Youth Outlook Scenarios

Over the next several months I will be interning at Youth Outlook that which has several drop-in centers in throughout the suburbs of Chicago. Youth Outlook is a non-profit agency that specializes in providing adolescents in the LGBTQ community a safe, supported, and confidential space where they can come together to share stories, participate in groups and receive an education on a variety of topics about their lifestyles. Youth Outlook is the first social service agency in Illinois dedicated to providing support and respect to young people who identify as Lesbian, Gay, Transgender, Bisexual, and Questioning (LGBTQ) so they can become empowered to lead a fulfilling and rewarding life. It’s estimated that over four million people living

In addition, research has also found that some counselors lack sufficient training and competence to work with individuals in the gay and lesbian communities. Without specific standards in place, the those in the LGBTQ community will remain a vulnerable population. They will continue to face discrimination, bullying, homelessness, stigma and have high rates of substance abuse and suicide. Health disparities such as HIV/AIDS, sexually transmitted diseases, cancer, diabetes, and cardiovascular problems are known to also affect this population compared to other groups in the

It is the ongoing knowledge and awareness regarding the diversity of a persons life experience. “Without specific standards for training counselors to work competently with the LGBTQ clients low or absent levels of training may continue. Specific training standards are necessary to challenge the silence around LGBTQ issues in counselor education and change heterosexist practices in the counseling arena ”¬ (Troutman, O., & Packer-Williams, C. 2014). Therefore, it becomes necessary that counselors working with LGBTQ people become culturally competent By enhancing ethical standards professional organizations as well as people that practice counseling services can start to use language that is no longer discriminatory or insensitive when working with the LGBTQ community. Furthermore, counselors can attune to the specific needs of this population to gain a better sense of unique and personal identity instead of the ‘cookbook approach’ or ‘the one size fits all’