Trainer: Sue Heguy, LCSW & Lisa Athan, MA
Price: $40

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer or Questioning (LGBTQ) youth have higher rates of mental health disorders, substance abuse, involvement in the child welfare & criminal justice system and represent half of the homeless unaccompanied youth population in some cities. LGBTQ youth are at elevated risk for suicide. Today’s LBGTQ youth come out at younger ages, and public support for LGBTQ issues has dramatically increased–so why do LGBTQ youth continue to be at high risk for compromised mental health? This workshop will provide an overview of the contemporary context for LGBTQ youth, followed by a review of current science on LGBTQ youth mental health. Research in the past decade has identified risk and protective factors for mental health, which point to promising directions for prevention, intervention, and treatment. Legal and policy successes have set the stage for advances in programs and practices that may foster LGBTQ youth mental health. Implications for clinical care are discussed.

About the Trainers

Sue Heguy graduated NYU in 1997 with an MSW in Social Work and became a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in 2001. She is licensed in the State of New Jersey with 25 years of experience working with youth and families in the mental health field. She was a school social worker in Jersey City and for the past 10 years has been employed by Care Plus in the Child/Family Division. Mrs. Heguy has extensive training on trauma treatment modalities for youth. She has been trained in CBT, DBT, EMDR, and most recently clinical Hypnosis. Mrs. Heguy is a trained trauma responder and is certified in PFA/PTSM TII/CBI and QPR. Mrs. Heguy has focused her expertise on helping children and adults to overcome trauma/grief and loss issues. Mrs. Heguy has been employed by Care Plus NJ, Inc., as a full-time Manager of clinical programing. She is also has been Bergen County Coordinator of the Traumatic Loss Coalition for the past 10 years. Mrs. Heguy is a professional trainer and provides seminars and consultation services on vital mental health topics to help improve social and emotional functioning. Mrs. Heguy is a nationally trained instructor for Mental Health First Aid (2008) and Youth Mental Health First Aid (2013). She is a certified instructor for Connect Suicide Prevention Program which is operated by NAMI NH, 2009. Mrs. Heguy is a trained instructor by the Reach Institute, New York City, in Evidenced Based Therapy-CBT techniques to train clinicians on how to most effectively treat youth struggling from depression, anxiety, trauma and disruptive behavior. Mrs. Heguy is also an approved clinical supervisor by the NSAW and is SIFI certified.

Lisa Athan has a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and a Master’s degree in Counseling and is a Grief Recovery Specialist. Lisa serves on the N.J. Traumatic Loss Coalition for Youth as a Lead Responder in Union, Essex and Middlesex Counties. Lisa is a co-founder of Camp Clover, which is a NJ bereavement day camp for children and teens, where she is the bereavement specialist and facilitates sharing circles as well as runs the staff trainings and conducts screenings for the camp. Lisa is currently writing a book for teens, their parents and teachers on grief, loss and other tough stuff that teens experience.