May is Mental Health Awareness Month and one way to show your support is to donate to We Are Family (WAF), a tri-county based nonprofit that provides affirming spaces for LGBTQI+ and ally youth in the Charleston area through direct support, leadership development, and community engagement.
WAF's Mental Health Assistance Program provides free mental health services for LGBTQI+ youth and connects them with HIPAA Verified, LGBTQI+ affirming therapists. This program allows members of the LGBTQI+ community to receive vital mental health services, like therapy, that they may otherwise not be able to afford. The application for those interested in the program can be found HERE.
“Although May is Mental Health Awareness Month, it is important to recognize the importance of mental health care all year long – particularly as access to affirming and supportive mental health care is a dramatic barrier to LGBTQIA+ youth,” said WAF's Mental Health Coordinator, Chandler Massengale, LMSW. “According to the region's largest LGBTQI+ health survey to date, the Campaign for Southern Equality reported more than half of LGBTQ+ people in South Carolina reported experiencing depression (71%) and anxiety (63%)—and rates were even higher for trans individuals and those who are BIPOC. Through the Mental Health Assistance Program at We Are Family, we are able to provide accessible and free mental health services in collaboration with some amazing therapists in the tri-county area and have been able to provide services to over 100 youth with over 1,000 hours of therapy services since its creation in 2021.”
For more information about WAF's Mental Health Assistance Program and those interested in donating to WAF, visit HERE.
