COLORS Offers a Safe and Affirmative Space for LGBTQ Youth

Antioch University Los Angeles trained LGBT Specialist Counselors provide free services to community that lacks sufficient resources and support Los Angeles, Calif. May 3, 2011 Antioch University Los Angeles LGBT Specialization in Clinical Psychology, the first such specialization of its kind in the country, has joined together with two community partners to form COLORS, a comprehensive center to combat the epidemic of suicides and bullying among Lesbian, Gay, Bi-Sexual, Transgendered/Trans-sexual and Questioning (LGBTQ) youth. In a remarkable display of community collaboration, the LGBT Specialization is working with The Relational Center and Pueblo Nuevo Development Corporation (PND) to offer this underserved population and their families counseling, psychotherapy, support, advocacy and academic support free of charge. COLORS is committed to creating a world where LGBTQ youth are valued, embraced and invited to contribute to their full potential. According to the same U.S. Department of Health and Human Services report, gay and lesbian youth are two to six times more likely to attempt suicide than heterosexual youth with suicide being the leading cause of death among gay and lesbian youth. Gays and lesbians are also at much higher risk than the heterosexual population for alcohol and drug abuse. LGBTQ youth are also at greater risk for school failure than heterosexual children. With COLORS we hope to reduce the isolation that LGBTQ youth feel. We are building a safe and affirmative space that values and celebrates diversity. COLORS is a place where the youth can affirm who they are and not suppress their feelings, says Douglas Sadownick, Ph.D., Director of AULAs LGBT Specialization.We want to help stop bullying, work with families and foster action networks. COLORS is currently operating a satellite at the L.A. Gay and Lesbian Center's Lifeworks and also at The Relational Center. The main COLORS site will be located at the Camino Nuevo Charter Academy in Los Angeles and will begin seeing clients in early fall.

(MORE)

COLORS OFFERS A SAFE AND AFFIRMATIVE SPACE FOR LGBTQ YOUTH Page 2 of 2

Antioch University Los Angeles LGBT Specialization Program in Clinical Psychology is the first graduate psychology specialization devoted to training students to develop expertise in the area of LGBT-affirmative psychotherapy, counseling and community work for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals. Antiochs LGBT Specialization ensures that future Marriage and Family Therapists invested in providing support to members of the LGBT community are prepared with cutting edge developments in LGBT-Affirmative theory and practice. Pueblo Nuevo Development was formed in 1993 as part of a grass roots effort to develop social and economic capital within the Latin-American immigrant community of the MacArthur Park neighborhood near downtown Los Angeles. Beginning in 1999, PND initiated a school-anchored community development strategy founding the Camino Nuevo Academies (CNCA). The Relational Center, a nonprofit organization founded in 2007, offers a range of programs that stimulate health and wellness for individuals, families and organizations. It is committed to confronting the dangerous effects of shame and isolation among the most marginalized communities. Antioch University Los Angeles (AULA) provides a rigorous progressive education to prepare students for the complexities of today's diverse societies. AULA, a not-for-profit institution, has served the greater Los Angeles area since 1972. The core values of social justice, service to the community and lifelong learning lie at the heart of the B.A. degree completion program and masters degree programs in organizational management, education and teacher credentialing, psychology, creative writing and urban sustainability. AULA is part of the Antioch University system which has roots dating back to 1852. Inspired by the work of pioneering educator Horace Mann, Antioch University was founded in 1964 and serves over 5,000 adult students around the world and across the country, online and at five campuses in four states. Media Contact: Karen Hamilton, khamilton1@antioch.edu cell: 310-804-3795 # # #