ABOUT

This course is designed to build and improve the skills of service providers working with LGBTQ+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or otherwise identifying within the queer community) ORR-eligible clients, who often encounter many complex challenges throughout their resettlement or migration journeys. This course will equip service providers to become effective allies in practice, enhancing their cultural sensitivity and ability to provide trauma-informed care. The course will also delve into specific strategies for vulnerable sub-groups, including LGBTQ+ youth and those seeking gender-affirming care. Participants will have the opportunity to practice applying their skills through hands-on engagement with real-life case scenarios. 


Upon completion of this course learners will be able to: 

  • Explain topics relevant to serving LGBTQ+ clients, including key terminology and principles of allyship and inclusivity 
  • Describe the landscape impacting LGBTQ+ individuals in various states or regions and the social implications of LGTBQ+ identities in the context of newcomers’ home countries or primary cultures  
  • Analyze how factors like race, ethnicity, religion, socioeconomic status, and LGBTQ+ identity intersect at a micro level, generating deeper insights into the experiences and needs of LGBTQ+ individuals  
  • Apply practical skills in serving LGBTQ+ clients   

    1. Welcome to the Course!

    2. How to Navigate this Course

    3. Book Office Hours with Your Course Instructors

    4. Required: Introduce yourself

    1. Welcome to Module 1

    2. Required Module 1 Pre-Work: Pre-assessment

    3. Required Module 1 Pre-Work: Watch the ​Switchboard: Serving LGBTQ+ Refugees and Newcomers Webinar

    4. Required Module 1 Pre-Work: ​​Read these Excerpts from the UNHCR LGBTIQ+ Refugees Integration Handbook

    5. Required Module 1 Pre-Work: Read this Case Scenario and be Prepared to Discuss it in Breakout Rooms

    6. Required Module 1 Pre-Work: Discussion Board

    7. Optional Module 1 Pre-Work: Read the Switchboard Guide: Trauma-Informed Care: A Primer for Refugee Service Providers

    8. Optional Module 1 Pre-Work: Heartland Alliance Video: In Our Voices: The Journeys of LGBT Refugees and Asylees (2013)

    9. Optional Module 1 Pre-Work: Listen to the Switchboard podcast: Serving LGBTQ+ Newcomers (2023)

    10. Module 1 Synchronous Zoom Session

    11. Module 1 Slide Deck Downloadable

    1. Welcome to Module 2

    2. Required Module 2 Pre-Work: Navigate the InReach website or download the InReach mobile app to explore LGBTQ+-affirming referrals in your area

    3. Read through the ORAM Guide: Sexual and Gender Minority Refugees Safe Space Checklist (2020)

    4. Required Module 2 Pre-Work: Read the short guide on the Trevor Project: How to Signal You Are an Ally in a Hostile Environment (2023)

    5. Required Module 2 Pre-Work: Read these excerpts from Rainbow Response: A Practical Guide to Resettling LGBT Refugees and Asylees (2012)

    6. Required Module 2 Pre-Work: Read this Case Scenario and be Prepared to Discuss it in Breakout Rooms

    7. Required Module 2 Pre-Work: Discussion Board

    8. Optional Module 2 Pre-Work: Watch Switchboard’s recent webinar Creating Inclusive Spaces for the LGBTQ+ Community in Newcomer Services (2024)

    9. Optional Module 2 Pre-Work: Read the Trevor Project Guide: Navigating LGBTQ+ Identities and Religion (2021)

    10. Optional Module 2 Pre-Work: Watch the Global Refuge Video: You Deserve Love (2024)

    11. Optional Module 2 Pre-Work: Read the Heartland Alliance LGBT Refugee Resettlement Guidelines and Agency Self-Assessment (2013)

    12. Module 2 Synchronous Zoom Session

    13. Module 2 Slide Deck Downloadable and Zoom Chat

    1. Welcome to Module 3

    2. Required Module 3 Pre-Work: Read Excerpts from Heartland Alliance

    3. Required Module 3 Pre-Work: Review Trevor Project review of Facts About LGTBQ+ Youth Suicide (TW: Suicide)

    4. Required Module 3 Pre-Work: Read this Case Scenario and be Prepared to Discuss it in Breakout Rooms

    5. Required Module 3 Pre-Work: Discussion Board

    6. Optional Module 3 Pre-Work: Refer to your state/local policies on youth access to gender affirming care at the KFF Policy Tracker

    7. Optional Module 3 Pre-Work: Review the Trevor Project’s 2020 National Survey on LGBTQ+ Youth Mental Health

    8. Module 3 Synchronous Zoom Session

    9. Module 3 Slide Deck Downloadable

    1. Welcome to Module 4

    2. Required Module 4 Pre-Work: Watch Sunny Miller's TedX: Living with Gender Dysphoria (TW: Mentions of Suicide)

    3. Required Module 4 Pre-Work: Review this Transgender Terminology from GSAFE WI

    4. Required Module 4 Pre-Work: ​​Look at specific barriers to gender-affirming care in your state on the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association Website​

    5. Required Module 4 Pre-Work: Read this case scenario, and be prepared to discuss it in breakout rooms during the live session

    6. Required Module 4 Pre-Work: Discussion Board

    7. Optional Module 4 Pre-Work: Read the Planned Parenthood Guide: Gender Affirming Hormone Therapy Injection Guide

    8. Module 4 Synchronous Zoom Session

    9. Module 4 Slide Deck Downloadable

    1. End of Course Objetive Check-In

    2. Course Completion Satisfaction Survey

    3. Course Outro & Next Steps

    4. Optional: Connect with Your Course Cohort Peers

    5. Resources from Enhancing Services for LGTBQ+ Newcomers

Course Details

  • Free
  • 51 lessons
  • 1.5 hours of video content

Take the course with Switchboard, start today.

ENROLL FOR FREE