KSCSW Statement on HB 12 and SB 137 Youth Mental Health Protection Act

​Tuesday, March 1, 2022

This statement is being written on behalf of the Kentucky Society for Clinical Social Work. We
adamantly endorse HB 12 and SB 137 Youth Mental Health Protection Act. Conversion therapy
is a form of torture that inflicts significant harm upon youth. Per the American Psychological
Association, scientifically valid research has indicated that sexual orientation change efforts
(SOCEs) are NOT able to reduce same-sex attractions or increase other-sex attractions.
Homosexuality and gender diverse identities are not pathological and do not require intervention.
There is evidence that conversion therapy can actually increase the risk of causing or
exacerbating mental health issues in youth.
Our primary mission as social workers, as stated in our code of ethics, is to “enhance human
well-being and help meet the basic human needs of all people, with particular attention to the
needs and empowerment of people who are vulnerable, oppressed, and living in poverty”.
Conversion therapy is therefore in direct conflict with the most basic tenets of the mission of
social work.