Centerstone’s LGBTQI+ Family Support Program (Family+) will prevent health/behavioral health risks and promote well-being through staff and community trainings on LGBTQI+ competent treatment, outreach/engagement, and non-traditional holistic support activities for an unduplicated total of 230 LGBTQI+ youth and their families residing in Bladen, Cumberland, Hoke, Robeson, Harnett, Lee, Mecklenburg, and Sampson counties, North Carolina (i.e., Y1:60; Y2-3: 85/yr.).
Services will be delivered at Centerstone’s Steven A. Cohen Military Family Clinic in Fayetteville, North Carolina, home to Fort Liberty Army Base (formerly Ft. Bragg), the largest US Army installation, and Pope Air Force Base. Family+ will place a key emphasis on serving focus population youth from among the area's estimated 37,800 children of active duty military members and 82,475 Veteran households with children. Focus population demographics are expected to mirror those of the catchment area: 49% male, 51% female, 46% White, 30% Black/African American, and 15% Hispanic/Latino individuals. An estimated 275,260 area individuals live in poverty, 210,840 did not graduate high school, 230,360 are uninsured, and 220,600 have a disability. Compared to their heterosexual peers, 23% of North Carolina’s LGBT youth report electronic bullying (vs. 10%); 29% don’t go to school/feel unsafe there (vs. 13%); 25% experienced sexual violence (vs. 11%); 68% felt sad/hopeless (vs. 35%); and 48% considered suicide (vs. 15%).
Family+ will implement evidence-based strategies/interventions, including screening/ referral protocols (e.g., SDQ, PHQ, C-SSRS for those under 18; PHQ, GAD, Primary Care Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder [PC PTSD], Quality of Life Enjoyment and Satisfaction Questionnaire [QLES], C-SSRS Recent for 18+; and CRAFFT for ages 12-21) and family counseling interventions (i.e., AFFIRM Cognitive Behavioral Therapy [AFFIRM CBT], Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy [TF- CBT], Emotionally Focused Therapy [EFST], AFFIRM caregiver, Youth Mental Health First Aid [YMHFA]). Family+ goals include: (1) Develop/implement an outreach/engagement plan to connect LGBTQI+ youth and their families with counseling and supports; (2) Develop/implement a public awareness communications plan to engage families of LGBTQI+ youth; (3) Develop/implement screening and referral protocols to identify LGBTQI+ youth and their families needing supports; (4) Identify/coordinate referral pathways with community-based service providers for LGBTQI+ youth referred to the family counseling program; (5) Develop/implement a training and workforce development plan on evidence-based family counseling intervention(s); (6) Implement evidence-based family counseling interventions; (7) Coordinate efforts and access relevant technical assistance (TA) and resources; and (8) Develop/disseminate a thoroughly documented model for replication/adoption. As a result of these goals, Family+ will achieve the following measurable workforce and participant-related objectives: ensure 100% of Family+ staff are culturally competent and trained in EBPs; provide outreach/engagement, non-traditional/holistic supports, and LGBTQI+ affirming interventions for 230 youth and their families; screen/assess 100% of participants and caregivers for behavioral health and/or social determinants of health concerns; triage 100% into appropriate interventions; offer 100% peer/family supports; develop individual treatment/safety plans for 100%; coordinate referrals and/or emergency services for 100% in need; provide case management for 100% in need; train 100 staff/providers in evidence-based interventions and deliver 15 trainings on the impact of trauma; reduce trauma-related mental health symptoms among 60%; increase wellbeing and life quality among 80%; improve family functioning among 50%; achieve 80% retention rate; and achieve care satisfaction among 80%.