In 2021, We Are Family (WAF) launched something extraordinary—a Mental Health Assistance Program (MHAP) created to address the urgent and often overlooked mental health needs of LGBTQ+ youth. In a time when queer and trans young people face rising rates of anxiety, depression, and isolation, WAF stepped up to offer what so many were missing: connection, care, and community.

Since its inception, MHAP has grown into a multifaceted support system, offering free short-term therapy, crisis intervention, therapeutic groups, peer support, and even programs for parents of LGBTQ+ youth. It’s not just a program—it’s a lifeline, a second home, and for many, a family.

Healing Through Therapy and Connection
At the core of MHAP is its free therapy program. In just the past year, WAF has provided 1,913 hours of therapy to 143 youth across South Carolina. By partnering with affirming and culturally competent therapists, which are carefully vetted and trained by WAF’s Queer Youth Approval Board (QYAB), the program ensures that youth are not only receiving care but care that understands and celebrates who they are.

Therapy sessions are offered both in-person and via telehealth, making services accessible across urban and rural areas. “The health and wellness resources at We Are Family have been essential for managing my mental health,” says Casey, 17. “Their support has been a lifeline during some of my toughest times.”Building Belonging Through Support Groups
Isolation can be devastating, especially for LGBTQ+ youth who may not feel safe or accepted at home or school. MHAP addresses this with three social support groups: SafeSpace (for middle and high schoolers), QueerSpace (ages 18–24), and The Q Crew (for queer and trans BIPOC youth). In 2024, these groups supported 153 young people through weekly hybrid meetings that allow for in-person and virtual attendance.

Grey, 16, who has grown up with We Are Family said, “WAF’s SafeSpace helped me to not only figure out who I was but was also an outlet for me to express overwhelming feelings. Now I’m turning 17 and I’ve become the older person at WAF. I give advice to others and help out however I can. WAF is a space I can always show up to.”

MHAP also reaches younger kids with KidSpace, a therapy group for youth 10 and under, and expressive healing with an art therapy group led by licensed clinicians. For parents navigating their own journeys in supporting LGBTQ+ children, ParentSpace offers critical peer guidance and affirmation. We Are Family has also expanded their therapeutic group offerings to include: a horticultural therapy group, which uses horticultural and plant activities as a therapeutic tool for enhancing mental, physical, emotional, and social well-being as well as a domestic violence education group, designed to provide LGBTQ+ youth with a safe, affirming space to explore and understand the dynamics of domestic violence and relationship abuse.

Centering Youth Voice
What sets MHAP apart isn’t just the breadth of its services, it’s the way youth are placed at the heart of the program.  “We Are Family gave me more than support; they gave me a home,” Drew, 18, shared, “a place where I could finally breathe and be myself.”

We Are Family lives up to its name, and through MHAP, it continues to create a world where LGBTQ+ youth are seen, supported, and celebrated for being exactly who they are.

To learn more about We The Family’s Mental Health Assistance Program or to support their expansion, visit We Are Family.