Dear RECLAIM Community,
At Youth Pride earlier this month, a teenager visited our table, curious about the pronoun and pride flag buttons we were making and giving out. I gave my usual speech about RECLAIM, but her attention was focused on the buttons. Suddenly her eyes went wide when I mentioned our new parent and caregiver coaching. “My dad needs that!” she declared.
As our country’s and culture’s attitudes toward queer and trans people evolve in both beautiful and challenging ways, RECLAIM is here to serve our community. Increasingly, young people are finding the words to share with their family, friends, and community who they are. That’s why we’ve launched our new Parent and Caregiver Coaching & Consultation service, to provide the kind of resources and navigation that many adults need to be allies and advocates of the young people in their care. We know that if a young queer or trans person has just one supportive adult that consistently uses their chosen name and pronouns, their risk of suicide is nearly half that of peers who don’t have a supportive adult. While our therapy services can only be provided in Minnesota, we can work with any parents and caregivers who want to support and affirm young people.
The Trevor Project’s 2023 U.S. National Survey on the Mental Health of LGBTQ Young People found that more than half of LGBTQ+ identified youth wanted mental health care in the last year, but didn’t receive it. Among the top reasons why youth couldn’t access care was finances, with 38% saying they could not afford it. Since January 2022, we’ve written off $42,000 in fees that would have been charged to clients at a traditional mental health clinic. Your support eliminates one of the greatest barriers in the way of queer and trans youth getting the care they want and need.
Please make a donation in honor of Pride Month to support queer and trans youth mental health!
Sincerely,
Ryan Fouts
Executive Director
P.S. If you’re interested in our services or know someone who might benefit from them, get in touch with us online at www.reclaim.care/therapy, call 612-235-6743 x4, or email services@reclaim.care.
