Loading...

Loading...

The True U curriculum is designed to provide individuals working with youth experiencing homelessness an opportunity to become more culturally aware and affirming of LGBT folks.

Partners of The Way Home are engaging with the True Colors Fund’s online cultural inclusivity training platform, True U, which provides an overview about LGBT youth homelessness and an introduction to concepts including pronouns, transgender youth, and oppression. The training courses provide tips for organizations around inclusive policies and procedures.

99% of service providers report working with LGBTQ youth.

We believe that everyone has a role to play in addressing lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning (LGBTQ) youth homelessness, and that we are all always learning and improving. The True Colors Inclusion Assessment was developed with those beliefs in mind. Our Inclusion Assessment enables service providers to assess their current level of LGBTQ-inclusive and affirming practices from a strengths-based perspective. The tool has been reviewed by service providers and LGBTQ young people with lived experience of homelessness.

Source: Serving Our Youth

True Colors Fund's safe space sticker

Inclusion requires buy-in at all levels of an organization.

The True Colors Inclusion Assessment is an eight-week process that focuses on strengthening programmatic and cultural aspects of the organization to better meet the needs of LGBTQ youth, creating a safer space for everyone.  The process consists of three phases:

Phase 1

In the first phase of the assessment process, an organizational representative or committee uses the tool to assess the inclusivity of the organization’s policies, practices, physical space, and programs.

Phase 2

In the second phase, each employee completes an anonymous survey to assess their own individual practices, including their comfort and confidence levels in working with LGBTQ youth.

Phase 3

In the third and final phase of the Inclusion Assessment, young people who access services at the organization complete an anonymous survey to gauge their perceptions and experiences regarding LGBTQ inclusivity within the organization.

Following the completion of each phase, the True Colors Fund provides custom recommendations to guide the organization toward creating more inclusive and affirming programs, policies, and spaces. We offer technical assistance and support to organizations as they implement the recommendations.

The True Colors Fund is partnering with all Houston and Harris County homeless services organizations to increase LGBT inclusion.

The True Colors Fund is partnering with the Coalition for the Homeless of Houston/Harris County to launch a community-wide lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) cultural inclusivity training challenge with all local homeless service providers. From July 6 – August 7, 2017, over 60 homeless service providers in Houston and Harris County will participate in the “True U Community Challenge.” The Challenge comes out of a partnership with The Way Home – the collaborative effort to prevent and end homelessness in Houston, Harris County, Fort Bend County and Montgomery County, Texas; and the True Colors Fund – which works nationally to end homelessness among LGBT youth. These trainings are being provided by the True Colors Fund’s free True U Online Training Platform.

What participants had to say:

Loading...

Loading...