An exploratory look at the experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender homeless youth in accessing social services

Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender homeless youth experience or perceive barriers to accessing social services at rates higher than those of their heterosexual counterparts. This occurs for a variety of reasons including societal homophobia (Floyd, Stein, Harter, Allison & Nye, 1999), stigma within the social service system (Quinn, 2002), and a lack of services tailored specifically to LGBT youth (Van Leeuwen, Boyle, Salomonsen-Sautel, Baker, Garcia, Hoffman, et al., 2006). Sources of Data Qualitative interviews were administered to 14 research participants that ranged in age from 18 to 24. All participants identified as either lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or other, and all were currently experiencing housing instability. Conclusions Reached A majority of respondents had received mental health services (85 percent), felt prepared to access services (92 percent), and turned to service providers for help when they needed it (57 percent). Housing and mental health treatment was identified as the most useful help participants had received. Fifty percent of the respondents were currently receiving mental health services, and another 50 percent reported having at least one negative experience with a service provider that made them not want to return for further treatment. In addition, the need for additional housing to meet the needs of this population was discussed by a number of participants throughout the interview process.