Dr. Caitlin Ryan, MSW, ACSW, of the Family Acceptance Project.

When Mormon couple Tom and Wendy discovered their 14-year-old son is gay they did not know how to reconcile their faith with their son’s sexual orientation, according to this article in Religious Dispatches magazine.

Then the family found material from the Family Acceptance Project, an organization led by social worker Dr. Caitlin Ryan, MSW, ACSW, at San Francisco State University. The Family Acceptance Project works to reduce suicides and drug abuse among LGBT youth and improve their overall health by helping families support these children.

Wendy said the organization helped her reconcile her faith with her child’s sexual orientation.

“The Family Acceptance Project materials were like sunshine in the darkest abyss I had ever experienced,” she said. “Without threatening my core religious beliefs, they gave me a path forward.”

Tom and Wendy’s family is featured in Families are Forever, a 20-minute Family Acceptance Project Film that is premiering this week at Weber State University in Ogden, Utah.

Cheers to Religious Dispatches for highlighting the ability of social workers to help families who may have a child who is LGBT.

Here is Salt Lake City Tribune article on the film.

Social workers are committed to equal treatment and justice for all, including members of the LGBT community. To learn more visit the National Association of Social Workers Diversity and Equity website.