Patching Holes and Integrating Community: A Strengths-Based Continuum of Care for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Questioning Youth

This article describes an integrated model of service provision called a continuum of care (CoC), and illustrates the application of this approach to working with lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (LGBTQ) youth through a case example. The CoC described in this article includes provision of individual and group counseling, case management, housing/family supports, socialization events, and prevention workshops, along with relevant outcomes. The relevance of a CoC model for LGBTQ youth due to the inclusion of community context and potential to empower service users is explored. Key recommendations for CoC models with LGBTQ youth include a focus on collaboration, provider education, and affirmative practice, and incorporating service user feedback.