Increasing Family Support for LGBTQ Students to Reduce Risk & Promote Well-Being

Monterey County Rainbow Connections
A Family Acceptance Project® Training

Increasing Family Support for LGBTQ Students to Reduce Risk & Promote Well-Being

May 15 & June 3, 2025
9 am – 1:30 pm PT

4 CE’s Available
The Gender Health Training Institute is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. Gender Health Training Institute maintains responsibility for this program and its content.

Monterey County Rainbow Connections Family Acceptance Project® Trainings on Increasing Family Acceptance & Support for LGBTQ+ Children & Youth

The Family Acceptance Project® (FAP) – in collaboration with Rainbow Connections – is providing an ongoing series of trainings for providers, religious leaders and community members to help diverse families learn to support their LGBTQ+ children to prevent health risks, strengthen families and promote well-being. These include: a foundational trauma-informed training on increasing family support, trainings on implementing FAP’s Family Support Model and trainings for school-based providers, religious leaders, child welfare workers and others to increase family support and decrease risk for LGBTQ+ children and youth.

More than 20 years ago, FAP conducted the first research and developed the first Family Support Model to help racially and religiously diverse families to support their LGBTQ+ children. FAP trainers are affiliated with the National Child Traumatic Stress Network. FAP has provided training for more than 130,000 families, providers, religious leaders, community members and youth.

ABOUT THIS TRAINING:

Critical research from the Family Acceptance Project® (FAP) has shown that family rejection contributes to health risks for LGBTQ youth, including suicidal behavior, depression, illegal drug use and other health risks, while family acceptance helps protect against risk and promotes well-being. The current mental health emergency for children and adolescents has increased the urgent need for support for all students, especially LGBTQ students who are at high risk for victimization, rejection and bullying. This training will discuss FAP’s evidence-based approach to help diverse families to support LGBTQ students in the context of their families, cultures and faith communities, including multilingual resources and strategies to increase family connectedness.

Educational Goal

This training is designed to equip educators and school personnel with the tools and understanding needed to effectively support LGBTQ students and their families.

Grounded in over four decades of research from the Family Acceptance Project®, the training emphasizes the critical role of family acceptance in improving outcomes for LGBTQ youth.

Learning objectives:

By the end of this workshop, participants will be able to:

Discuss the role of family acceptance and rejection of LGBTQ students on their health and well-being
Identify 3 family behaviors that contribute to health risks for LGBTQ students, including suicidality, depression, illegal drug use and HIV and 3 family behaviors that protect against risk and promote well-being
Identify 2 Family Acceptance Project® multilingual resources to help diverse parents and caregivers to decrease risk and increase well-being for LGBTQ students
Describe 2 strategies that schools can use to increase family engagement for LGBTQ students

Presenters

Caitlin Ryan, PhD, ACSW

Caitlin Ryan, PhD, ACSW (her/hers) is a clinical social worker, educator and researcher and director of the Family Acceptance Project® (FAP) at San Francisco State University who has worked on LGBTQ health and mental health for more than 40 years. With her team, Dr. Ryan conducted the first research and developed the first evidence-based family support model to help diverse families to support their LGBTQ children and youth – in the context of their families, cultures and faith traditions. Her work has established the field of family intervention and acceptance for LGBTQ children & youth and is being implemented across systems of care.

Antonia Barba, LCSW

Antonia Barba, LCSW (she/hers) is a consultant, educator and clinician who has worked in the field of community mental health for 20 years. She is a founder and co-chair of the National Child Traumatic Stress Network’s (NCTSN) Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Expression Collaborative Group and has trained extensively on trauma-informed care with LGBTQ+ youth and families. Antonia collaborates with Dr. Caitlin Ryan to provide FAP trainings and to implement FAP’s Family Support Model to help diverse families to prevent health risks and increase well-being for LGBTQ+ children and youth.

4 CE Credits Available

The Gender Health Training Institute is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. Gender Health Training Institute maintains responsibility for this program and its content.