NCJ Number
115191
Journal
Practice Digest Volume: 7 Issue: 1 Dated: (Summer 1984) Pages: complete issue
Date Published
1984
Length
8 pages
Annotation
Articles in this special issued examine the social service needs of gays and lesbians.
Abstract
The Gay and Lesbian Counseling Program at the Minneapolis Family and Children's Services is described. The program offers group and individual therapy, short-term couples' communication groups, and family therapy and parenting education. By mainstreaming gay services within a large, traditional agency, clients receive validation and are alleviated of anxieties concerning the quality of services received. A similar program operated by the North Shore Community Mental Health Center in Salem, Mass.; has served over 100 gay and lesbian clients, in addition to countless inquiries, referrals, information requests, and telephone interventions. Individual and group therapy and referral services have helped gays and lesbians deal with such issues as sexual identity, depression, bereavement, and family relationships. A case study illustrates strategies for non-gay therapists who work with gay and lesbian clients. It is suggested that such therapists can help homosexual clients deal with traditional, generic therapy issues if they have worked through their feelings and attitudes toward homosexuality. A 25-unit Homosexuality Education and Linkage Programs Package has been developed to help professionals better service the gay and lesbian communities. The package provides ground rules and approaches for working with homosexual clients, as well as referral and information resources. Information available from the National Gay Task Force is briefly described. 11 references.