There is currently no provincially funded therapy for LGBTQ+ youth — who face a heightened risk of suicide and harm — in Wellington County and a local donation to the Family Counselling and Support Services for Guelph-Wellington (FCSSGW) aims to change that.
100 Women Who Care Rural Wellington (100WWCRW) has stepped up to fund the development and delivery of programming to meet the needs of youth who identify as LGBTQ+ across rural Wellington County.
The donation will allow FCSSGW to develop pilot programming in partnership with the Youth Hub in Fergus and the Upper Grand District School Board and is expected to begin in the fall of 2021.
“LGBTQ+ youth have a heightened risk of suicide and self-harm,” said FCSSGW executive director Joanne Young Evans in a press release.
“The services that this joint project will create are lifesaving to the young people living in these rural communities without access to this specialized type of support.”
FCSSGW also provides a range of individual and group services to children, youth, individuals, couples, families, and seniors. It is also LGBTQ+ friendly with safe, accessible storefront locations in Guelph, Fergus, and Mount Forest.
Evans said FCSSGW hopes to secure additional funding to continue addressing this critical need in the LGBTQ+ community.
With the new program, LGBTQ+ youth and all residents can access free same-day mental-health clinics that run Mondays in Mount Forest and Thursdays in Fergus.
“Without the generosity of this amazing group of women, marginalized LGBTQ+ youth could face a much different outcome. We cannot thank 100WWCRW enough for recognizing how this project can alter the trajectory of this demographic and actually save lives throughout the county.”
A same-day clinic also operates in Guelph on Wednesdays with fees based on a sliding scale. Additionally, FCSSGW operates a free, anonymous, and confidential Distress Line that is available to all Wellington County and area residents seven days a week.
“Now more than ever, FCSSGW is essential to these rural regions. Rising mental health concerns attributed to isolation and COVID-19 is a sad reality but having an easily accessible place for people to get help and tools is a game changer,” said Somer Antonopoulos from 100WWCRW.
