Co-Creating Affirming Spaces in Schools for Youth
- Richelle Frabotta, MSEd, CSE, CSES / Dayton & Montgomery County Public Health
Description: LGBTQ+ youth, according to multiple sources, consistently and disproportionately experience marginalization and health inequities at higher rates as compared to their cis/het counterparts. In fact, Q+ youth identify 4xs higher ACES (Child Abuse & Neglect, Vol 107, September 2020) and rate of suicide attempts among Q+ teens is more than twice the rate of suicide attempts among all US teens (Newport Academy website). When adding other identities (such as race, ethnicity, abilities, and socio-economic factors), health disparities are even higher…the need for in-school supports is even greater.
The ability to be resilient is influenced by many factors. We know that for youth, an affirming family, social support systems especially in school, access to healthy foods, necessary medical care, and quality mental health services can contribute greatly to one’s ability to overcome challenges and push through obstacles that show up for one reason or another. But what happens when those factors are consistently and overwhelmingly unaccepting, unsettling, unsafe, unattainable, and/or simply unavailable?
K–12 School Counselors are in a unique position to provide significant supports to Q+ youth. Recognizing the significance of invisibility, stigmatization, and ostracization combined with understanding chronological and emotional development and family dynamics provides opportunities for Counselors to talk prevention and provide interventions.
This presentation focuses on the realities of being a Q+ identified youth in 2024. We will discuss the need for visibility, spaces for affirmation, the idea of acceptance, and respite from what can be an exhausting existence. Participants will identify ways to professionally contribute to and practice intentional inclusion and are encouraged to imagine a world where Q+ youth aren’t pushed to be resilient on the daily but might be supported in thriving.
Presenter Information: Richelle’s work is inter-disciplinary, prevention driven, and inclusive of and with marginalized identities. As LGBTQ+ Health Initiatives Project Manager for Public Health – Dayton & Montgomery County, she coordinates the LGBTQ+ Health Alliance, provides professional development and other educational services, supports Visible & Resilient in Community and Self, and is working to establish a Q+ Youth Center. Serving all ages of Miami Valley residents, Richelle has a particular focus on prevention education and reducing suicide especially among Q+ youth. As a 33-year professional sexuality educator, she emphasizes that education services should be taught from a medically accurately and research informed, compassionate, person-centered lens with methods that are developmentally relevant, culturally inclusive, and grounded in social justice praxis while maintaining a strong code of ethics. Richelle considers it crucial that those delivering education services not cause harm and remember that teachers are students, too.
Additional Information: Pre-registration is required and will be open through the end of the day on December 8. A Zoom meeting link will be emailed out to all registrants the day before the workshop. A CE certificate will be emailed to those in attendance after the event.
The workshop is free to OSCA members and $10 for non-members. Please note that non-members who still have an outstanding balance will not be provided with a CE certificate.
