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In response to the call for new and innovative methods of assessing campus climate (Worthington, 2008), the current study is the first to examine the readiness of a Latina/o campus community to address lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) concerns. Using the Community Readiness Model, data were collected through individual interviews with a total of 16 students, staff, and faculty from programs and organizations serving the Latina/o campus community. The 6 dimensions assessed included climate, knowledge of LGB concerns, knowledge of LGB efforts, leadership, resources, and efforts. Findings suggest that there is a mismatch between the current Latina/o LGB programming and the Latina/o campus community's stage of readiness to address LGB issues. Despite the fact that Latina/o LGB efforts had been developed for about a decade, the community was assessed to be at a vague awareness stage of readiness with regard to the dimensions of climate, knowledge of LGB concerns and efforts, and leadership. The resources dimension was found to be at the preplanning stage of readiness, whereas the efforts dimension was reported to be at the preparation stage by staff and faculty and at the initiation stage by students. Given the stage variability across dimensions, programming has to focus on the lowest stage of readiness obtained, namely vague awareness. Culturally sensitive recommendations for programming strategies that match the community's stage of readiness are presented.

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a significant concern for some lesbian households with children. Yet we know of only one study that has examined lesbian mothers' experiences with IPV. In the current study we analyzed the counseling experiences of participants in our prior study. Interviews with 24 lesbian mothers (12 Black, 9 White, and 3 Latina) 23 to 54 years of age (M = 39.5) were coded using thematic analysis. Overall, lesbian mothers experiencing IPV did seek help from counselors (n = 15, 63%), typically after reaching a breaking point. Counselors were most helpful when addressing the abuse and promoting self-empowerment, and least helpful when victim-blaming or ignoring the abuse and/or the same-sex relationship. Lesbian mothers' perceptions that mental health professionals were sometimes ineffective have implications for provider training. In order to work effectively with this population, providers should attempt to eliminate or correct personal biases or prejudices with self-exploration and education. By becoming more aware and knowledgeable of the nuances, struggles, and strengths of the lesbian community, providers can gain competency in providing therapeutic services to such clients. Mental health professionals can also adopt an advocacy stance to assist in spreading cultural awareness to others and support policy or institutional changes to include same-sex IPV. Competencies can be assessed through future studies that identify the knowledge and skills gap among mental health professionals who frequently work with the lesbian population. (Contains 1 table.)

To authenticate to the full-text of this article, please visit this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1471-6402.2010.01575.x Byline: Ramona F. Oswald (1), Carol A. Fonseca (1), Jennifer L. Hardesty (1) Abstract: Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a significant concern for some lesbian households with children. Yet we know of only one study that has examined lesbian mothers' experiences with IPV. In the current study we analyzed the counseling experiences of participants in our prior study. Interviews with 24 lesbian mothers (12 Black, 9 White, and 3 Latina) 23 to 54 years of age (M = 39.5) were coded using thematic analysis. Overall, lesbian mothers experiencing IPV did seek help from counselors (n = 15, 63%), typically after reaching a breaking point. Counselors were most helpful when addressing the abuse and promoting self-empowerment, and least helpful when victim-blaming or ignoring the abuse and/or the same-sex relationship. Lesbian mothers' perceptions that mental health professionals were sometimes ineffective have implications for provider training. In order to work effectively with this population, providers should attempt to eliminate or correct personal biases or prejudices with self-exploration and education. By becoming more aware and knowledgeable of the nuances, struggles, and strengths of the lesbian community, providers can gain competency in providing therapeutic services to such clients. Mental health professionals can also adopt an advocacy stance to assist in spreading cultural awareness to others and support policy or institutional changes to include same-sex IPV. Competencies can be assessed through future studies that identify the knowledge and skills gap among mental health professionals who frequently work with the lesbian population. Author Affiliation: (1)University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Article History: Initial submission: March 24, 2009Initial acceptance: July 16, 2009Final acceptance: April 14, 2010 Article note: Address correspondence and reprint requests to: Ramona F. Oswald, Human and Community Development, 905 South Goodwin, Urbana, IL 61801. E-mail: roswald@illinois.edu

Mothers in same-sex relationships face unique challenges when help seeking for intimate partner violence (IPV). Formal helping systems often invalidate their family relationships, leaving them vulnerable and distrustful when help seeking. To better understand their experiences, the authors interviewed 24 lesbian/bisexual mothers who were either in or had left abusive same-sex relationships. Increasing severity of violence, effects of violence on children and families, and “being tired” influenced their definitions of the situation. Decisions to seek formal help appeared to be influenced by their support from informal networks and perceived stigma related to the intersection of IPV and being lesbian or bisexual. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

We explored how Korean American (KA) physicians in the Los Angeles area respond in their medical practice to Korean immigrant women with a history of intimate partner violence (IPV). Twenty physicians were recruited and interviewed in-depth. Grounded theory analyses revealed that KA physicians' responses to IPV ranged from denying signs of IPV and trivializing IPV to acknowledging IPV. Physician response was related to the degree to which he or she was enculturated in mainstream medical practice norms in the United States. We advance current knowledge on physicians' IPV screening and intervention practices by exploring the practices of KA physicians, in particular.