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Topic: Working Effectively with LGBTQI+ Youth Victims of Crime
Date: June 12, 2024; 2:00–3:15 p.m. ET
Description: According to the UCLA School of Law, Williams Institute, nearly one in six young adults between the ages of 18 and 24 identify as LGBT. As a victim service provider, what can you do to make it easier for young LGBTQI+ victims of crime to disclose their identity to you? What can you do to provide a safe and empathic space? What support resources are available to the LGBTQI+ community?
Note: This session will be recorded and posted on the Expert Q&A Past Sessions page when available.
Bridgette Butler has more than 15 years of experience in victim services and criminal justice, working on behalf of young people impacted by violence and extensive trauma. She was a consultant with Indiana’s Supreme Court Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative, providing training and technical assistance to staff to improve life outcomes for young people of color. As Common Justice’s national survivor specialist, she supported organizations working with communities of color and the LGBTQ community to incorporate trauma and healing practices into high crime areas.
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Ms. Butler co-authored Expanding the Reach of Victim Services: Maximizing the Potential of VOCA Funding for Underserved Survivors. She worked at the W. Haywood Burns Institute as a site manager, providing technical assistance around the country on addressing racial and ethnic disparities within the youth justice system; conducting assessments; training probation officers, judges, and law enforcement; and providing intensive site services to more than 200 stakeholders on improving life outcomes for youth of color. Ms. Butler provided counseling services for youth and their families at Parenting for Prevention and Catholic Charities. She was also a case manager for youth returning from secure confinement with the Youth Empowerment Project of Louisiana; an education advocate at the Juvenile Justice Project of Louisiana; and the Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative coordinator for the Orleans Parish Juvenile Court, facilitating efforts to reduce the number of youth detained in New Orleans and create alternatives to secure detention. Ms. Butler received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Xavier University of Louisiana. |
Dara Hoffman (they/them) is a nonbinary, queer-identified licensed professional counselor in Colorado Springs, Colorado. They have served LGBTQ+ and trans communities for almost two decades through several non-profit organizations as an Associate Director, volunteer, mental health private practice owner and counselor, author, and expert trainer and presenter. They have navigated their own journey of self-discovery later in life and bring a unique perspective supporting LGBTQ+ youth and a commitment to creating a more inclusive and supportive environment for young people.
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Through their direct work with LGBTQ+ youth Dara has provided support, guidance and created safe spaces for young individuals to explore their identities and to meet the challenges they face, particularly concerning their mental health. Dara authored You and Your Gender Identity: A Guide to Discovery (2017), a book designed to help those ages 16+ to explore and understand their gender identity, recognizing the importance of accessible resources for youth in their journey of self-discovery. Dara is acutely aware of the staggering statistics that highlight the hardships endured by LGBTQ+ and trans youth and are committed to fostering change. Dara has a Masters degree in Community Counseling from the University of Phoenix and a BA in Communication from the University of Kentucky. |
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