Adapting the Islands of Safety Model for LGBTQ2S+ Communities
Adapting the Islands of Safety Model for LGBTQ2S+ Communities
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Issue Date
2016-10-24
Authors
Haven, Sonder
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Abstract
The purpose of this study was to gain initial feedback from lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer, two-spirit and other gender and sexual minority (LGBTQ2S+) counsellors, social workers and anti-violence workers on the Islands of Safety response-based model and whether it could be used in LGBTQ2S+ communities. Online, asynchronous focus groups were conducted over the course of a week in February 2016 with 26 counsellors, social workers, psychiatric nurses, anti-violence workers and outreach workers from across a spectrum of genders, sexualities and ethnicities. Results showed that resistance and dignity were the most embraced response-based ideas. Focusing on both responses and impacts of violence was important. Including family of choice, using the client's language for their gender and sexuality and not making assumptions about family structure and the gender of the primary parent was important. Participants who stated that they knew about or were connected to Métis and Indigenous cultures and politics supported working to bridge differences in genders and sexualities across cultures without changing the Islands of Safety model. Non-Indigenous, non-Métis LGBTQ+ health care practitioners need more training around Métis and Indigenous views of gender and family structure to contextualize the traditional view of family used in the model.
Description
Keywords
LGBTQ , LGBTQ2S+ , interpersonal violence , IPV , family therapy , queer families , gender and sexual minority counselors , LGBTQ2S+ counselors , islands of safety model
License
Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 United States , openAccess