LGBT Department Training

About the Program

Category: Personnel Management, Employment and Training (Best in Category)

Year: 2016

Diversity and inclusion practices are critical to the operations of the San Diego Probation Department whose employees work closely with young and vulnerable populations. Part of diversity and inclusion is helping employees recognize, understand and appreciate differences among both co-workers and customers. Probation’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) training is a program that was developed in-house by a diverse, 21-person workgroup. Over four months, the workgroup convened to develop a comprehensive LGBT course that focuses on equipping staff with the resources and knowledge to better serve the LGBT population. Some of the course material includes familiarization of legal and ethical concerns, utilizing best practices, developing situational awareness, and understanding uses of terminology. The department now requires all sworn and non-sworn staff to attend this training in an effort to improve the officers’ ability to respond and provide resources to the community that the agency serves. Of the 21 workgroup members, 16 have also become LGBT instructors. The training has proven to be very comprehensive, and engaging. The positive outcomes from the training are the result of the commitment of the department staff to develop and conduct training on a topic they all believe in and care about.