Helping Families Support LGBTQIA+ Youth

Description

What if your words could prevent a suicide? What if your guidance could mend a family on the brink of rupture? For LGBTQIA+ youth, acceptance is more than a moral imperative—it’s a lifeline. Clinicians who support both the young person and their family can profoundly alter the trajectory of a life.

Helping Families Support LGBTQIA+ Youth gives behavioral health professionals the tools to engage caregivers who are struggling, afraid, or misinformed—and to guide them toward understanding, empathy, and affirmation. It’s not easy work, but it is urgent. And the right knowledge can make all the difference.

Christopher McLaughlin, MSW, LCSW (he/him), brings more than 20 years of leadership and clinical experience to this course. As Executive Director of NASW Maine and owner of Inspired Consulting Group, Chris has worked extensively with LGBTQIA+ youth and families across clinical settings. He’s also a nationally recognized educator and award-winning advocate for inclusive mental health care. His expertise offers both practical insight and heartfelt perspective for clinicians who want to improve outcomes for queer youth and their families.

Chris delivers this training through a trauma-informed, family-systems approach rooted in both clinical best practices and lived experience. Using case illustrations, inclusive language, and strategies that honor both youth identity and caregiver concerns, Chris helps providers hold space for complex family dynamics while advocating for affirming care.

Topics covered include LGBTQIA+ terminology and identity development, stages of coming out, family rejection versus acceptance behaviors, trauma-informed clinical practices, grief and loss models, suicide risk, TF-CBT applications, ethical considerations, and the clinician’s role as an ally. Special emphasis is placed on real-world strategies for engaging caregivers who are struggling to accept their child’s identity.

Key Takeaways:

• Transform family dynamics: Gain skills to help families move from fear or rejection to understanding and affirmation.

• Enhance clinical effectiveness: Learn evidence-based, trauma-informed, and culturally responsive strategies specific to LGBTQIA+ youth.

• Respond ethically and confidently: Build clarity around ethical issues and communication practices when working with this population.

Why this course?

• Clinician-centered education: Created by a nationally recognized expert with real-world experience in helping families and systems support LGBTQIA+ youth.

• Comprehensive and accessible: Combines trauma-informed models, clinical techniques, and advocacy strategies in a digestible format.

• Mission-driven learning: Offered by Telehealth Certification Institute, whose mission is to empower healthcare professionals with exceptional continuing education.

Learning Objectives:

• Define terms associated with LGBTQIA+ youth

• Review several key concepts related to LGBTQIA+ youth

• Introduce a model of coming out for LGBTQIA+ youth

• Bring awareness of the risk factors associated with LGBTQIA+ youth

• Outline best practice clinical approaches for the behavior health treatment of LGBTQIA+ youth

• Educate on concepts of Pronouns/Dead Names

• Review concepts of Trauma-Informed Care and Grief and Loss theories

• Provide overview of family rejection vs. family acceptance

• Apply Trauma-Focused CBT principals in clinical work with families of LGBTQIA+ youth

• Introduce strategies to enhance family acceptance

• Describe ethical issues that might arise when working with LGBTQIA+ youth and families

Whether you’re a seasoned clinician or just beginning your work with LGBTQIA+ clients, this self-paced course offers tools that can help you make a lasting difference.

Enroll now and become the provider families can turn to when they need it most.

Format and Access

This is a non-interactive, self-study course that consists of 150+ minutes of video instruction, a post-test and a course evaluation.

Course Details

Availability: 

From the time of registration, you have six months to access the coursework.

Who Should Attend: 

This course is intended for clinicians who provide behavioral health services.

Teaching Methods: 

This is a non-interactive, self-study course. Teaching methods for this course include recorded lectures, videos, a post-test, and a course evaluation.

How to Attend: 

Course access and completion instructions.

Instructor and Disclosures

Instructor

Disclosure Statement: 

The instructor for this course receive compensation for their services. There are no reported conflicts of interest to disclose.

CE Hours

Credit Hours:

This course consists of 2.5 continuing education hours of credit.

Counselors:

Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No, 6693.  Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified.  Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs. 

Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for Licensed Mental Health Counselors. #MHC-0048.

Marriage and Family Therapists: 

Many MFT licensing boards accept our courses or one of the approvals which we have from professional associations.  You can check with your board to determine if your licensing board would accept this course.

Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed marriage and family therapists #MFT-0135, effective May 8, 2025.

Social Workers:

Telehealth Certification Institute LLC, #1609, is approved as an ACE provider to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. ACE provider approval period: 05/02/2024 – 05/02/2027. Social workers completing this course receive 2.5 clinical continuing education credits.

Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Social Work as an approved provider of continuing education for Licensed Social Workers #SW-0435.

Addiction Professionals:

This course has been approved by Telehealth Certification Institute LLC, as a NAADAC Approved Education Provider, for educational credits, effective 2/20/2024. NAADAC Provider #193104, Telehealth Certification Institute LLC is responsible for all aspects of the programming.

Psychologists:

Telehealth Certification Institute LLC is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. Telehealth Certification Institute LLC maintains responsibility for this program and its content.

Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Psychology as an approved provider of continuing education for Licensed Psychologists #PSY-0128.

Art Therapists: 

Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for Licensed Creative Arts Therapists #CAT-0093.

Other Professionals:

This course qualifies for 150 minutes of instructional content as required by many national, state and local licensing boards and professional organizations.  Retain your certificate of completion and contact your board or organization for specific filing requirements.

This is a non-interactive, self-study course.

Accommodations and Policies

Close Captioning is available for live webinars and recorded video presentations.

You can click on the following links to view our policies:

• Accommodations for Individuals with Disabilities.
• Cancellation Policy
• Grievance Policy
• Support Options
• Disclosure Statement