Today is National Coming Out Day, a day created in the late 80’s to help humanize and raise awareness of the LGBTQ+ community. This is a day that is often seen as an invitation for folks in our community to open up about their gender or their sexuality to their friends, family, or coworkers. But this is also a day where it’s important for us to remember that being out does not correlate to validity as an LGBTQ+ person. If you’re part of the LGBTQ+ community but you’re not out, please know that we see you, we love you, and we hold space for you. You should only come out when you feel ready and safe to do so, and please know that we are here for you.

It's on that note that we want to share an important update with our community. Recently Minnesota changed the age of consent for outpatient mental health care from 18 to 16. What this means is that anyone 16 or older can now give their own consent for outpatient mental health services, which includes the services RECLAIM provides. If you’re an adult who knows or works with 16- and 17-year-old LGBTQ+ youth, please share this information with them. And if you’re 16 or 17 and interested in getting mental health care, please contact us. If you have concerns about paying for therapy, please know that RECLAIM is committed to supporting folks regardless of their ability to pay.

We are excited that we can now offer our services to folks who previously may not have been able to access them. Please visit our website, www.reclaim.care, to learn more about how you or someone you’re working with can request our services.