Case Study: Mormon Family Services

1. Conduct a comparative analysis of your agency and yourself addressing the following questions:
a. What social identities (e.g., race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, class, ability, religion…) are represented among the different stakeholder groups, i.e., the board (if applicable), the administration, the different levels of staff, and the communities the agency serves? Of these stakeholders, which social identities are well-represented and have the most privileges at the agency? Which do not? (Think in terms of decision making power, impact on agency culture, programs, and policies).

LDS Family Services’s stakeholders consist of primarily White individuals. The office in West Valley, as well as most offices, have two managers over
Any individual can be seen here, regardless of their beliefs, identity, sexual orientation, ethnicity etc. Services are short term for more mild issues. Individuals requiring greater services are referred elsewhere. Services can be paid for by the bishops if individuals are unable to pay for therapy. The agency has a list of therapists in the community that accept payment from bishops that individuals can be referred to. The staff includes a secretary that works in the evenings during the office’s busiest hours, two therapists, and one intern who speaks Spanish and one therapist who speaks Japanese. Clients need to find their own transportation to and from the agency.
The core services of LDS Family Services are: Marital issues, Pornography, Same Gender Attraction, Single Expectant Parents, and Missionary Services. LDS Family Services counselors are available to consult with Church leaders regarding social or emotional issues of the members in their ward. So far in my practicum, I have presented at a meeting about depression and anxiety for various leaders of a stake and at a meeting with the adult members of a congregation providing psychoeducation on anxiety, depression, and
This particular “case” was a transgender adolescent male who was writing a letter with the therapist to give to his parents. During this meeting, the therapist asked what pronouns to use when working with this client. Many therapists encouraged him to use the pronouns “he/him/his” because that was what the client preferred, yet when talking about this client, the therapist and other therapists used the pronouns “she/her/hers” which is an example of a microaggression because the therapists were avoiding and minimizing this individual’s gender identity (Shelton, & Delgado-Romero, 2011). Many of the therapists ask questions from an unknowing perspective and try to gain information from the client as the expert of their lives, and in the process of understanding (Anderson, & Goolishian,1992). The lack of diversity in leadership and positions of power at LDS Family Services is reinforcing White male privilege and the stakeholders do not seem to be aware of this issue (Nyland, 2006; Collins, 2009). In assessing the organization, I have found that LDS Family Services does talk about LGBTQ issues in reference to the LDS Church, but does not address the LGBTQ culture, there are no openly LGBTQ staff or board members (Western States Center,