Family Support Model
About the Family Support Model
The Family Support Model was built on the foundation of the Family Acceptance Project’s research, which demonstrated that LGBTQ+ youth who experience nonaccepting behaviors by their caregivers and families are at significantly greater risk for developing negative health outcomes such as depression, suicidality, sexual transmitted infections, and substance misuse. LGBTQ+ youth who reported experiencing more support and acceptance by their families reported lower levels of risk for negative health outcomes, higher levels of self-esteem, and their overall health outcomes were more positive. The Family Support Model (FSM) was built from the suggested approaches to supporting families towards acceptance. The Ruth Ellis Center practitioners developed the model with consultation and support from the purveyor of the Family Acceptance Project, Dr. Caitlin Ryan. More information on the Family Acceptance Project, their research and resources are included below.
Through participating in FSM, families learned strategies of support to improve health outcomes and overall wellbeing for LBGTQ+ youth. Families who completed the program reported a greater understanding of:
- LGBTQ+ identity and unique health and wellness needs of the LGBTQ+ community, with a focus on the needs of LGBTQ+ youth
- The importance of increasing protective factors, such as building and maintaining relationships with peers and adults who are accepting and supportive of the youth’s identity
- How accepting behaviors such as talking with the youth about their identity and allowing them to attend LGBTQ+ events can positively impact the youth’s mental health and wellness
- How nonaccepting behaviors such as not allowing LGBTQ+ youth to spend time with other LGBTQ+ youth can negatively impact the youth’s mental health
The purpose of this implementation guide is to provide agencies with the necessary information for replicating the Family Support Model (FSM). This guide outlines recommendations for creating and maintaining an implementation team, collaborating with state and local agencies if applicable, and providing ongoing support and quality improvement for clinicians implementing the model. The guide will share lessons learned and suggested practices for implementing this for LGBTQ+ youth and their families involved in child welfare or at risk to involvement.
Who is the Program For?
The FSM Practitioner provides direct care in the form of family support services for youth and their families including parents, caregivers, siblings, and other identified natural supports. The practitioner meets with youth and families for individual and family sessions, conducts person-centered and strengths-based service goal planning, and provides psychoeducation relating to the impact of accepting and nonaccepting behaviors on the overall wellbeing of LGBTQ+ youth. A FSM Practitioner should be a master’s-level clinician for Medicaid billing purposes, individuals with appropriate experience, such as experience working with LGBTQ+ youth and their families, and similar educational background, such as those with a bachelor’s degree in social work or psychology, should also be considered for this position. Knowledge of child and adolescent development, and prior experience relating to other systems of care, such as Foster Care,
How do I bring FSM to my organization?
To implement FSM 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.
About the Family Acceptance Project
The Family Acceptance Project® (FAP) is a research, intervention and education initiative that was established in 2002 by Caitlin Ryan, PhD and Rafael Diaz, PhD to prevent health risks and promote well-being for LGBTQ children and youth, with funding from the California Endowment, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and a range of other funders. Dr. Ryan and her team conducted the first research on LGBTQ youth and families and developed the first evidence-informed family support model that was designed to be used in prevention, wellness and care to promote well-being and reduce health risks for LGBTQ and gender diverse children and youth across systems of care. FAP’s family support model provides an opportunity to prevent and ameliorate multiple negative outcomes that disproportionately impact LGBTQ young people with a single approach: family intervention and support.
A core finding from FAP’s research has been identifying and measuring more than 100 specific behaviors that parents, families and caregivers use to respond to their LGBTQ children. Half of these behaviors are rejecting and half are supportive and accepting. FAP’s research found that these specific family rejecting behaviors contribute to serious health risks, include suicidality, depression, illegal drug use and sexual health risks while family accepting behaviors help protect against risk and promote self-esteem and well-being. FAP’s research, family support model, intervention strategies and multilingual educational materials were developed through a participatory process with guidance from diverse families, LGBTQ youth and young adults.
LGBTQ Youth & Family Resources
Innovations Institute, in collaboration with the Family Acceptance Project, has launched an online resource to help LGBTQ youth and families find services and increase support for LGBTQ youth. This first of its kind website aims to help increase family acceptance of LGBTQ youth, community building, and well-being. The website includes a national searchable map of community support services that affirm LGBTQ young people, along with multilingual and multicultural evidence-based resources to increase family support for LGBTQ children and youth.
Additional Resources
FAP has developed a series of research-based educational and assessment resources. These include:
- A FAP implementation manual to implement FAP’s family support model
- A manual to implement the integrated FAP-TF-CBT model, produced with TF-CBT
- Family education booklets in English, Spanish and Chinese and a growing faith-based series that are “Best Practice” resources for suicide prevention for LGBTQ youth (available online and in print copies)
- A Healthy Futures poster series that shows how specific family rejecting and accepting behaviors contribute to risk and well-being for LGBTQ young people with a Poster Guidance that explains how the posters were developed and provides guidance on how to use them (10 languages – English, Spanish, Chinese – traditional and simplified, Hindi, Japanese, Korean, Punjabi, Tagalog and Vietnamese, with American Indian versions and others in development)
- Intervention videos – short award-winning documentaries that show how diverse families learn to support their LGBTQ children
- Assessment scales that measure family rejection and acceptance for LGBTQ young people and assess growth and change
- Resource bibliography of FAP research studies, publications, assessment tools, and family guidance materials
