as a resource for behavioral health practitioners to better understand the most recent language used in LGBTQ+ communities.
• Suicide Prevention Among LGBTQ+ Youth Fact Sheet 2023
• National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty, 4 Ways you Can Prepare to Safely Access Housing Services
• The California LGBTQ Health and Human Services Network offers resources for the LGBTQ community.
• LGBT National Help Center offers a 24/7 hotline as well as dedicated chats for LGBT youth. 
• Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (SOGIE) Terms and Definitions
• SOGIE Quick Tips
• The Community Care Licensing Division’s SOGIE Resource Guide for Children's Residential Program Licensees and Caregivers
• Technical Support Program Resource Guides for Providers
• LGBTQ and Addiction

SOGIE Training

• Catalyst Center: SOGIE Everything you need to know about serving LGBTQ+ youth.

User must register for a free account to get access to the free course. 

This course will take a deep dive into the difference between Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Expression (SOGIE), with a particular attention to SOGIEs outside the binary. It will discuss how internal bias can impact the well-being of LGBTQ+ in out of home care. This session will also address California’s child welfare policies regarding the well-being of LGBTQ+ youth in care and provide practical strategies and tips on how to best implement those regulations. It will provide statistics around the prevalence of suicide and self-harm behavior among LGBTQ+ youth. These statistics will inform why it is so important to use the correct pronoun and name that a youth has chosen. Participants will be introduced to neo pronouns. It will also provide practical tips on how to have conversations with youth around their SOGIE. This course will discuss the mental and physical health of LGBTQ+ youth, as well as the intersection of SOGIE and race.

Upon completion of this course participants will be able to:

• Describe the difference between Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Expression.
• Describe how gender is a construct.
• List CCL regulations pertaining to LGBTQ+ youth in out of home care.
• Understand how to maintain confidentiality around SOGIE.
• Learn how to implement placing transgender and nonbinary youth according to their gender identity and mitigate roommate issues.
• Understand how to have conversation around SOGIE with staff and youth to make your programs affirming for all children.
• Describe tangible examples to maintain confidentiality around SOGIE.
• Describe how to have conversations around SOGIE with staff and youth to make your programs affirming for all children.
• Define the importance of using the proper pronouns with transgender and nonbinary youth.
• List at least 5 of the many pronouns and how to use them.
• Describe how the child welfare system negatively impacts LGBTQ+ youth of color and its impact.
• List resources given to support families of LGBTQ+ youth.