In a recent issue of the Children and Youth Services Review, I published an article examining systems of support for LGBTQ youth transitioning from foster care to emerging adulthood [1]. The methodology I used to gather this data included in-depth interviewing combined with ecomapping techniques that I modified to identify the strength and structure of LGBTQ youths’ support networks. This process provided an opportunity for the youth, and myself, to identify and reflect on the quality and sources of their relationships, the resources and services they were receiving, and any significant unmet needs they were experiencing. As a natural extension of this work, I offer rationale for encouraging providers to use this modified version of ecomapping (i.e. the support systems ecomap for LGBTQ youth) as a key strategy for broadening supportive resources to this population. The need for future research to determine the effectiveness of this method is also discussed.

Having access to supportive resources is a powerful protective factor, and has been tied to a number of positive health and wellbeing outcomes for children and youth. Studies document that youth who have strong relationships with caring adults (e.g., family members, teachers and counselors), and are linked to supportive resources and services (e.g., school and community events, youth groups), are more likely to experience healthy adjustment and functioning when compared to youth that lack such support [2-4]. Conversely, inadequate levels of support are correlated with a variety of health- and wellbeing-related concerns such as educational deficits (e.g., truancy, lower levels of educational achievement), economic vulnerability (e.g., unemployment, underemployment), socioemotional challenges (e.g., poor social skills, negative self-worth), and health difficulties (e.g., depression, obesity, cardiovascular disease). Finding effective strategies for expanding access to supportive environments may be especially vital for LGBTQ youth who experience higher levels of isolation, discrimination, and mistreatment, as well as a wide-array of health disparities (e.g., anxiety, depression, suicidality, homelessness, substance use disorders) when compared to their heterosexual and cisgender peers [5].

Ecomapping is a methodology in which individuals are guided through the process of creating a graphic depiction of the relationships that comprise their support networks [6] and is an effective tool for documenting

and evaluating sources of nurture and tension within an individual’s support system [7,8]. As an extension of this approach, researchers have made modifications to the original version of the ecomap, or combined them with other methods, to assess other network factors such as the proximality and distality of resources and relationships [9,10], the types of support provided [11], exposure to stressors [12], and more. Accordingly, the support systems ecomap for LGBTQ youth (see Figure 1) may offer a valuable framework for enabling providers to evaluate and enhance youth’s networks. More specifically, providers work together with youth to construct an ecomap that is reflective of their current support network, including the individuals in their lives that provide them with support, the quality of these relationships (very, somewhat, not-at-all supportive, conflicted), and the various types of support they are receiving from each person. Transitional support refers to the forms of assistance youth need (i.e. informational support) to successfully progress from adolescence to emerging adulthood (see Figure 2). LGBTQ-specific support refers to types of assistance that are distinct to LGBTQ youth. Once completed, ecomaps may be used to assist providers in assessing the multiple types and levels of support being provided to LGBTQ youth, and to identify areas where additional support is needed. Youth’s ecomaps may also be revisited and reconstructed, periodically, as a method for restructuring goals and evaluating progress towards strengthening certain types of support (Figures 1 and 2).

Providers can do a great deal to assist LGBTQ youth in developing and maintaining healthy, supportive relationships, and to connect them to resources that are safe, appropriate, and affirming of who they are. In considering this, there are several potential advantages that may result from having providers use the support systems ecomap for LGBTQ youth. Perhaps most obviously, the model allows for focused knowledge-building in understanding the composition of youths’ supportive networks. Together, youth and providers have the opportunity to identify and explore the availability of support, as well as how existing positive relationships and resources may be maintained and enhanced. Co-constructing the ecomap also empowers youth to critically reflect on their own lives, independently and in collaboration with others, by teaching them to actively explore, identify, and address any resource and relational challenges that arise in their lives [13]. Additionally, this model may help to facilitate productive dialogue by increasing providers’ levels of competence and comfort in discussing identity-related issues with youth and fostering further trust between the youth and the provider [8]. This is especially salient for providers that may be unsure about how to approach discussions regarding youths’ developmental needs and experiences as sexual and/or gender minorities, particularly around sensitive topics such as LGBTQ identity and sexual health.

Evidence-based practice approaches are of central importance in addressing health disparities experienced by LGBTQ youth and providing them with access to high-quality care and support. Despite this need, few appraisal tools have been designed and evaluated for this purpose. To move forward, practice methodologies must be developed and tested to ensure they are effective at recognizing and responding to the disproportionate risks and developing needs of LGBTQ youth [14]. Although there has been some movement towards developing and researching practice approaches that are specifically designed to support this population [15,16], more work is needed if we are to make measurable, positive differences in the lives of LGBTQ youth. Evaluating the support systems ecomap for LGBTQ youth to determine whether these youth have adequate support networks in place, and what, if any, alterations are needed, may serve as another important step in beginning to fill this gap.

Funding for the development of the modified ecomapping model presented in this commentary was provided by the Eileeen Blackey Doctoral Fellowship Award to Dr. Paul from the National Association of Social Workers.

June C. Paul conceived of the presented idea, developed the modified support system ecomap for LGBTQ youth, and wrote the manuscript. There were no other contributing authors.