Making It Better Today:
The Simcoe County LGBT Youth
Needs Assessment Report
Presentation to Coalition Planning Table
Ligaya Byrch
November 13, 2012
Collaborative
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AIDS Committee of Simcoe County
Byrch Consulting & Associates
Canadian Mental Health Association
Mental Health $ Addictions Services of Simcoe
County
Kinark
LGBT YouthLine
O.S.S.T.F. District 17, Human Rights Committee
Rainbow Health Ontario
SMDHU
The evaluation process
• A total of 157 LGBT youth, allies, service
providers and educators participated in online
surveys, focus groups and participatory art
methods from August 2011 to January 2012
• 50 community consultation surveys completed
• 67 LGBT youth completed an online survey
• 2 youth focus groups
• 30 participants in a participatory art
Community-Based Needs Assessment
Model
Some key findings from the
community consultations
• 83% of participants identified that they provide a safe space for LGBT
youth, however only 4% of the youth who participated identified that they
access a community organization for support
• 58% of participants reported receiving requests for support for youth
however, at the time of this survey, the only LGBT specific supports
available to youth are GSAs and the LGBT YouthLine
• Community organizations made up 38% of the respondents and
educational institutions made up 26% of the respondents
• 58% of respondents provide direct service to youth, while 12% were in
management, 18% in coordination roles and 6% responsible for policy
development
• Only 41% of respondents felt they had adequate training on LGBT issues
Some key findings from the youth
survey
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47% of respondents heard homophobic comments on a daily basis while 32%
heard transphobic and negative gender related comments daily
While 75% of youth wanted community-based programs, 70% of youth felt there
was a need for community-based programs, 70% of youth also felt there was a
need for community-based mental health programs
Social participation opportunities were most important for LGBT youth as 80% of
participants requested LGBT dances and 77% would like another GSA conference
51% of participants are dealing with verbal harassment about their LGBT identity
24% of youth have thoughts of ending their life and 33% are dealing with anxiety,
depression or self-harm
24% identified substance-use as an issue they are dealing with
Overall, 42% of youth identified that they are struggling with parental and family
acceptance
22% of youth who participated identified that spirituality and religion is an issue
that they are currently struggling with
Some key findings from the LGBT
Youth focus groups
• Respondents identified themes around safety, support, barriers and
experiences of oppression
• The interconnection among these themes must be understood in the
development of space for LGBT youth
• LGBT youth felt that there was a need for both LGBT friendly and LGBT
specific services
• Differences emerged between youth who had supports in their school
environment and those that did not
• There was a divide between supported youth who want integration and
youth who are unsupported and are seeking more LGBT identity
development, validation around their experiences of oppression and an
LGBT community that is visible
Future Considerations
Adults, just like youth also need access to services
including:
• LGBT parenting and LGBT parenting options
• Supporting school aged children with LGBT
parents
• Lack of supportive health care providers
• Social opportunities and community-building
• LGBT positive counselors, mental health workers
and social workers
10 Action Steps
1. Acknowledge
2. Understand
3. Collaborate
4. Motivate
5. Encourage
6. Request
7. Adopt
8. Make
9. Commit
10. Assist
Motion
That the Coalition Planning Table agrees that the
needs of LGBT youth and their families is
important, and that the Coalition Planning
Table support the work of Coalition members
by being inclusive of all diverse populations
representative of the children, youth and
families of Simcoe County including those who
identify as LGBT.