It takes a village: Applying a social ecological framework of resilience in working With LGBTQ youth

Hostile social environments can have detrimental impacts on lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) youth. Considering the profession's commitment to social justice and person-in-environment perspectives, socia workers are well positioned to promote not only the internal capacity of LGBTQ youth but also the capacity of their social ecologies to better support them. This article suggests the relevance of a social ecological framework of resilience to social work practice with LGBTQ youth. Findings of the author's grounded theory study, along with other relevant literature, are used to specify elements in applying this framework to working with LGBTQ youth. A youth case will be discussed to inform interventions that can be employed across the micro, mezzo, and macro levels of practice