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Mental Health Update

June 10, 2022
Mental Health Update

06/10/2022- Pride Month at the School Mental Health Resource & Training Center


The first time that I told someone I was gay was the summer between my freshman and sophomore years in high school. I knew I was “different” from an early age and as I became more aware of thoughts and feelings I, like many, did all sorts of things to hide what I assumed was “wrong” or “shameful.” My story of coming out is more about some very close friends at the time sensing something in who I was that, to them, wasn’t something to hide from others. I consider myself fortunate. While I was teased and called names by some, I never felt alone, scared or in danger. My family did the best they could to offer me support and love at a time when their primary understanding of being gay was shaped by the AIDS epidemic. The reality for many LGBTQ kids, however, is sadly and tragically different.

June is Pride Month where we celebrate the beautiful diversity, struggle for justice and importance of inclusion and representation for the rainbow that is the LGBTQ+ community. But beyond the parades, rainbows, flags and celebrations there are young people who struggle every day as a result of beliefs, actions and words that deny their very existence. Many of the resources below raise awareness and provide an opportunity to learn more about how to support and encourage our LGBTQ+ youth in ways that honor, respect and celebrate their lives, perspectives and experiences.

Happy Pride!

Brandon
Brandon Beachamp, Ed.M., LMHC
Director, School Mental Health Resource and Training Center (Mental Health Association in New York State)

 

Trevor Project
The Trevor Project’s 2022 National Survey on LGBTQ Youth Mental Health is one of the most diverse surveys of LGBTQ youth ever conducted.
Click Here

This fourth annual national survey demonstrates that rates of suicidal thoughts have trended upward among LGBTQ young people over the last three years, making their life-saving work all the more important.
View the Survey Here

 

It Gets Better Project
The It Gets Better Project has a list of organizations specifically serving Black queer communities throughout the United States. Please reach out to these organizations and use their services if you’re in need. You are not alone.
Click Here for List

 

School MH Resource & Training Center

Click below for resources to help support LGBTQ+ youth from the School Mental Health Resource and Training Center website.
Click Here for Resources

 

 

PFLAG logo
Browse through the suggested reading list to see if any of the titles interest you or someone you know. From the beginning stages of coming out to the issues surrounding the LGBTQ+ community today, this list is complied by PFLAG NYC (Parents, Families, and Friends of Lesbians and Gays) on subjects surrounding the LGBTQ+ Community.
Click Here for List

 

Recording Available Graphic
For families, caregivers and students preparing to take part in this months graduation ceremonies and move on to the next step, take some time to view our most recent Family Education Webinar Series presentation on supporting teens after high school.
Click Here to Watch

The School Mental Health Resource and Training Center is a project of Mental Health Association in New York State, Inc. with funding from the New York State Legislature and Executive.
Click Here for Resources

194 Washington Ave. Suite 415
Albany, NY 12210
United States

schools@mhanys.org ~ (518)434-0439
www.mentalhealthednys.org/