Caitlin Ryan, Ph.D., ACSW

2013 John Fryer Award Recipient

Lecture Title: The Critical Role of Family Support in Promoting Risk & Well-Being for LGBT Children & Youth 

Caitlin Ryan, Ph.D., ACSW is a clinical social worker who has worked on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) health and mental health for nearly 40 years. She is a graduate of Smith College School for Social Work and received her clinical training with children, youth, and young adults. Her work has been recognized by many groups, including the National Association of Social Workers, the National Association of People with AIDS, the Gay & Lesbian Medical Association, and the American Psychological Association, Division 44 where she was presented the Distinguished Scientific Contribution Award for groundbreaking research on LGBT youth and families. As director of the Family Acceptance Project at San Francisco State University, Dr. Ryan and her team are developing an evidence-based family intervention model to strengthen and help ethnically and religiously diverse families to support their LGBT children, to maintain LGBT youth in their homes, to decrease family rejection and health risks and to promote family acceptance and well-being.