Mental Health and Young LGB People

Evidence shows that often young people are not attracted to services which they perceive as being adult in their structure or content. In order to be fully accessible to young LGB people, services have to develop ways of working which are attractive to them and also to reach out more to where they are.

There is a need to develop a service which is not deemed “mental health” in its design, but which addresses emotional and mental health needs. The service should also provide a signpost or channel for LGB young people to access other appropriate mental health services if necessary.

Positive and effective work with young LGB people should be developed based on these young people’s needs. Engaging effectively with young LGB people and listening to their diverse needs should enable good work with LGB young people.

Most successful work results from spending time listening and talking to young LGB people. This is the vital key to any good practice recommendations, as well as having workers who can utilise their skills in developing sound ideas and taking them forward.

Check out these basic recommendations:

Clients/Service users

• Work with young LGB people should be based on principles of equality, respect and trust
• The safety of the client or group should be paramount to working with young LGB people, as this group are more at risk from negative responses to their sexuality if exposed or outed
• Specific projects and agencies should develop locally to support young LGB people, and to provide information, advice and safe spaces for exploring further issues and needs. This work has previously been successful in Connexions services and through drug and alcohol teams applying for specific funding to do targeted work with young LGB people

Delivery of Service

• The project aims and objectives should be clear and transparent for all. It should define the work and the clients you expect to work with (please see appendix a for information on writing an ASTOR)
• The service should be clear about who is delivering the work and defining the sexuality of the target group
• Any advice or information given to young LGB people should be up to date and accurate, and be accessible to all
• Young LGB people and workers need to develop partnerships with other relevant agencies to provide a sign posting and referral system for the clients they work with. These agencies should include Drug/Alcohol teams, Youth Offending Teams, Pupil Referral Units, Connexions, Local PSHE co-ordinators, Generic sexual health service providers.

Youth Workers

• The service should strive for diversity and promote equality from the outset, Ensuring that all LGB young people are aware that they are welcome. This can be done through publicity and a welcome pack (see appendix B for further information)
• The service should attract workers from diverse backgrounds and ages including volunteers
• Partnerships should be developed with young people, and those working with them, to enable maximum benefit to young people
• Work with young LGB people needs appropriately trained and skilled staff. Ensuring that workers have clear understanding of current issues for young lgb people, training around HIV/ sexual health prevention needs, confidentiality and professional boundaries are permanent
• Staff working with young LGB people need appropriate managerial support
• Staff working with young LGB people need on going training to develop an awareness of issues facing young LGB people, to develop their skills and challenge heterosexist and homophobic attitudes in practice. Terrence Higgins Trust recently developed a training day for Connexions Personal Advisors. See useful contacts on the back page.

Monitoring and Evaluations

• Recording and monitoring of all aspects of the work should be available for internal and external evaluation. (Please see appendix C for an example of this)
• Monitoring should include views and feedback from young LGB people who use or have previously used the service; this should be regulated throughout the development of the project.
Training for external professionals
• Planning of the training should first identify the training needs of the group or individuals through face to face consultation
• Workers providing the training should work on the principles of equality, respect and trust and those receiving the training should also abide by these principles
• Workers delivering this training should have experience of group work with adults and knowledge of how to challenge heterosexist and homophobic attitudes effectively.

It is often difficult to obtain written examples of previous work undertaken by LGB youth groups. It is imperative that all projects record their work for reference, and make this available for others to use where appropriate. In all young LGB work it is recognised that “taking risks” and trying new ventures is crucial if services are to continue to develop.

Projects or pieces of work that may not have been as successful as hoped have provided invaluable lessons to work with young LGB people, which has then led to improved services for young LGB people. It is important for all projects and individuals to reflect honestly on their work, and use all of this information positively for the future.