Singapore social work practice with lesbian, gay, and bisexual clients

This is a first Singapore exploratory study to understand Singapore social workers’ perceptions of their practice with lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) clients and examine how they may differ by their training, clinical experiences, and demographics. This is crucial, given the societal stigma and lack of social work support for the LGB populations in Singapore. A mixed method comprising a survey of 89 social workers and a focus group discussion was utilized. Findings suggest that clinical experiences with LGB clients, years of practice, and religious affiliations influence their work with this population. Recommendations include the need for more LGB-specific research and training, and review of practice supervision and ethical code to address practice dilemmas.