Supporting LGBTQIA+ Youth Within the Child Welfare System

This session will provide participants with detailed examples and ways for individuals working in the child welfare system to support gender diverse youth through a trauma informed and culturally responsive lens. This session will review unique experiences that the child welfare system(s) encounter with LGBTQIA+ diverse youth and specific ways to support LGBTQIA+ youth in navigating the cisgender and heteronormative systems within our society and the child welfare system.

This session will be highlighting the intricate experiences of gender dysphoria and how this mental health struggle manifests through youth behavior and can be seen within the child welfare system as a whole. The impact of gender dysphoria on the brain, body, and behavior will be analyzed. All participants will learn how to support LGBTQIA+ youth in navigating the court and welfare systems.