SafeParents A Ministry of the Trinity Social Justice Institute, Inc. 600 E. 50th St. Austin, Texas 78751 512-459-5835

Logo by the Rev. Jan Richardson

One Heart - To offer love Two Hands - One to welcome, one to let go

SafeParents provides mentoring support for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered persons and their families.

The SafeParents program is a non-profit ministry of The Trinity Social Justice Institute, Inc. Its function is to provide well-trained, experienced, and supervised mentors (safe parents) to guide and support gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered persons and/or their families in the decision of coming out.

 

The goals of the SafeParents Program are to provide:

a friendly and loving place and process for strengthening relationships between gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered persons and their parents and family,

a mature, trained, and experienced mentor for one-on-one support before, during and after the decision to come out, or not to come out.

speakers and seminar leaders capable of educating and training concerned persons in Choice Theory and it application to the event of coming out, within a religious context.

How do you secure the services of SafeParents?
To find more information or make arrangements for an initial, confidential interview, call 512-252-4528 and ask for the SafeParents coordinator.

How much does it cost?
The mentor ministry has no fee. However, volunteer contributions are welcome to help defray the cost of publicity and training costs. Such gifts make it possible for SafeParents to continue its ministry in the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered community.

How are the mentors trained and supervised?
Mentors are parents of lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgendered persons, who are dedicated to making the world a more loving and understanding place for all persons regardless of their sexual orientation. They are selected on the basis of their high level of emotional, mental, relational and spiritual maturity. They demonstrate the qualities of caring, supportive and liberating parenthood. In addition to their own skills, born of personal experience, each mentor receives 20 hours of training in Choice Theory, by a person certified in Reality Therapy. While providing care, each mentor is under staff supervision and the advice of a licensed psychological consultant.

What is the theological foundation for SafeParents?
Being gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgendered has become a religious issue. Not only does the event of coming out bring dislocation in secular settings, but it can also bring condemnation and alienation from traditional sources of spiritual connectedness. In those cases, church settings that offer supportive and non-judgmental pastoral care can be uniquely effective in enhancing spiritual growth. We are dedicate to being a reconciling, faith-based community, reflecting the grace of God.

What is Choice Theory?
Choice Theory is the primary style of counseling used in the SafeParents program. Choice Theory emphasizes every person's ability and responsibility for making decisions that can most effectively gain their basic needs of survival, power, freedom, fun and belonging. Persons who learn to practice Choice Theory discover joyous hope centered in their own free will. For that reason Choice Theory does not center on external events over which we have no control (our past or the consequences of life), but upon those things over which we have total control...our own behavior in the present. They also discover, that in the process of making responsible decisions in their own lives, they may deeply effect the possibility of significant change in the lives around them. In an atmosphere of friendship, trust, and care, mentors seek to bring persons into an ongoing process of defining what they want, recognizing what they are currently doing, exercising self-evaluation, and developing new plans to move in the direction they want to go.

How safe is SafeParents?
All transactions are strictly confidential!

Bob Parsons, SafeParents Program Administrator The Rev. Bob Parsons is a retired United Methodist pastor, who has 40 years of experience in local parish ministry. He holds degrees from Indiana University and Perkins School of Theology, Southern Methodist University. He completed 3 units of Clinical Pastoral Education at the Institute of Religion in Texas Medical Center in Houston in 1967. He is a faculty member of the William Glasser Institute as a practicum supervisor. He is also certified to train Stephens Ministers in the local church. He is on the board of directors of Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays in Austin and is a representee of Parents' Reconciling Network. Bob, and his wife Marilyn live in Austin, Texas. They have two grown children, Philip and Sandy.

"As a pastor and parent of a lesbian daughter, I have come to know rather intimately, how people respond to a family member coming out of the closet. There are some good and healthy ways to do that, and there are some very destructive ways. The choices are ours. SafeParents helps persons involved in that event to do what a kind and loving God would want." -- Bob Parsons