Horizon Treatment Services Ushers in a New Era of Inclusion With Drop-in Center for LGBTQIA+ Youth

Safe Haven for Youth and Young Adults

HAYWARD, CA / ACCESSWIRE / June 25, 2024 / City and community unite for the ribbon-cutting ceremony on August 9, reflecting the commitment to diversity, equity, and the mental health support of young people.

Project Eden, a program of Horizon Treatment Services, finds yet another way to serve the youth of Alameda County. The Project Eden Lambda Youth Project will open an LGBTQIA+ Drop-In Center in Hayward CA for youth aged 12-24, with an official ribbon-cutting ceremony to be held on August 9, 2024, at 11:00am. The center will serve as a safe haven where youth can access various support services and engage in sober activities, all within a secure and inclusive setting. The Lambda drop-in center, which will open its doors on August 1, 2024, boasts offerings such as behavioral health and substance misuse prevention services, counseling services, and youth engagement programming. Moreover, it provides a canvas for young residents to explore their artistic side, participate in interactive games and get involved in leadership roles, within and outside the center.

Alameda County Supervisor Elisa Márquez, who will officiate at the ribbon-cutting, praised the Center’s promising venture, stating, “District two applauds the opening of the drop-in LGBTQIA Center. This is a fantastic opportunity for youth to find a home for services, education, camaraderie, and an environment that opens its arms allowing LGBTQIA youth to be themselves.”

Horizon has a long history of supporting LGBTQIA+ youth; Since 1992, the Lambda Youth Project has relentlessly worked towards overcoming the challenges faced by LGBTQIA+ youth. The new drop-in center will continue this mission by providing a welcoming environment that cultivates a sense of belonging and community.

Breaking silence on this crucial issue, Horizon’s Chief Program Officer and designer of the drop-in centers’ programming, Dr. Anna Phillips remarks, “Being an adolescent today is challenging and our youth are sadder and lonelier than ever. Those sentiments are exacerbated for youth identifying as LGBTQIA+.” According to a report from The Human Rights Campaign¹, ‘the cards remain stacked against LGBTQ+ youth in terms of acceptance and support from their families, their mental health and safety in schools. Transgender and gender-expansive youth also face unique challenges, with harmful anti-trans laws, and a lack of inclusive school policies and procedures, creating obstacles to their safety and well-being.’ At Horizon Treatment Services, we want to change this experience for youth in our county and that is why we are proud to open the doors of this drop-in center. All youth deserve a space to feel connected, respected, cared about, advocated for and safe!”

About the Lambda Youth Project:

The Lambda Youth Project provides essential services to LGBTQIA+ youth who are facing challenges such as substance misuse, depression, and anxiety. Research reveals that these youth make more suicide attempts than their non-LGBTQIA+ peers. According to a January 2024 paper from the CDC, Health Disparities in Suicide, in 2021, more than a quarter (26.3%) of LGB students attempted suicide – five times more than non-LGB peers (5.2%) in the prior 12 months.²

Through sober activities like the Annual Pride Prom and participation in various Pride events across the Bay Area, Lambda has created a supportive community for these young individuals.

About Horizon Services, Inc.

Horizon is a 501C3 non-profit agency specializing in substance use disorder treatment and serving Bay Area communities since 1976. Spanning multiple Bay Area Counties including San Mateo, Alameda & Santa Clara, in addition to rural counties such as Butte; Horizon reaches some 11,000 community members struggling with substance use challenges across Sobering Center, Residential, Detox & Outpatient Counseling programs. Horizon’s in-school prevention programs impact over 22,000 youth annually at over 21 Bay Area schools to educate about both risk and protective factors associated with high-risk drug and alcohol use.

¹ 2023 LGBTQ+ Youth Report. HRC Digital Reports. Published 2023. Accessed June 12, 2024. https://reports.hrc.org/2023-lgbtq-youth-report

² CDC. (2024). Health Disparities in Suicide. Suicide Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/suicide/disparities/

Contact Information

Jen Slusser-MacTernan
Director of Outreach and Talent Development
jen.slumac@hsimail.org
1-510-935-8872

Related Files

newL_LGBTQIA+ Drop-In Flyer – ENG

SOURCE: Horizon Treatment Services | Project Eden Youth Programs

View the original press release on newswire.com.

View the original press release on accesswire.com