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 After more than ten years,
the HIV Center intervention "Working It Out
for Gay, Lesbian, and Bisexual Youth"
continues to be disseminated throughout New
York State and beyond, with new partnerships in
development.
A video-based, manualized
intervention program for lesbian,
 gay, and bisexual (LGB) adolescents, Working It
Out was developed jointly by researchers,
representatives from community-based
organizations (CBOs), and youth. "This
intervention is designed to help youth develop
skills to manage their developing social and
sexual roles and to cope with the stress of
stigma, discrimination, and heterosexism," said
Principal Investigator
Joyce Hunter, D.S.W.
"These stressful experiences put many LGB young
people at high risk for a variety of negative
outcomes including HIV transmission, drug use,
and suicide."
 The intervention video and manual
were first developed in 1994 by Hunter and the
Media Group of the HIV Center, with close
collaboration with LGB youths and the CBOs that
serve them. The video consists of fourteen
brief vignettes, totaling 30 minutes, which
present difficult situations that commonly face LGB youth, including rejection by family,
suicidal ideation, sexual abuse, and drug use.
As part of the intervention, youths discuss
their reactions and consider strategies for
dealing with the stressful events.
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Nine agencies from throughout the Greater New
York Area participated in the initial phase of
the Working It Out Program, examining the
efficacy of Center of Queens
County (ACQC), Queens; Center Lane, Westchester
Jewish Community Services Center, White Plains;
Health Outreach to Teens (HOTT), Callen-Lorde
Community Health Center; Green Chimneys
Children's Services, New York City; Hetrick
Martin Institute (HMI), New York City; Long
Island Gay and Lesbian Youth (LIGALY),
Bayshore; Pride for Youth (Long Island Crisis
Center), Bellmore; Shades of Lavender, Brooklyn
AIDS Task Force, Brooklyn; and the Youth
Enrichment Services (YES), Lesbian, Gay,
Bisexual, and Transgender
Community Center, New York City.
 In 2007, eight of the nine
original agencies have continued to offer the
intervention. Agencies have also incorporated
the curriculum into peer leadership programs
for youth and other agency trainings, have used Working It Out in public school trainings, and have
developed training curricula for both
transgender youth and for young adult MSM.
Further, the intervention has been implemented
by several additional agencies in New York
City, as well as in Salt Lake City, UT, Boston,
MA, St. Louis, MO, and Baltimore, MD. The most
recent training was held by the Maryland State
Department of Health for several grantee
agencies serving the LGB population. New
partnerships within and outside New York City
and State are steadily evolving."There is a whole new generation of lesbian,
gay, bisexual, and transgender young people who
have to address coming out and other stressful
life experiences," notes Hunter. "We're proud
that after so many years, Working It Out is
still in the forefront of HIV prevention with
these youths."
To read more about Working It Out,
click here
for an article in Body Positive Magazine. To
learn about how you can order the video,
click here. |
