Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health Arizona recently began providing LGBTQ and gender-expansive affirming integrated care to better meet the needs of youth enrolled in the organization’s outpatient program in Phoenix.
Devereux Arizona has been added to Mercy Care’s Maricopa County Direct Support and Specialty Provider Directory as a specialty provider of outpatient individual, family and group therapy for LGBTQ and gender-expansive individuals, with the ability to evaluate and complete clinical letters of support for hormone replacement therapy (HRT). This will allow funders and other case management agencies to directly refer youth to Devereux Arizona for care and treatment. Note: The group therapy component of this program is designed specifically for transgender and gender-expansive youth, ages 13 and older.
“At Devereux, one of our strategic goals is to develop industry-leading programs and services. This is a perfect example of what is possible when staff are mission-driven and passionate about their work,” said Devereux Senior Vice President and Chief Clinical/Medical Officer Yolanda Graham, M.D. “LGBTQ and gender-expansive youth will benefit from healing in a caring and competent space, where clinicians are not only trained in evidence-based best practices, but also specially trained to meet each individual’s unique needs.”
Helping youth thrive
In addition to providing therapeutic support, Devereux Arizona’s outpatient services case management team will work with youth to complete a community-based gender support plan.
“This plan will help individuals communicate their needs to ensure they are receiving the safest and most culturally competent care, and have access to necessary tools and resources,” explained Devereux Arizona Statewide Clinical Director Janelle Westfall, LPC, BCBA, LBA. “We are excited to support this underserved population, and remain committed to helping LGBTQ and gender-expansive youth build and nurture their resilience, and thrive.”
Devereux Arizona Outpatient Services Clinical Program Manager Evette Richardson, LCSW, BHP, also noted, “LGBTQ and gender-expansive youth are often isolated in their experiences and forced to navigate through misinformation and historical treatment models that are proven to be ineffective. I believe we have the necessary policies in place to push this transformative work forward so youth and families are provided with the latest, most accurate clinical information, and Devereux employees have the resources they need to advocate for, and support, these families as a team. Having an integrated care team that holds the same values and knowledge, and promotes resiliency, is a powerful and privileged position that can mitigate the impacts of identity-related trauma.”
Learn more about Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health’s efforts to support the LGBTQ community.
About Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health Arizona
began providing services in 1967 with the opening of a therapeutic day school in Scottsdale. Today, more thaDevereux Arizonan 50 years later, the center helps more than 4,500 individuals and their families across the state. Devereux Arizona is a Qualifying Charitable Nonprofit. Visit DevereuxArizona.org or call (602) 283-1573 to learn more.
Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health is one of the nation’s largest nonprofit organizations providing services, insight and leadership in the evolving field of behavioral healthcare. Founded in 1912 by special education pioneer Helena Devereux, the organization operates a comprehensive national network of clinical, therapeutic, educational, and employment programs and services that positively impact the lives of tens of thousands of children, adults – and their families – every year. Focused on clinical advances emerging from a new understanding of the brain, its unique approach combines evidence-based interventions with compassionate family engagement.
With more than 7,500 employees working in programs across the nation, Devereux is a recognized partner for families, schools and communities, serving many of our country’s most vulnerable populations in the areas of autism, intellectual and developmental disabilities, specialty mental health, education and child welfare. Programs are offered in hospital, residential, community and school-based settings. They include: assessments; interventions and support; transition and independent life services; family and professional training; research and innovation; and advocacy and public education. For more than a century, Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health has been guided by a simple and enduring mission: To change lives by unlocking and nurturing human potential for people living with emotional, behavioral or cognitive differences.
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