Also Youth Responds to Request for Public Funding

For the purpose of clarifying ALSO Youth’s request for county funding for part of our mental health counseling program, (that was denied), we wanted to share the information that was verbally presented to the CSAB (with Commissioner Ballard present) on 2/15/2023.  We have updated some information to make the data current.

Mission of ALSO Youth: Empowering LGBTQ+ youth, allies, and families to create a more safe and inclusive community. We were established over 30 years ago to address the significant incidence of suicidal ideation among LGBTQ+ kids. ALSO stands for Advocacy, Leadership, Support & Outreach. 

The current relevant facts are:

42% of LGBTQ youth seriously considered suicide in the past year.

59% of LGBTQ students feel unsafe at school because of their sexual orientation, and 42.5% because of their gender expression.

86% of LGBTQ students experienced harassment or assault in the last year and 57% didn’t report it due to fear of retribution or lack of support.

92% of LGBTQ youth report hearing negative messages about themselves, resulting in poor self-esteem, and significant depression and/or anxiety symptoms.

What we do at ALSO Youth: We provide safe spaces and free weekly programming for youth aged 13-24, and age 10-12 in our ALSO Jr. program.  Program activities include peer youth support group, gender identity support group,  parent support group, art & craft activities, book club, talent night, movie night, game night, and educational programs including anti-bullying, healthcare, and self-esteem building.  All of our activities and events are free to the participants.  We depend on 3 different funding sources to maintain operations and provide free services: Grants, Donations, and Fundraising events. 

We hold an annual Alternative Prom in the spring so LGBTQ+ kids have a free prom experience with peers where they feel comfortable and can be themselves.

We host a monthly meeting of our Youth Advisory Council, who give input on programming and youth center operations.

We support student-led diversity clubs and GSA groups by providing program information to guidance counselors, GSA advisors, and teachers.  We provide a support group for teachers and academic staff each month via Zoom, so teachers and school staff have a space to discuss concerns and develop supportive relationships.

We provide free diversity and inclusivity training to businesses and organizations in the community, in person and virtually.  We participate in community outreach events to educate the public about our organization and to let parents and kids know about our programs and services.

We have an annual scholarship program that gave away $7000 to 6 different college students this year.  We honor the scholarship winners and their families at an awards event in May or June each year. 

We provide free mental health counseling for kids and families, either in person or virtually. This program has more than doubled in size since April 2022, and we now coordinate an average of 70 counseling sessions per month through 4 different contracted therapists. Our counseling services address management of depression and anxiety that result  from peer and school bullying, family stress, and academic pressures, often leading to low self-esteem and suicidal thoughts.  The CSAB understands our mission and services, which is the reason they recommended funding for this counseling program.

We have operated a successful program for 30 years in Sarasota and have recently expanded services in Manatee County with the purchase of a permanent youth center at 351 6th Ave W, thanks to a generous grant from the Barancik Foundation and funds we received from the merger with Prism, the previous Manatee County LGBTQ youth group.  We have had a strong positive response to the new Manatee County youth center, and ran 2 weeks of successful half-day camps this summer.

We manage a strong social media presence, to make our program and activity calendars available to youth and families who need and want our services. 

We provide Resources for youth and families and depend on our community and national partners to help achieve our mission to create more safe and inclusive communities for queer kids, their friends, and their families.  This includes national and local hotline numbers and support services for medical and other support services.

We encourage the community to view our website: www.alsoyouth.org, follow us on social media (Facebook, Instagram), and get involved by joining us as a volunteer, or by donating to our operations fund, scholarship fund, or sponsorships to events. We maintain an Amazon Wish List for frequently used office supplies, snacks, and special activity supplies. 

We believe that the Manatee County Commissioners really missed out on an opportunity to provide critical and accessible mental health counseling services when they voted to exclude ALSO Youth from the Children’s Services funding, based on one commissioner’s purposeful misrepresentation of our organization and services, and subsequent discrimination verbalized among other Commissioners. Despite the Commissioners’ decision, we will continue to provide these significantly important counseling services with the support of our educated, mindful, and sensible community partners and donors.