Lesbian and Gay Youth: Care and Counseling
- Book Review,
by Donna Futterman
Amazon.com
The authors of this essential new guide maintain that lesbian and gay adolescents "rarely receive health education and counseling in a way that is relevant to them." Health and emotional risks to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered youth are heightened by prejudice and the chance of antigay violence, as well as by the need for secrecy. In fact, the problems of disclosure may be the greatest impediment to appropriate health care for gay minors, who (often rightly) fear that their parents will be informed of their sexuality or their medical conditions. Health care providers have been working without clinical care guidelines for gay youth, let alone a single resource that brings together protocols for assessment, treatment, and psychosocial care. Named the 1998 Book of the Year in Psychiatric Nursing by the American Journal of Nursing, this guide has also been purchased for distribution by the Health Resources and Services Administration and should become the central work in the field. --Regina Marler
From Library Journal
These two books, along with Skil Hunter's Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Youths and Adults: Knowledge for Human Services Practice (Sage, 1998), comprise a trio of recently released titles addressing issues of care and counseling for gay adolescents. All three approach the subject with a blend of the personal and the clinical. In Queer Kids, Owens teaches about, and advocates for, the concerns of gay teens. Observing the benign neglect of society at large in providing support and vital information for queer kids, Owens focuses on counselors, parents, and adolescents, discusses stereotypes and prejudices, and seeks to provide crucial information and viable solutions. His book serves as an excellent guide to gay community resources across the United States. Most importantly, it provides valuable techniques for care givers and family members involved with adolescents trying to define themselves emotionally and sexually. Ryan and Futterman's Lesbian and Gay Youth is a much slimmer volume but still provides copious amounts of information. The authors' mission is to provide a thorough, hands-on guide to materials pertaining to physical and mental health for gay adolescents and young adults. Comprehensive guidelines for care and counseling, a succinct review of pertinent research and information, and discussion of themes pertaining to healthcare concerns are valuable components. The compact single volume was designed to meet the needs of researchers, healthcare providers, and the general public, and it squarely meets its objective. Well written and documented, both books would be appropriate selections for public and academic libraries and should unquestionably be considered for high school counseling collections.?Michael A. Lutes, Univ. of Notre Dame Libs., INCopyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Edge
Lesbian and Gay Youth offers a practical, hands-on,. . . .comprehensive guide to mental and physical health care for gay youth.
Review
"Ryan and Futterman provide us with a vision and the information we need to support the organizations that are desperately trying to respond to these needs and to mobilize forces to change the health care and research agendas that are killing our people through their silence and neglect." -- Tony Silvestre, Lambda Book Report
The Indiana Social Worker, November/December 1997
As our colleges and universities expand their curriculums to include work with gay and lesbian youth in their teaching, this book will be the only resource necessary to teach a clinical course on mental health issues with gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered youth. I value this resource as the most important contribution ever made to the care of gay and lesbian youth
Parents, Families & Friends of Lesbians & Gays [PFLAG] Flagpole, April 1998
Lesbian & Gay Youth: Care and Counseling is the definitive Dr. Spock of the 90's for parents of gay and lesbian youth and young adults. It is a must-read for every PFLAGer, every health and mental health provider, every educator, every parent and everyone concerned about adolescents... Arm yourself with this book and help create an accepting environment so desperately needed for the next generation of lesbian and gay adults. The book breaks new ground with guidelines for assessment, treatment and health promotion, and includes a model client interview, information on working with families and anticipatory guidance, and a referral checklist for assessing the capacity of agencies and providers to care for lesbian and gay youth. Simple outlines and charts make complex material easy to comprehend and communicate to others
Association for Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual Issues in Counseling Newsletter, a division of the American Counseling Association, December 1997
Rarely have I read a book as comprehensive as this one. Lesbian and Gay Youth: Care and Counseling, is a must for anyone working in any of the health care professions, from medicine to mental health, who has contact with adolescents and particularly with gay and lesbian adolescents. . . All of the major issues are covered in this book: substance abuse, depression, stress, suicide, homelessness, STDs, HIV/AIDS, etc. For the doctors, nurses, psychologists, social workers and counselors who work with this population, Lesbian and Gay Youth: Care and Counseling may just be the most important book they could have on their bookshelves. Step by step assessments, interview questions, treatment regimens are laid out in clear, easily understood discussions. All aspects of care, from working with the family, to determining risks, to advocating within the various systems adolescents have to deal with, are laid out and integrated . . .This book should be a requirement for all students training for health care professions
Journal of the Gay and Lesbian Medical Association, vol. 2, no. 1, 1998
Lesbian & Gay Youth: Care and Counseling is an exceptional work. It is authoritative, comprehensive, and practical, filling a niche in the adolescent literature that has been neglected too long. It clearly is also infused with the author's passionate belief that lesbian and gay youth, with the support of informed and caring providers, can grow up happy, healthy and ready to shape the world of tomorrow. While the audience initially intended by the authors was health and mental health providers, it is clear that its appeal will be much wider. The breadth of issues addressed and easy readability make this volume a valuable resource for teachers, students, clergy, administrators, and policy makers as well as the parents and families of lesbian and gay youth. The authors succeed in their hope to provide a book that will 'empower, guide and help' providers and others to offer quality care to all adolescents, including lesbian and gay youth
Society for the Psychological Study of Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Issues Newsletter, a division of the American Psychological Association, December 1997
Ryan and Futterman have created a unique and lasting resource by integrating the psychological and physical treatment issues of lesbian and gay youth. This book is not only a valuable contribution to professionals' understanding, it also is appropriate for educators, administrators, advocates, and parents. Given the authors' long commitment to these youths and their needs, it is not surprising that information is presented with familiarity and authority. Their references represent the best and brightest the field currently has to offer. All of these strengths are combined in approaches that engender respect and caring for gay and lesbian youth in ways rarely seen in professional literature. . . This book fulfills its promise: to provide a clear and concise review of the latest information on the mental health and medical needs of lesbian and gay adolescents. It will likely be one of those rare books that clinicians will refer to frequently, that educators will rely on for years to come, and that both parents and teens will read more than once
Book Description
In addition to specific guidelines for care and for approaching such sensitive topics as sexual behavior, substance abuse, and suicide, this book also includes the first guidelines (clinical care protocols) on primary care, mental health care, HIV medical and psychosocial care for lesbian and gay youth, and HIV counseling and testing for adolescents.
About the Author
CAITLIN C. RYAN is a clinical social worker and the director of AIDS Policy Center, and the author of AIDS: A Public Health Challenge.DONNA FUTTERMAN is associate professor of pediatrics at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, and director of the Adolescent AIDS Program at Montefiore Medical Center.
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