Affirmative Research

Affirmative Research engages in innovative research and provides training and consultation to behavioral health professionals. Our goal is to improve the mental health and wellbeing of LGBTQIA+ youth, young adults and their caregivers. Affirmative Research was created to bridge the research-practice divide associated with the wellbeing of LGBTQIA+ youth and young adults. Combining empirical evidence, an affirmative practice framework, and decades of community-based service expertise, Affirmative Research aims to develop and disseminate LGBTQ+ affirmative practices to educators, health and mental health care providers, social workers, and policymakers across organizations and communities to create safe supportive worlds for LGBTQ+ populations. AR's affirmative research initiatives also include inquiries aimed at improving social work education and health and mental health practice more broadly. We provide continuing education for therapists, counselors, social workers, group practices, clinics, and other mental health providers seeking training. Our programs include AFFIRM Youth, AFFIRM Adult and AFFIRM Caregiver - all research-informed affirmative interventions. AFFIRM Youth is the only intervention program for LGBTQ+ youth to receive recognition from the California Evidence-Based Clearinghouse for Child Welfare (CEBC) and is rated as a promising intervention. AFFIRM Youth and AFFIRM Caregiver programs are included as gold standard examples for Culturally Adapting Interventions for Under resourced Communities in SAMHSA’s resource guide and AFFIRM has also been recognized as a suicide prevention strategy in the SAMHSA Evidence Based Guide: Suicide Prevention Strategies for Underserved Youth #affirmyouth,#affirmcaregiver #affirmadult #affirmpro