Rainbow Connections program offers parent training, peer support and school outreach in Pacific Grove

Casey Rosenbusch, services manager for Monterey County Behavioral Health, told parents at a Pacific Grove Unified event that the Rainbow Connections program focuses on suicide prevention and supporting LGBTQ+ and neurodivergent students across school, home and community settings.

"For the past several years, I've been working on a project called Rainbow Connections that is designed to support our LGBTQ plus youth and the adults who love and support them," Rosenbusch said. "So this presentation is really intended to provide you with information that will help you as you're raising your children."

The presentation, the fourth in an anti-bias/bullying series held at Pacific Grove Middle School and on Zoom, walked parents through terminology, mental‑health risk and protective factors, and practical steps families can take to support children exploring gender identity and sexual orientation. Rosenbusch emphasized that the project’s core aim is suicide prevention: "So first and foremost, it's suicide prevention," she said.

Why it matters: presenters and researchers cited data and published programs showing family acceptance and school supports reduce risk. Rosenbusch cited research that one in four LGBTQ+ youth use pronouns outside the gender binary and said some studies show gender‑diverse youth are three to six times more likely to have an autism diagnosis. She also…