Working With Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender People in Care Relationships

This chapter details some key considerations for health and human services professionals working with lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people in care relationships. Reflecting on the impacts of stigma and discrimination as well as the social, cultural, and political contexts of LGBT communities and carers, this chapter will explore some of ways these factors (as well as heterosexist and cis-genderist assumptions about families and partners) impact the identification, support, and recognition of LGBT people in care relationships. Finally, this chapter will recommend strategies to reduce poor mental health and wellbeing outcomes among people in care relationships where one or all people involved are LGBT, and explore some key actions that may assist health and human services better support and include LGBT people in care relationships.

Working With Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender People in Care Relationships

This chapter details some key considerations for health and human services professionals working with lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people in care relationships. Reflecting on the impacts of stigma and discrimination as well as the social, cultural, and political contexts of LGBT communities and carers, this chapter will explore some of ways these factors (as well as heterosexist and cis-genderist assumptions about families and partners) impact the identification, support, and recognition of LGBT people in care relationships. Finally, this chapter will recommend strategies to reduce poor mental health and wellbeing outcomes among people in care relationships where one or all people involved are LGBT, and explore some key actions that may assist health and human services better support and include LGBT people in care relationships.

 A Qualitative Examination of the Preparedness of African American Pastors to Address Issues of Addictions

This study qualitatively explored the preparedness of African American pastors to meet the needs of parishioners with addictions. Findings indicated that African American pastors do not always perceive themselves to be prepared to address issues of addiction, and existing cultural barriers challenge collaboration between human services practitioners and African American pastors. Findings also revealed that despite existing cultural barriers, African American pastors are willing to collaborate with professionals who offer educational opportunities in culturally relevant ways. Human services professionals’ ability to understand cultural nuances of African American pastors is of paramount concern to effectively enhance the quality of life for clients utilizing faith-based interventions to meet the needs of individuals with addiction. Recommendations for strategies for human service professionals to build collaborations with pastors of African American churches are provided.

 Using a Science Literary Lens to Conceptualize Anxiety Around COVID-19: Strategies for Human Services Professionals

Amid the COVID-19 global pandemic, Human Services Professionals (HSPs) are faced with clients experiencing increased anxiety. HSPs again must broaden their scope of competency to approach this novel, natural phenomenon. Science literacy is the understanding and application of scientific knowledge toward decisions and sensemaking. Although science literacy has many facets, one area, Crosscutting Concepts (CCCs), prioritizes individuals’ funds of knowledge to engage with new phenomena such as COVID-19. This paper describes the role of HSPs responding to COVID-19; provides a conceptual framework through the Ecological Systems Theory, which centers on clients and science literacy; and proposes an integration of science concepts with HSPs’ work. Finally, this paper ends with a vignette collection offering CCCs and resource pathways HSPs can utilize with their clients.

Working With Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender People in Care Relationships

This chapter details some key considerations for health and human services professionals working with lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people in care relationships. Reflecting on the impacts of stigma and discrimination as well as the social, cultural, and political contexts of LGBT communities and carers, this chapter will explore some of ways these factors (as well as heterosexist and cis-genderist assumptions about families and partners) impact the identification, support, and recognition of LGBT people in care relationships. Finally, this chapter will recommend strategies to reduce poor mental health and wellbeing outcomes among people in care relationships where one or all people involved are LGBT, and explore some key actions that may assist health and human services better support and include LGBT people in care relationships.

Multilingualism in Counselor Education and Human Services Professionals: Implications for a New Training Paradigm

This study analyzes the relationships among the three distinct levels of language and cultural-linguistic professional competences. A total of 483 participants from three U.S. and one Central American university representing the fields of counseling, social work, family services, and psychology were surveyed. The results suggest that there is a large multilingual training deficit among human service providers in the U.S. Training programs need to make curricular revisions to include bi/multilingual training consistent with multilingual clientele. Recommendations for culturally-embedded and non-native language use are provided to increase cultural-linguistic competences among counselor education trainees.

Recovery Orientation as the Clinical Matrix

At the core of working with people who experience mental illnesses is a collaboration in pursuit of helping them actualize their goals in work and love. Their recovery is therefore a unique process of personal development, with psychiatrists and other human services professionals practicing with recovery orientation. Specific skills, techniques, and services are identified as recovery oriented. In this chapter, through relating one person’s story, the reader can understand how recovery orientation becomes operational in a clearly systematic manner, using such techniques as motivational interviewing, shared decision-making, rehabilitative focus, person-centered treatment planning, and the use of peer supports. In this way, it is illustrated how recovery orientation is not only richly humanitarian but also evidence-based.