Description
Amidst rising anti-2SLGBTQIA+ backlash, rights rollbacks, family rejection, exclusion, hate and violence, many Rainbow youth disproportionately experience trauma related to their gender and sexual identities. These impacts are exacerbated for trans/gender diverse youth, those not at binary ends of gender/sexuality identity spectrums, and those experiencing multiple layers of marginalization related to their intersecting identities. Rainbow youth may represent 20-25% of the youth population and 30-35% of youth in out-of-home care.
This interactive advanced-level training will explore the RAINBOW Model © to equip frontline service staff, counsellors and their managers with useful knowledge and practice skills to:
- engage, support and affirm diverse rainbow youth in multiple settings;
- support intersecting identities through anti-oppressive, decolonizing lenses;
- identify, leverage and build on protective factors;
- address mental health challenges, including suicidality;
- reduce/mitigate biases, barriers and risks; and
- build resilience, reduce trauma impacts and promote thriving.
Practical, complex case applications will include mental health challenges; family rejection; trans/gender diverse youth in transition; and intersectional barriers — racism, neuro-normativity, ableism, colonization, faithism, etc.
Learning Outcomes
- Understand the challenges, biases, barriers, risks and identity-based trauma faced by diverse 2SLGBTQIA+ (Rainbow) youth, as well as protective factors and opportunities.
- Practice effective strength-based, evidence-informed, anti-oppressive/anti-racist, decolonizing and trauma-informed strategies in case examples using the RAINBOW Model © to support Rainbow youth to thrive with optimal health, wellbeing, family connections and positive outcomes.
- Learn organizational strategies to remove barriers and promote Rainbow inclusion and equity.
Who Should Attend
This course is recommended for front-line social service providers, counsellors, therapists, case managers, out-of-home caregivers, and service managers. Anyone supporting 2SLGBTQIA+ children and youth will benefit from this training.
Course Dates & Format
February 3 & 4, 2026 between 12:30pm-4:00pm ET
This is a 7-hour training. This course consists of two 3.5-hour interactive virtual sessions using Zoom.
Instructor: Lorraine Gale, MSW, RSW
Lorraine Gale (she/her) is an openly queer-identified social worker based in Tkaronto/Toronto with 30 years of experience advancing 2SLGBTQIA+ inclusion and equity. At the Children’s Aid Society of Toronto, Lorraine led transformative systems change by developing innovative policies, practice guides, and resources, including the Out and Proud Affirmation Guidelines (2012) and the Expanding the Circle SOGIE Framework (2024). She provided SOGIE* case consultations, developed and delivered training for staff and caregivers, and built organizational capacity to deliver inclusive, affirming, and equitable service and care to 2SLGBTQIA+ (“rainbow”) youth.
Lorraine spearheaded the first Ontario child welfare SOGIE committee and the development of an organizational self-assessment tool, generating groundbreaking sector-wide data. An experienced trainer, consultant, and researcher, Lorraine integrates social justice, equity, intersectionality, evidence-based approaches and a trauma-informed lens into her work. She developed and delivered SOGIE training and presentations for the Children’s Aid Society of Toronto, the Ontario Association of Children’s Aid Societies, York Hills, Rainbow Health Ontario conferences, City of Markham and many social service organizations. Lorraine designed province-wide SOGIE training for foster caregivers at OACAS and was a researcher with the Trans Youth CAN! research team.
*SOGIE = Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Expression
Rainbow Model – Supporting 2SLGBTQIA+ Youth to Thrive © 2025 Lorraine Gale. All rights reserved.
Training Fee
Member Fee: $220.00 + $28.60 (HST) = $248.60
Non-Member Fee: $250.00 + $32.50 (HST) = $282.50
Group Registration: Save 20% off individual fee with group registration of 4 or more participants. Download the group registration form HERE.
Continuing Education Information
Licensing boards and professional organizations will grant Continuing Education credits for attendance at their discretion when participants submit the course outline and certificate.
In-Service
This is available as an in-person or virtual in-service training and customized to suit your needs.
