Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender seniors often are challenged by the search for welcoming and inclusive senior housing options. Often LGBT individuals face discrimination and even abuse when looking for retirement communities, assisted living and/or long-term care options. However, we know that many people who work in these fields are supportive and often advocate for the LGBT community. Friendly House’s SAGE (Services and Advocacy for GLBT Elders) Metro Portland program aims to connect LGBT seniors with LGBT friendly housing. By completing this survey you are confirming your interest in being identified as an LGBT friendly facility and having that acknowledged in the 2019 Retirement Connections publication.

For your ease in completing the survey we have included examples of small but effective steps your agency can take to complete the survey with the highest score possible. Each section of the survey has a corresponding appendix with these examples. For a simplified checklist of the survey components see appendix A.
Please read the survey and answer all questions. Once we receive your completed survey we will be in touch to schedule a 1 hour appointment with a staff member and/or a SAGE Housing committee volunteer. We encourage you to gather the requested information to answer each question. In addition, the following materials will be needed at the appointment:
*A copy of your agency’s non-discrimination policy
*A copy of your agency’s bill of rights
*Any examples of marketing or outreach materials you have for the LGBT community
* Any marketing materials that contain images of LGBT individuals

We encourage you to respond by August 1st, 2018; this allows us to schedule our interview and confirm the “LGBT Friendly” designation to housing providers in advance. If we do not receive written interest by August 1st, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to process your designation for the 2019 release of Retirement Connections.

Thank you in advance for your support of the Portland Metro area's LGBT older adult population.
Contact Information:

Max Micozzi
SAGE Metro Portland Coordinator, Friendly House
(503) 224-2640 Mmicozzi@friendlyhouseinc.org

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* 1. Section A Questions 1-5: Policies, Trainings and Goals - this section is worth 40% of the overall score (see Appendix E and F for explanation and examples relevant to this section)
Has your staff received training in the past year on LGBT-specific issues?
If yes, please provide the following information:
Title of Training(s)
Date(s)
Number of Staff Attended
Position of Staff within Facility

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* 2. If No, please answer the following question: Have 60% of your current staff received LGBT training during the past 2 years?
If yes, please provide the following information:
Title of Training(s)
Date(s)
Number of Staff Attended
Position of Staff within Facility

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* 3. Do your intake forms include language or options for unmarried couples. (i.e., "partner", or "relationship status)?

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* 4. Is your senior living environment doing anything to educate or complement existing knowledge on diversity issues?

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* 5. Would your agency be interested in credential training known as sageCARE? (No points will be received for this question)

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* 6. Section B Questions 6-7: Employee Equality – this section is worth 20% of the overall score, (see Appendix B for explanation and examples relevant to this section).
Does your non-discrimination policy for staff include sexual identity?

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* 7. Does your non-discrimination policy for staff include gender identity or expression?

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* 8. Section C Questions 8-12: Resident bill of rights – this section is worth 20% of the overall score (see Appendix C for explanation and examples relevant to this section)
Does your non-discrimination policy for residents include gender identity or expression?

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* 9. Does your resident bill of rights or lease agreement include sexual identity and gender identity/expression?

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* 10. Does your senior housing community have a process in place for how to handle residents making discriminatory comments to one another?

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* 11. Does your senior housing community have a process in place on how to handle staff making discriminatory comments to residents?

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* 12. Section D Questions 12-14 Outreach – this section is worth 20% of the overall score (see Appendix D for explanation and examples relevant to this section)
Do any of your senior housing promotional materials contain images of LGBT individuals?

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* 13. Does your senior housing community offer LGBT programming, services, or events for your residents?

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* 14. Does your senior housing community post any LGBT flyers, media or other resources in a public space?

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* 15. Appendix A: LGBT Friendly Senior Housing Checklist:

Employment Equality
□ Non-discrimination policy includes sexual identity
□ Non-discrimination policy includes gender identity/expression

Policies
□ Resident Bill of Rights includes sexual identity
□ Resident Bill of Rights includes gender identity/expression
□ Policy or procedure in place to handle residents making discriminatory comments to one another
□ Policy or procedure in place to handle staff making discriminatory comments to residents
□ Policy or procedure in place to handle staff making discriminatory comments to one another
□ Same-sex couples are able to live together
□Policy in place for transgender residents to be able to use preferred pronouns and name of choice
□ Staff are required to attend LGBT trainings
□ Policies/goals/plans in place to increase diversity of staff and/or residents

Forms
□ Intake forms provide an option for transgender residents to disclose this information
□ Intake forms provide an option for unmarried couples to identify their relationship
□ Intake forms include a section on preferred pronouns and name of choice

Outreach
□ Community/facility conducts marketing, advertising, and/or outreach to LGBT individuals
□ Promotional materials contain images of LGBT individuals
□ Community/facility offers LGBT themed programming, services, and/or events
□ Facility has LGBT flyers, media, and/or other materials displayed in a public place

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* 16. Appendix B
Section A: Employee Equality

To ensure employment equality for LGBT employees, the place of employment:
· Provides domestic partnership benefits available for LGBT employees
· Includes sexual identity/orientation and gender identity or expression in its non-discrimination policy


Non-Discrimination Policies
A facility’s non-discrimination policy covers conditions on employment including hiring, promotions, termination, compensation, and overall treatment of employees.[1] It protects employees and sets a tone of inclusion in order to ensure a safe, fair, and equitable workplace. Policies should reflect that employees at all levels are actively engaged in creating a welcoming and inclusive environment for LGBT individuals and others who identify within a minority group.[2]

Examples of Fully Inclusive Non-Discrimination Policies:
Faulkner Hospital (Boston, MA)
It is the policy of Faulkner Hospital to treat all patients and not to discriminate with regard to race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or disability.

Rush University (Chicago, IL)
Discrimination or harassment against any member of the Rush University Medical Center community (i.e., employee, faculty, house staff, student, or patient) because of age, ancestry, color, disability as defined by Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act, gender, gender identity and/or expression, marital or parental status, national origin, pregnancy, race, religion, sexual orientation, veteran’s status or any other categories protected by federal or state law is prohibited and will not be tolerated, nor will any person for those reasons be excluded from the participation in or denied the benefits of any program or activity within Rush University Medical Center or Rush University.

For more examples of non-discrimination policies, please visit the Human Rights Campaign website: http://www.hrc.org/resources/entry/sample-patient-non-discrimination-policies

________________________________________________________________________
[1] Human Rights Campaign
[2] National Resource Center on LGBT Aging

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* 17. Appendix C
Section B: Resident Bill of Rights

LGBT-friendly resident bill of rights and other procedures/polices include:
· Resident bill of rights includes sexual identity/orientation and gender identity and/or expression
· Policy or procedure to handle:
o Residents saying discriminatory comments to one another
o Staff saying discriminatory comments to residents

Ensure your Resident Bill of Rights Reflects Fair Housing Laws
· Federal Nursing Home Reform Act of 1987: This federal law established a Resident’s Bill of Rights, including the right to be treated with dignity; to be free of abuse, mistreatment, and neglect, the right to privacy; the right to accommodation of physical, psychological and social needs; the right to participate in the development/review of one’s care plan and the right to voice grievances without discrimination or reprisal.
· Chapter 659A of the Oregon Revised Statues: State law that prohibits discrimination in housing based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex/gender, disability, marital status, source of income and sexual orientation.
· Oregon Family Fairness Act-2007: State law that prohibits discrimination based on sexual preference or gender identity.
SOURCE: Fair Housing Council of Oregon (2011). “Fair Housing: A Guide for Senior Communities: Civil Rights Law in Retirement Communities, Assisted Living Facilities, Adult Foster Care Homes, Continuing Care Communities, Room and Board Facilities and Residential Care Facilities.” Retrieved from: http://www.fhco.org/pdfs/SrGuide.pdf

How to handle discriminatory comments being said in your community
· Provide a safe space (with a staff person who has thorough diversity training and knowledge) for residents to go to discuss and report discriminatory comments or behaviors. This can be identified with a safe zone poster or ally sticker.
· Remind residents, staff, volunteers, and visitors that while they are entitled to their own beliefs, discriminatory language or behaviors that are transphobic, biphobic, homophobic, or heterosexist will not be tolerated.

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* 18. Appendix D
Section C: Outreach

Have marketing, advertising, and/or outreach to LGBT individuals
· Place ads in the local LGBT newspaper, PQ Monthly
· Create brochures that specifically target the LGBT community or have an indicator of being LGBT-friendly (ie: rainbows)
· Be a vendor at the Gay & Grey Expo (http://gayandgreypdx.org/)


Offer LGBT themed programs, services, and/or events
· Movie night
· Book club
· Transportation to SAGE Metro Portland (http://www.friendlyhouseinc.org/programs/gay-and-grey/) events, Portland Pride (http://pridenw.org/), or other LGBT events

Display LGBT flyers, media, and/or other resources in a public place
· PDX Gay Yellow Pages
· SAGE brochures and event flyers
· Q Center event flyers
· Portland Gay Men’s Chorus and Portland Lesbian Choir event flyers
· The Advocate
· PQ Monthly
· Curve
· Out

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* 19. Appendix E
Section D: Policies, Trainings and Goals

Policies
In order to promote safety, respect, and a better quality of life, senior housing committees should have policies in place that are conscientious of the needs of LGBT older adults.
This includes (but is not limited to) having policies ensuring:
· Unmarried couples are able to live in the same apartment or room
· Transgender residents may use their preferred pronouns and name of choice
· Staff members use a resident’s preferred pronoun and name of choice

Trainings
Diversity trainings should be conducted regularly and indicate an agency’s commitment to respecting and affirming the diversity within its community in order to create a safer environment. SAGE Metro Portland and the National Resource on LGBT Aging offer several training opportunities. For more information on the training options and/or to schedule a training contact SAGE Metro Portland at (503) 224-2640.

Intake Forms
Forms and the language used can feel restrictive or biased. Therefore, it is important to provide more options in order to not unintentionally exclude individuals.

Instead Of:

Name:______________________ Use Legal Name: _________________
Preferred Name (if different): _____________

Instead Of:
□ Male
□ Female

Use
□ Male □ Female □ Transgender □ Male-to-Female (MTF) □ Female-to-Male (FTM) □ Other:__

Instead Of:
□ Single
□ Married
□ Widowed
□ Divorced
Use: □ Single □ Married □ Partnered □ Domestic Partnered □ Widowed □ Divorced □ Other: ____________
Instead of:
Family contact:_____________________
Use □ Family of Choice Contact:_______________ □ Family of Origin Contact: _______________

Use Preferred Pronouns
□ She/Her
□ He/Him
□ They/Them
□ Other: ____________

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* 20. Appendix F
Steps to Transgender Equality

Working definition of transgender:
An umbrella term used to describe the experience and feeling of a persistent disconnect between one’s “sex at birth” and one’s gender identity and expression. (National Resource Center on LGBT Aging, 2012)
A person’s gender identity and gender expression should be respected and not be contingent on whether the person has gone through particular medical interventions and/or a legal name change. Forms and the language used can often feel restrictive of biased. Therefore, it is important to ask and honor preferred pronouns and preferred names. Since transgender individuals are subject to an even higher level of discrimination and violence than their non-transgender lesbian, gay, and bisexual peers, awareness of terminology, confidentiality, disclosure, and privacy are critical.


Best Practices:
· Have gender non-specific public bathrooms (not “Women” and “Men”)
· Let the person guide you and don’t be embarrassed to ask, “What are your preferred pronouns?” or “How do you self-identify?”
· Have a policy in place to ensure staff members use a resident’s preferred pronouns and name of choice
· Provide an option on forms for transgender residents to disclose information on gender identity, preferred pronouns, and name of choice. For example:

Gender: Preferred Pronouns:
□ Female □ She/Her
□ Male □ He/Him
□ Transgender

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* 21. What is the name of your agency?

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* 22. What is your name? (First, Last)

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* 23. What is your email address?

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* 24. What is your phone number?

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* 25. What is your position title?

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