Providing Unbiased Services for LGBTQ Youth Project
Collaboration Structure
The collaboration is supported by the following:
An established, representative advisory committee that meets on an ongoing basis
The advisory committee, established after the 2008 Juvenile Justice Summit, consists of members of:
- The Equity Foundation
- Multnomah County Child Welfare
- Multnomah County Juvenile Justice
- Portland State University
- The Homeless “Continuum” (New Avenues for Youth, Outside In, Janus Youth, NAYA Family Center)
- Sexual and Gender Minority Youth Resource Center (SMYRC)
- Legal Representatives
The advisory committee communicates regularly both through email and in-person meetings. Advisory committee meetings are held at least quarterly, if not more often, to plan next steps and discuss challenges.
An effort to share its message by presenting at conferences
Following trainings in Multnomah County, the collaboration is looking to spread the word about the trainings and the importance of the topic by presenting a workshop specifically focused on gender-nonconforming youth at the 2012 Meaningful Care Conference, which attracts attendees from across the state. In order to spread the trainings to service providers across the state, the collaboration is hoping to establish champions or advocates for the work in other counties. In addition, it provides free downloads of all its training materials online. See best practices to learn more about ensuring that training materials are available.
Strategic partnerships with organizations that are experienced in the subject matter
The trainings supported by the collaboration were developed and delivered by partners from SMYRC and Portland State University’s Regional Research Institute for Human Services with key subject matter expertise in LGBTQ issues. SMYRC, a non-profit organization focused on working with LGBTQ youth through empowerment, community building, education and direct services, provided a background and overview of LGBTQ issues. The Regional Research Institute for Human Services conducts research and evaluation with the goal of improving peoples' lives through better human services, supports, and policies. The Regional Research Institute provided expertise in evaluation and helped to develop training materials for the project.
