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Jen meets with veteran LGBTQ researcher Dr. Caitlin Ryan to talk about how family responses can directly impact the health and wellbeing of their LGBTQ family member. Dr. Ryan talks about her decades-long research on behaviors that occur within families when an LGBTQ person comes out and how those behaviors directly impact their self-worth, hopefulness, risk behaviors, health, and self-care. Dr. Ryan discusses the importance of connectedness and gives tips for families whose child has recently come out. Don’t miss this important conversation about family acceptance and the potential to impact the health and wellbeing of their LGBTQ loved one.

Guest: Caitlin Ryan

Caitlin Ryan is the director of the Family Acceptance Project® — a research, education, intervention and policy project – to help ethnically, racially and religiously diverse families to support their LGBTQ children. Dr. Ryan is a clinical social worker, researcher and educator who has worked on lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBTQ) health and mental health for more than 40 years and whose work on LGBTQ health has shaped policy and practice for LGBTQ and gender diverse children and youth. She received her clinical training with children and adolescents at Smith College School for Social Work. Dr. Ryan started the Family Acceptance Project with Dr. Rafael Diaz in 2002 to help diverse families to decrease rejection and prevent related health risks for their LGBT children — including suicide, drug use, homelessness and HIV - and to promote family acceptance and positive outcomes including permanency. Dr. Ryan works with organizations, faith communities, families and providers to integrate FAP’s family-based support approach to build healthy futures for children, youth and young adults.

Links From the Show:

• Learn more about The Family Acceptance Project: https://familyproject.sfsu.edu/
• Donate to The Family Acceptance Project: https://familyproject.sfsu.edu/donate 
• LGBTQ Youth and Family Resources: https://lgbtqfamilyacceptance.org/?fbclid=IwAR0VOSv6VY0mBSz04mfSvN2vxQvoWIWLEfGBasRVGOiWwFid8aXqx_dQEe8 
• Find LGBTQ Resources Near You: https://trainings-theinstitutecf.umaryland.edu/lgbtqfamily/map.cfm 
• LGBTQ Crisis Lines: https://lgbtqfamilyacceptance.org/crisis-lines/ 
• Faith-Based LGBTQ Resources: https://lgbtqfamilyacceptance.org/faith-based-resources/ 
• Culture-Based LGBTQ Resources: https://lgbtqfamilyacceptance.org/culture-based-resources/ 

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