Course 8T - Human Trafficking of Adolescents in America

CEU By Net sponsors this Human Trafficking CE course online, awarding the credit and certificate required to renew your behavioral health or other healthcare provider license in Texas. The course is APPROVED by the TEXAS HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES COMMISSION, in accordance with House Bill 2059, 86th Session, 2019.

The course content and the goals of the course which appear on your certificate also apply to CE credit for ETHICS (including Florida CE Broker as of 2/3/22), ASSESSMENT, TRAUMA-INFORMED CARE, CULTURAL AWARENESS, COMMUNITY COORDINATION, STATE and FEDERAL LAWS pertaining to sex and labor trafficking, and CHILD & ADOLESCENT Behavioral Health.

This course earns 8 CEUs for the Texas Mental Health licensing boards and Texas HHSC, TxCBAP-TCB-TAAP, California CCAPP, CAADE, and CADTP, NAADAC, IC&RC, Florida Certification Board (FCB), Florida Board of Clinical Social Work, Marriage and Family Therapy and Mental Health Counseling, and Florida CE Broker. Earns 8 PDHs in Domain 3 for EACC-EAPA re-approved Dec 22, 2021. Earns 5.5 credit hours for NBCC and California BBS.

Based upon these credentials, the course credits are accepted by most mental health and addiction licensing boards nationwide.

To view CEU By Net's approval status with HHSC for this course, GO HERE.

For a brief OVERVIEW of the course GO HERE.

The course presents a comprehensive review of the extent and nature of Human Trafficking of youth in all 50 states, including both sex and labor trafficking. The course explains the criminal nature of trafficking by perpetrators, the situations in which youth become lured into being trafficked, and the reasons why they find it difficult to extricate themselves from their controllers, including alcohol, drugs, homelessness, hunger, fear, and the need to engage in survival sex.

The course presents culturally-sensitive assessment and intervention approaches to working with homeless youth who live on the street and become trafficking victims -- including how to remain safe on the street and how to obtain medical and social support services which are required to survive and eventually escape from the trafficking situation.

This course is a compendium of several publications and excerpts of research-validated documents published and copyrighted in the public domain pertaining to Human Trafficking of Youth in the United States. A Comprehensive Human Trafficking Assessment is included, formulated by the National Human Trafficking Resource Center (NHTRC) - Polaris Project.

The course materials are copyrighted, published, funded, authored, and sponsored by the U.S. Department of Justice, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, SAMHSA, U.S. Office of Victims of Crime and other administrative offices of the US government, and by nationally recognized organizations which are dedicated to combating the crime of human trafficking of both children and adults. These include The Polaris Project and Family & Youth Services Bureau - Runaway and Homeless Youth Training & Technical Assistance Center - National Safe Place Network, and those who utilize their assessment and intervention methods.

This course is divided into three sections (i.e., three Study Guides). Each Study Guide has a quiz, and all three quizzes must be passed in order to earn the CE Certificate for this course.

The GOALS of this course:

1. Learn the focus, approach, and achievements of the US Department of Justice and its partner organizations in the National Strategy to Combat Human Trafficking.

2. Understand the laws and legal definitions of Human Trafficking for both minors and adults as defined by the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA); know how to recognize the various forms of sex trafficking and labor trafficking to which victims are submitted and the interagency coordination required to work with victims.

3. Understand the typical etiology of how Human Trafficking occurs in the lives of homeless and runaway youth, and why escape is difficult or impossible without Trauma-Informed assistance and interagency coordination between law enforcement and behavioral health professionals within the community.

4. Know the characteristics and methods of Human Trafficking perpetrators and the diverse settings in which they operate -- actions which not only violate the human rights of the victim but are also a violation of the law in the United States.

5. Understand the pervasive role of drugs, alcohol, homelessness, survival sex, and deprivation of human rights in Human Trafficking, and the resulting emotional and physical impact upon trafficking victims.

6. Learn trauma-informed, ethical approaches to communicating with and assisting trafficking victims in a situation which is inherently infused with fear and mistrust -- acting in the best interest of the client while respecting their autonomy as an emancipated minor.

7. Understand the ethical issue of 'scope of practice' when working as part of a Human Trafficking team, i.e., which parts of a Trafficking Assessment should be performed by credentialed staff vs. those that can be performed by unlicensed staff, and the necessary skills and training required to ethically work with this fragile population.

8. Learn the elements of a culturally-sensitive, trauma-informed Trafficking Assessment -- the ethical and therapeutic approach to gathering sensitive information from the victim, including assessment language and questions, important trauma-sensitive dynamics, and respect for privacy and confidentiality including safety considerations.

9. Know how to help trafficking victims to develop a safety plan at various stages in the human trafficking situation – while a victim is in the situation, during the process of leaving, and once the victim has left – and how to ensure safety for staff within the program.

10. Recognize the impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic upon resources for homeless and runaway adolescents who are targets of Human Trafficking perpetrators.

Note: You are free to read, download, save, and print the Study Guide(s) and Quiz(zes) for this Course, before deciding to enroll in the course. These course materials are public domain, and CEU By Net is sponsoring the course for CE Credit. You may STUDY THIS COURSE and the quiz AT NO CHARGE. You may enroll in the course at any time. You must take the quiz ONLINE, by logging into your My Home Page , clicking on the course you want to complete, completing the quiz or quizzes required, and submitting the Feedback Form. You will then instantly receive your course completion certificate! For more information on this course - and to see a COPY of the online quiz - click the '+' symbols, below:

Guide 1_Course 8T_Human Trafficking of Adolescents in America

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Guide 2_Course 8T_Human Trafficking of Adolescents in America

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Guide 3_Course 8T_Human Trafficking of Adolescents in America

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Course 5P_A - Part I - Preventing Suicide Tool Kit for High Schools

This Course 5P_A -- Part I of Preventing Suicide, a Tool Kit for High Schools -- presents a comprehensive Risk Management and culturally sensitive approach to PREVENTING primary suicides of students in High Schools as well as a POSTVENTION approach to preventing 'copy cat' or 'contagion' suicides in the surviving student population. The document was originally published in 2012 but is reviewed annually by SAMHSA, and it's currently a featured manual on the SAMHSA website.

This course is sponsored online by CEU By Net. The course earns 5.75 Clock Hours of credit for multiple State Mental Health and Addiction Boards including Texas Mental Health Boards, TCBAP-TCB-TAAP, three California Addiction Boards, the Alabama Board for Social Work, Florida Certification Board, Florida CE Broker, IC&RC, and NAADAC. Approved by EACC for 5.75 PDHs, Domain II, III on October 1, 2021. The course also awards 4 Credit Hours for California BBS and 4 NBCC Hours. Based upon these credentials, the course is accepted by most state boards for multiple licenses.

The document for this course is published by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and was prepared by the National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors (NASMHPD) in collaboration with Education Development Center, Inc. (EDC), and NASMHPD Research Institute, under contract with SAMHSA, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Rosalyn Blogier, LCSW-C and Dr. Tarsha Wilson, Government Project Officers.

The course has two Study Guides and a quiz for each Study Guide. Each of the steps involved in developing a comprehensive Suicide Prevention Plan for High Schools includes one or more TOOLS which guide the implementation of the given step, including forms, worksheets, fact sheets, guidelines, and handouts for use in training staff and educating parents.

Study Guide 1 focuses upon identifying the legal issues and necessary steps involved in the development of a Suicide Prevention Plan which can meet the needs of students -- including cultural factors and characteristics of families. Each plan must accommodate the staffing and community resources which are available to play specific roles in the plan. The first Study Guide also introduces the Risk Factors, the Protective Factors, and the Warning Signs of the potential for suicide among students, which should be communicated to school administrators, staff, and parents.

The second Study Guide describes the steps and tools necessary to IMPLEMENT the components of school-based suicide prevention plans, including the details of Suicide Risk Assessment and determining the Level of Suicide Risk.


The GOALS of the Course:

1. Access an empirically based Suicide Prevention toolkit with step-by-step tools to implement a multifaceted suicide prevention and postvention program addressing the Risk Management needs and cultures of high school students and their families.

2. Understand the steps and the sequence which is necessary to implement the components of a comprehensive school-based suicide prevention and postvention program, including specific tools to implement these steps -- guidelines, forms, checklists, worksheets, documentation formats and procedures, and fact sheets for program planning, training of staff, and education of parents.

3. Know research-based strategies that can help prevent suicide of students in high schools, including a Suicide Risk Assessment format for evaluating the level of risk of an adolescent student and the approach to working with the student's family -- including parents who are resistant, confused, traumatized, in denial, or impacted by cultural bias.

4. Know the indicators which correlate with low, moderate, and high Levels of Risk for Suicide among high school students, and the correlation between SUDs, mental health disorders, family dynamics, cultural elements, and suicidal behavior.

5. Know the characteristics of adolescents who are most at risk for suicidal behavior, including LGBTQ youth, the victims and perpetrators of bullying, those who are using alcohol and drugs, and those with a familial lifestyle or history which includes violence, SUDs, suicide, and poor parental support of its children.

6. Understand how to prioritize and select Suicide Prevention programs and activities that will be effective in individual schools, considering the cultural, ethnic and familial characteristics of the school population.

7. Obtain guidance in how to identify school staff and community partners to play specific roles, necessary Risk Management protocols, and effective ways to generate support for the plan in the school system, among families, and within the community.

8. Learn how to integrate suicide prevention and Risk Management into activities that fulfill other aspects of the school’s mission, such as preventing the abuse of alcohol and other drugs and bullying.


A similar course is offered on this website (Course 6B, After a Suicide: A Tool Kit for Schools -- also published by SAMHSA) which primarily addresses Risk Management RESPONSE following a suicide in a school, including response to younger children in the primary and middle school age group. This Course 5P_A has a different structural format than Course 6B, with more attention to the details of stepwise implementation of a Suicide Prevention and Response Plan -- including working with traumatized and resistant parents -- with an eye to Risk Management.

COMING SOON! Parts II and III of Suicide Prevention: A Tool Kit for Schools.

Note: You are free to read, download, save, and print the Study Guide(s) and Quiz(zes) for this Course, before deciding to enroll in the course. These course materials are public domain, and CEU By Net is sponsoring the course for CE Credit. You may STUDY THIS COURSE and the quiz AT NO CHARGE. You may enroll in the course at any time. You must take the quiz ONLINE, by logging into your My Home Page , clicking on the course you want to complete, completing the quiz or quizzes required, and submitting the Feedback Form. You will then instantly receive your course completion certificate! For more information on this course - and to see a COPY of the online quiz - click the '+' symbols, below:

Course 5P_A - Guide 1- Preventing Suicide Tool Kit for High Schools

Click here to view this study material. Click here to view and print the quiz you will take for this material.

Course 5P_A - Guide 2 - Preventing Suicide Tool Kit for High Schools

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Course 6J - The Ethics of Working with LGBTQ Youth - Ending Conversion Therapy

This course – 'Course 6J - The Ethics of Working with LGBTQ Youth - Ending Conversion Therapy' – is sponsored online by CEU By Net and earns 6.75 Clock Hours of credit for multiple State Mental Health and Addiction Boards and Associations. The course is now approved for 6.75 Hours in Ethics and Boundaries in Florida for behavioral health licensees, effective March 7, 2021 (previously approved in General), and many be taken for the 6-hour Laws and Ethics requirement in California. Credit is also approved for 6.75 hours for Texas Mental Health Boards, TCB-TCBAP-TAAP, California CCAPP, CCADE and CADTP, and Florida Certification Board. The course is pre-approved by IC&RC and NAADAC for 6.75 Clock Hours through our TCB-TCBAP-TAAP, and California CCAPP, CCADE and CADTP CE Provider licenses and approvals. EACC awards 6.75 PDHs in Domain III, renewed June 6, 2021. The course awards 4.5 hours for California BBS Ethics and 4.5 NBCC Hours.

Based upon these credentials, the course is accepted by most state boards for multiple licenses.

CEU By Net sponsors this research-based course online for Continuing Education credit - as an ETHICS course, a CULTURAL AWARENESS course, and a COUNSELING intervention course. The training document was prepared and published in the public domain in October 2015 by Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA - Rockville, MD). The Expert Panel consisted of a panel of researchers and practitioners in child and adolescent behavioral health with a strong background in gender development, gender identity, and sexual orientation in children and adolescents. The panel included, among others, Sheri Berenbaum, PhD; Celia B. Fisher, PhD; Laura Edwards-Leeper, PhD; Marco A. Hidalgo, PhD; David Huebner, PhD; Colton L. Keo-Meier, PhD; Scott Leibowitz, MD; Robin Lin Miller, PhD; Caitlin Ryan, PhD, ACSW; Josh Wolff, PhD; and Mark A. Yarhouse, PsyD. The APA activities were coordinated by Clinton W. Anderson, PhD (Associate Executive Director, Public Interest Directorate, Director LGBT Office) and Judith Glassgold, PsyD (Associate Executive Director, Government Relations, Public Interest Directorate).


We at CEU By Net are sponsoring this course because it represents a critical 'sea change' in the mental health and addiction field and in American social thinking. This course should be enlightening for all professionals who are not familiar with the inherent physiological and genetic basis for LGBTQ IDENTITY including TRANSGENDER IDENTITY in very young children, and the developmental process as it unfolds over time. The course is clinically appropriate for Professional Counselors, Social Workers, LMFTs, CEAPs, and Addiction Professionals who are working with or who may work with adolescents and children who are or may be questioning their sexual orientation or gender identity, and their parents.

The course is clear about the impact of understanding and accepting LGBTQ identity and sexual orientation upon achievement of treatment goals. The course provides specific approaches to forming a healthy accepting professional relationship with LGBTQ youth and their families.

The authors/publishers describe the purpose well:

"Ending Conversion Therapy: Supporting and Affirming LGBTQ Youth, is [published] to provide mental health and addiction professionals with accurate information about effective and ineffective therapeutic practices related to children’s and adolescent’s sexual orientation and gender identity. Specifically, this report addresses the issue of CONVERSION THERAPY for minors. .....The conclusions in this report are based on professional consensus statements arrived at by experts in the field. Conversion Therapy - the effort to change an individual’s sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression - is a practice that is not supported by credible evidence and has been disavowed by behavioral health experts and associations.

"..... Conversion therapy perpetuates outdated views of gender roles and identities as well as the negative stereotype that being a sexual or gender minority or identifying as LGBTQ is an abnormal aspect of human development. Most importantly, it may put young people at risk of serious harm."

This publication is abundantly clear that "scientists now recognize that a wide spectrum of gender identities and gender expressions exist (and have always existed), including people who identify as either man or woman, neither man nor woman, a blend of man and woman, or a unique gender identity (Harrison, Grant, & Herman, 2012; Kuper, Nussbaum, & Mustanski, 2012)" Further, "Same-gender sexual identity, behavior, and attraction are not mental disorders. Same-gender sexual attractions are part of the normal spectrum of sexual orientation. Sexual orientation change in children and adolescents should not be a goal of mental health and behavioral interventions".

The authors are clear that the inherent gender orientation, gender identity, and gender expression of each individual child CANNOT be changed through behavioral health interventions or social pressure - a conclusion that is now supported by virtually all professional behavioral health and medical associations as well as the DSM and the ICD. This Federal publication presents and supports GENDER as a fluid developmental construct which is experienced individually by children and adolescents from age 2 through puberty.

The AFFIRMATIVE CARE process is presented as a parent-child-professional team effort which allows children and adolescents who identify as TRANSGENDER to explore their identity and cross sex transition at their own pace, in whatever form it may take. Medical interventions (cross sex hormone treatment and gender affirmative surgery) as well as social gender transition are explored by the child and family with the assistance of a medical and behavioral health team, when the youth is ready for such considerations.

Professionals taking this course will know the meaning of Sexual Minority, Gender Minority, Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, Gender Expression, Transgender, Cisgender, Intersex, and Gender Diverse as these terms apply to LGBTQ children and youth, and the possible developmental trajectories of each.

THE GOALS OF THIS COURSE

1. Based upon the extensive research which produced this SAMHSA document, understand the new ETHICAL REQUIREMENT for mental health, SUD, and physical healthcare professionals to cease the practice of CONVERSION THERAPY with LGBTQ youth.

2. Recognize the negative impact of failing to acknowledge LGBTQ identity and sexual orientation as an important ETHICAL ISSUE in both mental health and substance abuse programs -- considering the vulnerability of LGBTQ children and adolescents to substance use disorders (SUD) and suicidal behaviors as a function of family rejection and homelessness, anxiety and depression, and submission to CONVERSION THERAPY.

3. Know the various forms of CONVERSION THERAPY to which LGBTQ children and youth have been historically submitted, and the approved alternatives to Conversion Therapy that are appropriate at various stages of LGBTQ identity development.

3. Know the difference between Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, and Gender Expression in children, adolescents, and young adults, and the possible blending of these gender attributes.

4. Gain a clear understanding of the difference between GENDER vs. Sex Assigned at Birth, as it pertains to the normal spectrum of sexual expression and development of gender identity in humans.

5. Recognize the negative impact of failing to acknowledge LGBTQ identity and sexual orientation, and the vulnerability of LGBTQ children and adolescents to substance abuse, homelessness, anxiety, depression, and suicidal behaviors when submitted to CONVERSION THERAPY.

6. Know the meaning of Sexual Minority, Gender Minority, Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, Gender Expression, Transgender, Cisgender, Intersex, and Gender Diverse as these terms apply to LGBTQ children and youth, and the possible developmental trajectories of each.

7. Learn effective, ETHICAL approaches to forming a healthy counseling relationship with LGBTQ youth and their families, including families who are not comfortable with their child's LGBTQ identity.

8. Know how to present the LGBTQ status of the child or adolescent to the parent, including (1) the inherent neurological and biochemical basis for LGBTQ identity and (2) the physical and emotional development process from childhood to adulthood.

9. Know the most effective approach to assisting parents in forming a healthy relationship with the child or adolescent despite their difficulty in accepting the child's LGBTQ status.

10. Know and understand the appropriate AFFIRMATIVE CARE for TRANSGENDER and Intersex youth which facilitates timely social and medical transition (including surgery and sex-affirmative hormonal regimen), based upon an understanding of the developmental trajectories from very early childhood through young adulthood.

Note: You are free to read, download, save, and print the Study Guide(s) and Quiz(zes) for this Course, before deciding to enroll in the course. These course materials are public domain, and CEU By Net is sponsoring the course for CE Credit. You may STUDY THIS COURSE and the quiz AT NO CHARGE. You may enroll in the course at any time. You must take the quiz ONLINE, by logging into your My Home Page , clicking on the course you want to complete, completing the quiz or quizzes required, and submitting the Feedback Form. You will then instantly receive your course completion certificate! For more information on this course - and to see a COPY of the online quiz - click the '+' symbols, below:

Course 6J - The Ethics of Working with LGBTQ Youth - Ending Conversion Therapy

Click here to view this study material. Click here to view and print the quiz you will take for this material.

Course 5J - Suicide Risk and Prevention for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Youth

This course is sponsored online by CEU By Net and earns 5 Clock Hours of credit for multiple State Boards including Florida, Texas, and Alabama, TCBAP-TAAP, IC&RC, NAADAC, and Florida Certification Board, and 5 PDHs Domain 3 for EACC renewal effective June 6, 2021. It also awards 3.5 CA BBS Hours as of 10.01.15 and 5.0 before, and 3.5 NBCC Hours as of 05.01.15 and 5.0 before. Based upon these credentials, the course is accepted by most state boards for multiple licenses.

This is a 'QUIZ ONLY' course. You may read and print the study material (i.e., the Study Guide) AND A COPY of the quiz for FREE, before you decide to enroll in the course, if you wish. Just click the little plus + sign below the GOALS at the end of this overview, and then scroll down to find the links to the course material (Study Guide) and a copy of the quiz.

You may also save this course material to your computer, and work off-line if you choose. YOU ENROLL IN THE COURSE ONLY IF YOU WISH TO TAKE THE QUIZ and to obtain your INSTANTLY DOWNLOADED CEU CERTIFICATE.

This popular 'QUIZ ONLY' treatment intervention and counseling methodology course focuses upon prevention of suicide among Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) youth, ages 15-24, and awareness of the factors (including the internet) which contribute to LGBT suicide attempts and deaths in this age group.

The study materials are accessed free of charge through an internet link to the Suicide Prevention Resource Center in Newton, MA. The publication is a 'public domain' document prepared by the Suicide Prevention Resource Center (SPRC) Education Development Center, Inc. under a grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Center for Mental Health Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), Grant No. 1 U79 SM57392-02 2008, reviewed annually for relevance.


The course is appropriate for Mental Health and AOD Counselors and Therapists, Social Workers, School Counselors, Psychologists, EAP counselors, teachers, and all individuals who serve adolescents and young adults within the community - whether as patients, clients, students or community members.

IMPORTANT: The authors of this well researched and documented publication are clear that because any young person may be LGBT, we must assume that clients or students could be any sexual orientation or gender identity and respond accordingly.

For additional information about these study materials - and to READ the online article and to PREVIEW AND PRINT a copy of the online quiz - JUST CLICK THE + SIGN BELOW THE 'GOALS' IN THIS SUMMARY, seen below.

THE GOALS, PER THE AUTHORS:

1. To highlight the higher risk of suicidal behavior among lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) youth, and factors that contribute to it. This higher risk may well extend to transgender (T) youth.

2. Provide specific recommendations for ACTION to reduce the risk of suicide among LGBT youth - to take place in schools, communities, screening programs, crisis lines, practices and gatekeeping clinics. 3. Provide methods to address stigma and prejudice at the institutional and individual level - including the use of an LGBT Cultural Competence Model for working effectively with LGBT youth cultures.

4. Provide an understanding of the role of the internet as it may provoke and contribute to suicide of LGBT youth, as well as the positive ways that the internet may contribute to prevention of such suicides.

5. Heighten awareness of the issues of LGBT youth, and the recent advances in research regarding such youth.

6. Help not only to reduce the disparate rate of suicidal behavior of LGBT youth but to promote the health, safety, and inclusion of LGBT youth as visible and empowered members of our communities.

Note: You are free to read, download, save, and print the Study Guide(s) and Quiz(zes) for this Course, before deciding to enroll in the course. These course materials are public domain, and CEU By Net is sponsoring the course for CE Credit. You may STUDY THIS COURSE and the quiz AT NO CHARGE. You may enroll in the course at any time. You must take the quiz ONLINE, by logging into your My Home Page , clicking on the course you want to complete, completing the quiz or quizzes required, and submitting the Feedback Form. You will then instantly receive your course completion certificate! For more information on this course - and to see a COPY of the online quiz - click the '+' symbols, below:

Course 5J - Suicide Risk and Prevention for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Youth

This PDF document may be VIEWED and PRINTED for FREE. To view the course materials for free, CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW. YOU MAY ALSO VIEW AND PRINT A COPY OF THE QUIZ FOR FREE - JUST CLICK THE LINK. This sponsored course is written and published by the Suicide Prevention Resource Center in Newton, MA and is funded by the the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and its Center for Mental Health Services. Special contributory recognition re LGBT youth is given to -- Vincent M. B. Silenzio, M.D., M.P.H., Assistant Professor of Family Medicine, Psychiatry, and Community and Preventive Medicine, Center for the Study and Prevention of Suicide, University of Rochester Medical Center, and -- Paul R. Duberstein, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Psychiatry; Director, Laboratory of Personality and Development; Co-Director, Center for the Study and Prevention of Suicide, University of Rochester Medical Center THE GOALS, PER THE AUTHORS: 1. To highlight the higher risk of suicidal behavior among lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) youth, and factors that contribute to it. This higher risk may well extend to transgender (T) youth. 2. Provide specific recommendations for ACTION to reduce the risk of suicide among LGBT youth - to take place in schools, communities, screening programs, crisis lines, practices and gatekeeping clinics. 3. Provide methods to address stigma and prejudice at the institutional and individual level - including the use of an LGBT Cultural Competence Model for working effectively with LGBT youth cultures. 4. Provide an understanding of the role of the internet as it may provoke and contribute to suicide of LGBT youth, as well as the positive ways that the internet may contribute to prevention of such suicides. 5. Heighten awareness of the issues of LGBT youth, and the recent advances in research regarding such youth. 6. Help not only to reduce the disparate rate of suicidal behavior of LGBT youth but to promote the health, safety, and inclusion of LGBT youth as visible and empowered members of our communities. This paper was published in 2008 by the Suicide Prevention Resource Center, Newton, MA: Education Development Center, Inc.- and it was written by Effie Malley, Marc Posner, and Lloyd Potter with editorial and reference assistance provided by Lori Bradshaw and additional staff of the national Suicide Prevention Resource Center (SPRC). Click here to view this study material. Click here to view and print the quiz you will take for this material.

Course 3J - Professional Guide to Supporting LGBTQI2-S Children and Adolescents

This course is sponsored by CEU By Net and earns 3 Clock Hours of credit for multiple State Boards including Florida, Texas, and Alabama, TCBAP-TAAP, IC&RC, NAADAC, and Florida Certification Board, and 3 PDHs Domain III for EACC effective Dec 22, 2021. It also awards 2.5 CA BBS Hours as of 10.01.15 and 2.5 NBCC Hours. Based upon these credentials, the course is accepted by most state boards for multiple licenses.

This course is appropriate for social workers, mental health and addiction counselors, MFTs and CEAPs who work with LGBTQI2-S youth and their families, and with community service organizations which may serve these youth, such as schools, child protection and welfare agencies, community centers of various types, and health care providers.

This sponsored course is a TRILOGY of excerpts which have been extracted from current SAMHSA publications authored, copyrighted, and published in the public domain by multiple authorities including SAMHSA, CSAT, CMHS, the National Center for Cultural Competence, the National Technical Assistance Center for Children’s Mental Health of the Georgetown University Center for Child and Human Development, and the American Institutes for Research, and other nationally recognized experts in this field. There is an extensive bibliography of validating references. Publication dates are 2014.

This sponsored course is FREE to READ, SAVE, AND PRINT. Enroll in the course on this website if you want to take the quiz for a 3 Credit Hour Certificate from CEU By Net.

There are 3 sections in this course (Parts 1, 2, and 3), The course is in effect a TRILOGY containing some of the best collaborative thinking in the behavioral health field, on the subject of how professionals can effectively meet the needs of LGBTQI2-S CHILDREN and ADOLESCENTS and their FAMILIES. Our purpose in offering this course was concisely articulated by the authors of Part 1, and we quote: "This Practice Brief is for policymakers, administrators, and providers seeking to learn more about

(1) youth who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning, intersex, or two-spirit (LGBTQI2-S) and

(2) how to develop culturally and linguistically competent programs and services to meet their needs and preferences."

A summary of each of the three sections follows:

PART 1 - 'Practice Brief 1, Providing Services and Supports for Youth Who Are LGBTQI2-S' - is a collaborative effort of these entities: SAMHSA, the National Center for Cultural Competence, the National Technical Assistance Center for Children’s Mental Health of the Georgetown University Center for Child and Human Development, and the American Institutes for Research. Individual contributing authors and editors are numerous and are found within the text. The authors in particular express appreciation to the Youth Advisory Board of the New Jersey Lesbian and Gay Coalition including nine adolescents, who provided valuable insights and experiences to inform the brief’s content.

PART 2 - 'A Guide for Understanding, Supporting, and Affirming LGBTQI2-S Children, Youth, and Families' - clarifies terminology and key concepts used in reference to sexual orientation and gender identity, seeks to debunk myths related to sexual orientation and gender identity, and explores the multi-faceted, emotionally vulnerable process of 'coming out', with specific recommendations about how professionals can positively support this process. The emotional and social challenges faced by LGBTQI2-S adolescents are explored, including the potential for negative outcomes as a result of those challenges. The authors address approaches to creating a safe environment for LGBTQI2-S youth and a constructive professional relationship - approaches which differ significantly from those needed to work with non-LGBTQI2-S adolescents.

-- There is an extensive bibliography, and more than 20 website resources are identified and classified as to content - i.e., for professionals vs. family vs. LGBTQI2-S teens.

-- Part 2 was developed by members of the National Workgroup to Address the Needs of Children and Youth Who Are LGBTQI2-S, supported by SAMHSA and CMHS, and by Poirier, J. M.; Fisher, S. K.; Hunt, R. A. & Bearse, M. (2014) in 'A guide for understanding, supporting, and affirming LGBTQI2-S children, youth, and families'. Washington, DC: American Institutes for Research.

PART 3 of this course is 'Learning From the Field: Summary from the Expert Panel on LGBTQI2-S Youth Who Are Homeless [SAMHSA]'. This section is essentially a 'consciousness raising' piece which serves to summarize the critical need for training of providers to offer services that are culturally and linguistically competent for LBGTQI2-S youth - particularly those who are surviving on the street.

--- This section focuses upon the issues affecting homeless ('unaccompanied') youth who are members of this sexual minority population. These youth most typically have taken ‘to the streets’ because of abuse or rejection by their families or caretakers, who do not have an understanding or acceptance of the youth’s sexual orientation or gender identity. Issues include the profound level of physical and sexual victimization and violence which these youth experience on the street and in the foster care system from which many of them come; the health implications of 'survival sex'; the high incidence of substance use as a way of coping with discrimination and abuse; and the fact that youth who are homeless rarely report or seek treatment for trauma and physical and sexual exploitation - and as a result do not obtain treatment for a relatively high rate or PTSD. Awareness of these empirically validated findings will hopefully lead to a more productive and supportive professional relationship.


This is a self-paced course, which is under your own control to work through and complete. Although accessed online, you may save and print the course document and a copy of the quiz for FREE, before making a decision to enroll in the course. You may read the materials online or offline, as you prefer, although the interactive quiz MUST be taken online, logged into your account.

To view and print the study materials and the quiz for FREE, CLICK ON THE + SIGN BELOW. Look for the links, for a preview. When you have enrolled in the course, you will find these same links inside your account, to access the course materials again, and to print and take the online quiz.


GOALS for this course:

1. Understand the primary differences between youth who refer to their sexual orientation and gender identity as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning, intersex, or two-spirit (LGBTQI2-S).

2. Understand what is meant by ‘developing culturally and linguistically competent’ programs and services to meet the needs and preferences of LGBTQI2-S youth.

3. Understand the unique process involved in understanding, supporting, and affirming LGBTQI2-S children, youth, and their families.

4. Prepare to educate others about ‘culturally and linguistically competent interaction’ with LGBTQI2-S youth – including their families or caretakers, school personnel, community service organizations, child protection and welfare agencies, and community leaders.

5. Become sensitive to the issues affecting HOMELESS ('unaccompanied') youth who are members of this sexual minority population, including the profound level of physical and sexual victimization and violence which these youth experience on the street and in the foster care system.

6. Have an awareness of the health implications of 'survival sex' and the high incidence of substance use as a way of coping with discrimination and abuse.

7. Become aware that youth who are homeless rarely report or seek treatment for trauma and physical and sexual exploitation - and as a result do not independently obtain treatment for a relatively high rate of PTSD and substance abuse.

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Study Guide for Course 3J

3 Clock Hours of CE credit. This is a 'QUIZ ONLY' COURSE! Read and print the study material and the quiz for FREE, study off-line if you like, and take the quiz online. YOU PAY ONLY to take the online quiz and to obtain your INSTANTLY DOWNLOADED 3 Clock Hour certificate. This 3 credit hour course has three sections in one PDF study guide. There is one quiz to take, which addresses the three sections of the Study Guide. You may view the quiz for FREE, by clicking the link 'View Quiz', below this link. However you MUST take the quiz on line from inside your account. When you have registered on the site and have enrolled in this course, you will find this course listed on your My Home Page. Click the name of the course there, to find the link for the quiz. Cheers! CEU By Net Click here to view this study material. Click here to view and print the quiz you will take for this material.