The Atlanta Regional Commission believes cultural competency and inclusivity are key to serving seniors in the LGBTQ+ community. With those ideas in mind, the ARC, the federally designated Area Agency on Aging for Atlanta’s 10-county metro area, has achieved recognition at the highest level with a national credentialing program for its services to the LGBTQ+ community.
A welcoming environment
“How do we serve everybody who’s in our region who needs access to aging services or disability services? We realize that individuals who identify as LGBTQ+ may not always have the same access,” said Becky Kurtz, the ARC’s senior managing director of Aging and Independence Services.
That knowledge and the dedication of staff members led the Commission to pursue certification through SAGE, a leading organization in advocacy and services for LGBTQ+ individuals in the elder population. The ARC gained first-level credentials for SAGECare’s four-tier cultural competency program in 2023, Kurtz said, but it attained platinum status — the highest level — in 2024. The organization, SAGE Director of Training and Instructional Design Sadiya Abjani said, has provided free training to Area Agencies on Aging across the country since its 2016 launch.
The training program incorporated ARC Aging and Independence Services staff and managers and solidified policies and practices that make for a welcoming, affirming and inclusive environment for those they’re helping. Issues like housing and transportation come up frequently along with questions about home-delivered meals, home modifications and repairs, and personal support, Kurtz said.
“When staff are talking to individuals, we pay attention to the questions we ask,” she said. “We’re thoughtful about the terms we use.”
Staff are trained, for example, not to make assumptions about the gender of a person’s spouse or about their family structure.
“Many LGBTQ+ plus elders may be living alone. They may not have biological family involved. They may not have children. There are some circumstances of their lives that may not be the same as for the general population. So, we just want to be sensitive in how we’re asking those questions and thoughtful about not making a lot of assumptions about what their life is like,” Kurtz said.
The ARC encourages staff members, in turn, to foster inclusivity among themselves with attention to details like pronoun preference, Kurtz said, with the hope that helpers who feel seen and included can more easily do the same for others.
From idea to reality
The SAGECare credential is due in no small part to the work of aging and disability resource counselor Don Terry, who joined the ARC in 2021.
“As a relatively new transplant to Atlanta, I was interested in the culture here, the services and programs,” Terry said. “What I recognized is that perhaps it was a missed opportunity for us to not have this credential because we know that the LGBTQ+ population will simply avoid what and where they feel they won’t be treated fairly and with dignity.”
Terry’s proposal to pursue SAGECare training and credentialing met with crucial support from the ARC, and the process was soon underway.
“It really doesn’t get any better than that to have an employer that not only values the work that you do, but values you as an individual,” he said. “I appreciate that so much.”
Terry said the feedback he’s gotten from peers and staff reflects an enhanced awareness of the LGBTQ+ population and also more appreciation for the challenges others may be facing. The ARC is going beyond SAGECare training to foster inclusivity, Kurtz pointed out, by distributing outreach materials at local Pride events to let Atlantans know about the organization’s commitment.
“It may be that they don’t need us now, but a few years down the road, they or a family member or a friend might need access to us, and we want to make sure that they know about what we can offer and that we are going to be a welcoming place to come for that kind of information,” she said.
Cultural competency
At the national level, SAGE has taken note of the ARC’s efforts.
“Our team is proud to support the Atlanta Regional Commission in their efforts to provide inclusive, affordable and accessible services for Atlanta’s LGBTQ+ elder community,” Abjani said. “The LGBTQ+ older adult community is a vibrant and resilient community that has experienced significant forms of discrimination in employment, housing, and care provision.”
Part of those efforts go beyond the good intentions that Kurtz acknowledged are part of the lexicons of most social workers.
“One of the things I think SAGECare really teaches is that it’s not just about good intentions,” she said. “That’s not quite enough. You need to have some cultural competency. You need to be thoughtful about language, and you need to have some help around thinking through those things in very practical ways … I’ve got an amazing staff with amazing big hearts who want to do the right thing, and SAGECare gives them the tools so that they’re not unintentionally making someone feel unwelcome.”
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