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Devereux Arizona receives ‘Center of Excellence’ designation for LGBTQIA+ services

Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health Arizona recently received a “Center of Excellence” designation from Arizona Complete Health for its LGBTQIA+ services.

“Centers of Excellence” are providers that have shown the ability to deliver exceptional services, focusing on: 1) quality of care, 2) health of individuals and 3) coordination of services. This is the second “Centers of Excellence” designation Devereux Arizona has received in 2023. Read a previous news release on the center achieving the designation for its Transition Age Youth program.

“We are committed to providing culturally competent and compassionate care for LGBTQIA+ youth and adults, and are honored to receive this designation,” said Devereux Arizona Executive Director Yvette Jackson, LMSW, DBH. “We believe everyone has the right to live life as their authentic self, and have adopted the American Psychological Association’s Gender Affirmative Model as our overarching clinical approach to supporting transgender and gender-expansive individuals. We utilize this model in all of our programs and services, and want those we serve to feel respected and fully supported.”

Supporting LGBTQIA+ youth, adults

Devereux Arizona offers specialized services within its residential, outpatient and therapeutic foster care programs to support LGBTQIA+ youth and adults.

“As part of the Gender Affirmative Model, our residential teams develop gender support plans for all gender-expansive youth,” explained Devereux Arizona Clinical Director Janelle Westfall, LPC, BCBA, LBA. “Gender support plans address each child or adolescent’s unique needs, and help inform clinicians on how to best support these individuals. In our outpatient programs, our medical and behavioral health teams are well-versed in the Gender Affirmative Model, and collaborate in the creation of treatment plans. Adolescents and young adults are able to explore feelings of acceptance related to sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression through individual and family therapy. In our therapeutic foster care programs, we support LGBTQIA+ youth and adults, and actively recruit LGBTQIA+ individuals from the community to become therapeutic foster parents.”

Fostering an inclusive workplace

In addition to providing an affirming treatment environment for LGBTQIA+ individuals, Devereux Arizona also fosters an inclusive work environment.

“Devereux offers a national LGBTQ+ Employee Resource group, which promotes an inclusive workplace, facilities discussions, educates allies and advocates, and builds a community of inclusive teams,” noted Jackson. “We want to ensure everyone who walks through our doors – the youth and adults we serve, as well as our team members – feel safe, comfortable and welcome.”

Learn more about Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health’s efforts to support the LGBTQ community.

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