Services and Advocacy for GLBT Elders (SAGE) in New York City -- the nation's oldest and largest nonprofit organization dedicated to serving lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) elders -- has finished piloting "No Need to Fear, No Need to Hide: A Training Program for Healthcare Providers About Inclusion and Understanding of GLBT Elders." Now SAGE is making the curriculum available to government agencies, service providers and other organizations nationwide.

"What we're trying to say to long-term care staff is this: If you care for people as part of your job, then they include gay people," said Eduardo Sanchez, director of advocacy and education at SAGE and a member of ASA's Lesbian and Gay Aging Issues Network. SAGE created "No Need to Fear, No Need to Hide" to help sensitize administrators and staff of nursing homes and assisted living facilities about the unique issues faced by LGBT older adults; the staffs of social services providers and other agencies that work with older adults also would benefit from the training.

The curriculum consists of six components, including a train-the-trainer module -- a six-hour session that prepares the person responsible for staff development at a given organization to train additional staff. Available for $300, the curriculum includes a comprehensive training manual and a CD-ROM containing the manual as well as hand-outs in PDF format that can be printed in multiple copies for distribution among staff.

For more information or to order the curriculum, contact Sanchez at esanchez@sageusa.org or (212) 741-2247, ext. 222.

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