Family Pride Initiative: Family Counseling and Support for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer/Questioning and Intersex+ (LGBTQI+) Youth and their Families - Family Pride Initiative is a collaboration between the University of Arizona Southwest Institute on Women (SIROW-applicant agency), the Southern Arizona AIDS Foundation (SAAF), Charlie Health, Palo Verde Behavioral Health and University of Arizona Professor of Family Studies and Human Development, Russ Toomey. The Family Pride Initiative is a SAMSHA funded grant for Family Counseling and Support for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer/Questioning, and Intersex+(LGBTQI+) Youth and their Families. (Short Title: LGBTQI+ Family Support). The proposed Family Pride Initiative aims to reduce disparities and improve outcomes for LGBTQI+ youth in Tucson and southern Arizona by strengthening supports for caregivers, families, and providers. The program will educate caregivers using evidence-based practices AFFIRM or the Family Acceptance Project. Counselors and their supervisors will obtain training on LGBTQI+ best practices and resources including the previously mentioned evidence-based practices. The community as a whole will receive education and support through media campaigns including media outlets, social media, and online resources. Our behavioral health collaborators will provide individual and family counseling to youth and families needed access to behavioral health or help supporting LGBTQI+ youth.
