Michael P. Dentato

Loyola University Chicago | LUC · School of Social Work

Background: The experiences of resilience and intersectionality in the lives of contemporary sexual and gender minority youth (SGMY) are important to explore. SGMY face unique experiences of discrimination in both online and offline environments, yet simultaneously build community and seek support in innovative ways. SGMY who identify as transgende...

Volunteerism plays a vital role in connecting individuals with various communities to provide numerous forms of altruistic service across the US. However, little is known about the numbers of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender/gender diverse and queer+ (LGBTQ+) people who engage in volunteer roles and community engagement activities, and the impac...

The experiences of resilience and intersectionality in the lives of contemporary sexual and gender minority youth (SGMY) are important to explore. SGMY face unique experiences of discrimination in both online and offline environments, yet simultaneously build community and seek support in innovative ways. SGMY who identify as transgender, trans*, o...

Men who have sex with men (MSM) continue to account for a large number of new HIV infections across the United States. While numerous studies have focused on MSM sexual risk behavior and substance use, some research has also examined how public and private environments, such as a bathhouse setting, may play an important role. This cross-sectional s...

The ongoing emphasis on micro practice and declining interest in macro practice has rasied concerns regarding the availability and quality of macro internships. Effective training of macro practitioners entering the field remains necessary for reasons including oversight of staff and student internships. This study examines student and faculty perc...

This study examines students’ negative experiences in field placement related to their sexual orientation, gender identity, and expression, examining areas of conflict and emotional responses to conflicts. Using a subset of data gathered as part of a larger survey of 1,018 lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) undergraduate and gra...

As underscored by their professional code of ethics, all social workers are called to engage in social action that advances social justice. Yet, the focus of the profession has drifted toward individual treatment and away from social reform. Drawing upon data from an online survey of graduate social work students (N= 199) in the United States, this...

Transgender young adults are at higher risk for alcohol and substance use that could lead to other health and mental health complications. Utilization of the Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) model might be effective to identify members of this minority community at risk for alcohol and substance use, provide early in...

Social work education globally expresses an unwavering commitment to promoting social justice and the amelioration of oppression. Nevertheless, mounting research suggests that social work programs (SWPs) may inadvertently perpetuate microaggressions toward individuals who are transgender and gender non-conforming (TGNC). This qualitative study eluc...

The BDSM community comprises a diverse group of individuals who engage in bondage and discipline, dominance and submission, and sadomasochism, among other practices associated with role play, fetishes and leather. To date, there remains a limited amount of literature and research surrounding the personal and professional lives of those who practice...

Trends in the field of service among those with alcohol and other drug addictions highlight the urgent need for schools of social work to effectively train students to serve clients with substance use disorders, and have cultural humility to effectively serve disproportionately affected LGBT consumers. Online surveys and interviews examined percept...

Book Description: Social Work Practice with the LGBTQ Community aims to weave together the realms of sociopolitical, historical, and policy contexts in order to assist readers with understanding the base for effective and affirming health and mental health practice with diverse members of the LGBTQ community. Comprised of chapters written by social...

Discrimination toward lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) social work students can negatively affect academic performance and personal and professional identity development. Intersectionality is a conceptual approach that states that social identities interact to form different meanings and experiences from those that could be ex...

This report is intended to provide guidelines for the creation of social work educational environments that are affirmative of lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer, and questioning (LGBQQ) students, faculty, administrators, and staff. Creating affirmative social work educational environments for transgender and gender nonconforming populations is addresse...

Social work programs must effectively meet the needs of their diverse lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) student populations as well as effectively train all students to work with minority groups including the LGBTQ community. While many undergraduate and graduate social work programs provide open, supportive, and affirming expe...

As health and mental health providers are increasingly called to attend to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) issues, it is critical for social work education to ensure the competency of students to deliver services to these populations. This North American online study investigated the self-assessed readiness of LGBTQ undergradu...

This online North American study of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) social work students (n=1,018) in bachelor of social work (BSW; 24%) or master’s of social work (MSW; 76%) programs explored educational experiences in 126 programs in 44 U. S. states and 7 Canadian provinces. Forty-four percent of students reported limited i...

Phoenix is the sixth largest city in the United States, with a vibrant yet underserved lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) population. Despite an extensive community presence, social service delivery bias persists among members of the LGBTQ community, but more often among transgender individuals. Existing research has examined so...

This article describes an integrated model of service provision called a continuum of care (CoC), and illustrates the application of this approach to working with lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (LGBTQ) youth through a case example. The CoC described in this article includes provision of individual and group counseling, case ma...

The aging lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community continues to grow considerably while often being faced with unique and unmet needs separate from younger LGBT cohorts or their non-LGBT counterparts. This article explores some of the differences in attitudes among generational cohort groups regarding coming out decisions; sexual ri...

Background Recent large-scale survey research with North American social work faculty found them overwhelmingly supporting inclusion of curriculum content on gays, lesbians, and bisexuals (94-98%), with smaller margins supporting content on heterosexism, homophobia, and biphobia (90-95%), transgender-identified people (81-89%), and transphobia (63...

Background: The Council on Social Work Education’s (CSWE) Educational Policy and Practice Standards (2008) recognizes the importance of the learning environment - the “implicit curriculum” - on student development. CSWE defines implicit curriculum components as manifested through transparent, fair and substantive policies, faculty qualifications, a...

Background: Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer [LGBTQ] students in social work programs report challenges, such as discrimination (Longerbeam et al., 2007), that threaten their learning experiences. Previous research has demonstrated that feeling supported in their LGBTQ identities during their social work education greatly influences st...

This study examines various environmental factors that may impact a lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer (LGBTQ) social work student's level of ‘outness’ (disclosure) with regard to their sexual orientation or gender identity. An internet-based survey was conducted, comprised of LGBTQ undergraduate and graduate students from social work pr...

Few studies have examined the impact of minority stress theory upon sexual risk behavior among gay and bisexual men using club drugs. Similar studies have focused on ethnic minorities and women, however gay and bisexual men demonstrate greater likelihood for risk behaviors leading to HIV/AIDS. This study examined sexual risk behavior from the persp...

Background/Purpose: Research surrounding minority stress factors associated with risk behaviors typically centers on women and ethnic populations (Meyer, 2003). However, men who have sex with men (MSM) have a greater likelihood (Cochran, Mays & Sullivan, 2003) for poly-substance use (Kashubeck-West & Szymanski, 2008), sex with multiple partners (Bi...

The minority stress perspective adds significant insight into the critical application and evaluation of theory regarding the impact of homophobia and correlates of HIV risk among gay and bisexual men and other sexual minorities. Continued understanding of the role that stigma, prejudice, heteronormativity, rejection, and internalized homophobia pl...

This is a prospective cohort study to identify factors associated with receipt of substance abuse treatment (SAT) among adults with alcohol problems and HIV/AIDS. Data from the HIV Longitudinal Interrelationships of Viruses and Ethanol study were analyzed. Generalized estimating equation logistic regression models were fit to identify factors assoc...

Despite the value of 12-step meetings, few studies have examined factors associated with attendance among those living with HIV/AIDS, such as the impact of HIV disease severity and demographics. This study examines predisposing characteristics, enabling resources and need on attendance at Alcoholic Anonymous (AA) and Narcotics Anonymous (NA) meetin...

This study examined the impact of factors associated with minority stress theory, including experiences of external prejudice, expectations of rejection and internalized homophobia, upon a cohort sample of men who have sex with men (MSM). Resultant associations with substance use, defined as one time use of a club drug prior to baseline; and sexual...

The account of The Alliance for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, and Questioning (GLBTQ) Youth formation offers a model for developing community-based partnerships. Based in a major urban area, this university-community collaboration was spearheaded by social workers who were responsible for its original conceptualization, for generating commun...

Purpose: Lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) youth experience higher rates of depression and substance use than their non-LGB peers (Savin-Williams, 1998; Safren & Heimberg, 1999). Strains such as LGB-related discrimination and traumatic life events increase their risk. According to strain theory, support from family and peers is hypothesized to condi...

The author relates his personal experience, and the response of the Body Positive staff members, during the attack on the World Trade Center, a handful of blocks away from the office on September 11, 2001.