AFFIRM Caregiver
About AFFIRM Caregiver
AFFIRM Caregiver is an evidence-informed, seven session, manualized intervention to enhance affirmative parenting practices that promote the safety and wellbeing of LGBTQ+ youth. The AFFIRM Caregiver model emerged from AFFIRM Youth, an evidence-based affirmative Cognitive Behavior Therapy intervention which has been scientifically shown to reduce psychosocial distress and improve coping skills among LGBTQ+ youth (Austin, Craig & D’Souza, 2017; Craig & Austin, 2016).
AFFIRM is rooted in an affirmative practice framework and utilizes best practice research on LGBTQ+ youth wellbeing and has growing empirical research base for its effectiveness (Austin et al. 2018, Craig et al., 2020; Craig et al., 2021). The developers adapted their model for use with parents by creating the AFFIRM Caregiver model.
Seminal literature on family acceptance (Ryan et al., 2010), and compassionate parenting (Kirby, 2019) were utilized to build the seven-session model. Preliminary data support the feasibility and effectiveness of AFFIRM Caregiver in US foster care settings (Austin et al., in Press).
AFFIRM Caregiver:
- Is manualized
- Provides training for new clinicians
- Requires fidelity adherence
- Requires data collection
- Provides expert coaching to new implementers
Who is the Program for?
AFFIRM Caregiver is designed to work with all caregivers of LGBTQ+ children and youth. This includes biological and adoptive parents, kinship/family members of origin, chosen family, foster/resource parents, and all other people who parent and support LGBTQ+ young people. The intervention is best implemented when cohorts are customized to specific types of caregivers, for example, biological and adoptive parents would attend their own group while foster parents might attend another.
Program Evidence
Data from AFFIRM Caregiver studies shows effectiveness for improving affirmative caregiving attitudes and behaviors, as well as confidence in caregiver abilities to engage in affirmative caregiving skills with LGBTQ+ youth. Data show statistically significant improvements in affirmative attitudes and behaviors toward both LGB and transgender youth, as well as statistically significant improvements in affirmative caregiving competence for LGBTQ+ youth.
This short data dashboard gives a snapshot of the preliminary findings of AFFIRM Caregiver that should help agencies and providers determine whether AFFIRM Caregiver would meet their needs and goals. For questions on the data and information represented in this dashboard, please contact the National SOGIE Center at SOGIECenter@UConn.edu.
Program Delivery
As a manualized intervention, AFFIRM Caregiver is typically delivered by trained and certified counselors, social workers and other mental health professionals in a group-based format. The seven modules are designed for flexible implementation with all populations, making them easy to integrate into existing service settings (e.g., into existing counseling groups or parenting programs).
Testimonials
“I kind of was going through life with blinders on and before I couldn’t see it like that, but the most impactful part of the training was the sensitivity… how something that I may consider so small could be major to someone else. Yeah, that was definitely impactful.“
– Caregiver Graduate
“This program has definitely changed me and helped me be more open and accepting and knowing that we’re all humans and we all deserve to be able to be loved and respected.”
– Caregiver Graduate
How do I bring AFFIRM Caregiver to my organization?
To implement AFFIRM Caregiver in your practice or within your organization, please email the National Quality Improvement Center on Tailored Services, Placement Stability, and Permanency for LGBTQ2S Children and Youth in Foster Care at SOGIECenter@UConn.edu or contact the AFFIRM co-creators directly at mail@affirmativeresearch.net.
