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Why We getREAL

Supporting LGBTQ+ Youth of Color in their Communities

All children and their families deserve to thrive, living in communities that promote their safety, health, and happiness. We must remember that we owe all of our children this level of care and support and to achieve this we have to reimagine policies and programs in ways that center and support gender expansive and LGBTQ+ children, youth, their families and communities. This requires recognizing, engaging, affirming, and loving our young people—in short, it requires us to getREAL about what they need to thrive. 

Policymakers play a direct role in shaping the well-being of children, youth, and families through everyday decisions to either strengthen or undermine communities’ ability to provide critical resources, protect rights, and expand opportunities. The first Pride was an uprising, an act of resistance against the policies and practices that sought to erase LGBTQ+ people and deny them safe spaces in community. Today, despite movement forward, LGBTQ+ young people still face opposition and continued threats to their well-being. Our policies and systems still far too often fail to provide the supports LGBTQ+ youth and their families deserve. And over the last several years there are growing threats to the health and well-being of young people—through harmful policy initiatives both nationally and across the states. Part of supporting our children is protecting them from harm, and when the health and happiness of some of our children are at risk, we are putting the health and happiness of all children on the line.

In the following videos, watch CSSP President and CEO Leonard Burton and Senior Fellow Bill Bettencourt discuss a variety of things that are important to authentically show up for LGBTQ+ youth. We invite you to watch and listen as they underscore why we need Pride at all times, highlight the groundbreaking getREAL initiative for LGBTQ+ youth in the child welfare system, and call for critical supports and a focus on community to ensure our young people can grow into healthy adults, loved, and respected for all that they are.

   

FULL VIDEO

In June 2024, CSSP President and CEO Leonard Burton joined Senior Fellow Bill Bettencourt for conversation about how and why we need to show up for LGBTQ+ youth. As part of their conversation, they discussed why we need Pride all year long, highlighted the groundbreaking getREAL initiative, and called for critical supports and a focus on community to ensure our young people can grow into healthy adults, loved, and respected for all that they are.
   

VIDEO SEGMENT

We owe all people safe and affirming spaces that allow them to express their whole selves. This video shares highlights from a conversation between CSSP President and CEO Leonard Burton and Senior Fellow Bill Bettencourt as they discuss the importance of pride and affirmation for LGBTQ+ young people.  
   

VIDEO SEGMENT

The getREAL initiative focuses on true intersectionality—the WHOLE child—and not just pieces of their identity. This video shares highlights from a conversation between CSSP President and CEO Leonard Burton and Senior Fellow Bill Bettencourt as they discuss what is means to getREAL: recognize, engage, affirm, and love LGBTQ+ young people.
   

VIDEO SEGMENT

Every person deserves the right to achieve their optimal health and every child deserves the right to circumstances in which they can thrive. This video shares highlights from a conversation between CSSP President and CEO Leonard Burton and Senior Fellow Bill Bettencourt as they discuss the how and why we need to support the healthy adolescent development of for LGBTQ+ young people to ensure they can grow into healthy adults who are loved, and respected for all that they are. 
   

VIDEO SEGMENT

CSSP President and CEO Leonard Burton and Senior Fellow Bill Bettencourt share information about the getREAL initiative and resources to support LGBTQ+ young people in their homes and communities. 

NOTE: Information included here is particularly relevant to systems administrators and practitioners.  

 

Safe Havens Ii

 

Safe Havens II: We Must Affirm and Support Transgender, Nonbinary, and Gender Diverse Youth in Our-of-Home Systems
This interactive report underscores the importance of accountability to ensure the safety and well-being of TNGD youth by centering the voices of seven TNGD youth contributors with lived experience in out-of-home systems.
Out Of The Shadows Small Cover

 

Out of the Shadows: Supporting LGBTQ Youth in Child Welfare Through Cross-System Collaboration
This policy paper highlights the disparities between LGBTQ foster youth and non-LGBTQ peers, as well as the compounding effects these factors have on intersecting elements like race, ethnicity, culture, and language.
Welcoming, Supporting, Affirming The Whole Child Small Cover

 

Welcoming, Affirming, Supporting: Child Welfare Systems Must Honor the WHOLE Child
This report summarizes the lessons learned and resources from six years of work with the getREAL initiative. Understanding and acting on these lessons can help changemakers to create a welcoming and affirming child welfare system to support these youth and their families. We detail critical components to supporting system change and provide an extensive list of resources from the getREAL initiative and our partners in the field.
A Blueprint For Progress

 

A Blueprint for Progress: Supporting LGBTQ Youth of Color in Child Welfare Systems
These policy recommendations serve as a blueprint for advocates, leaders, and service providers to better support LGBTQ youth of color in child welfare systems.

 
Faq For Behavioral Health Providers Small Cover 

 

FAQ for Behavioral Health Providers: Supporting LGBTQ+ Youth in School, Health, and Child Welfare Settings
Given the unprecedented legal challenges to meeting the behavioral health needs of LGBTQI+ youth across the country, this document is meant to provide guidance for providers in clinical behavioral health, child welfare, and school settings supporting LGBTQI+2 youth. Providers should use this document as a reference to federal laws and protections for youth they support and their families, but understand that this brief is not a substitute for legal advice.
Implementing System Wide Policy And Practice Improvements To Support Lgbtq+ Youth

 

Implementing System Wide Policy and Practice Improvements to Support LGBTQ+ Youth
This report describes the processes and outcomes associated with implementing Guidelines for Managing Information Related to Sexual Orientation and Gender Expression and Identity in Child Welfare Systems in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. The Guidelines outline ways in which child welfare jurisdictions can implement system wide innovations to better serve LGBTQ+ youth and their families.
The Opportunity Is Now Five Ways To Better Serve Adolescents And Young Adults Through The

 

The Opportunity is Now: Five Ways to Better Serve Adolescents and Young Adults through the Family First Prevention Services Act (FFPSA)
This brief highlights opportunities within the Families First Prevention Services Act (FFPSA) for states to build a prevention continuum that includes a focus on healthy adolescent development and that recognizes and helps rectify disparate opportunities and outcomes for Black, Latinx/e, and Native American youth, and youth who identify as LGBTQ+.
The Opportunity Is Now Five Ways To Better Serve Adolescents And Young Adults Through The (1)

 

Supporting Permanency for LGBTQ+ and Gender Expansive Youth
This session is one of six in the CASCW Fall Webinar Series “Supporting Permanency and Transitions to Adulthood for Youth in Care.” Presented by Vida K. Khavar, MA, LMFT, getREAL Project Director and Bill Bettencourt, Senior Fellow, Center for the Study of Social Policy.

 
Advancing Healthy Outcomes

 

Advancing Healthy Outcomes: Eight Ways to Promote the Health and Well-Being of LGBTQ+ Youth Involved with Child Welfare through FFPSA
This brief outlines how child welfare systems can implement these eight strategies to address existing disproportionalities and disparities for LGBTQ+ children, youth, and families, promote optimal well-being, and recognize and affirm the multidimensional identities of youth and families including race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, and immigration status.