According to the 2023 Colorado Health Access Survey more than 50% of LGBTQ+ adults reported poor mental health.
COLORADO, USA — A Colorado therapist is hoping to make access to mental health resources easier, especially for those in the LGBTQ+ community.
A new, free wellness platform called You:Flourish, that focuses on help for the LGBTQ+ community, launched in Colorado this month.
The founder, Steven Haden, is a Coloradan and a member of the LGBTQ+ community. In 2020, he said he saw a great need for mental health resources.
“In my personal experience I knew that our community was struggling in many different ways and its because so many of us live in environments that are not affirming,” he explained. “The disparities are bleak and particularly for our LGBTQ youth and so the needs are greater. There’s often less access to affirming care so for many people they suffer in silence.”
According to the 2023 Colorado Health Access Survey done by the Colorado Health Institute, more than 50% of LGBTQ+ adults reported poor mental health compared to less than 30% of their straight peers.
“Members of our community really struggle with finding somebody who understands their unique needs,” he said. “We hope that this is an important resource for people to help them on their journey.”
The mental health app is available for all Coloradans for free for an entire year thanks to a few state grants. On the platform, people can access a database of mental health providers that focus on LGBTQ+ individuals and issues as well as free virtual support groups.
“Its where people with lived experience, shared lived experience and identities come together and offer hope and help to advance whatever a person’s wellness goals are,” Haden explained. “I mean I really do believe with rates of suicide that exist that You:Flourish will be part of giving people hope and therefore saving lives.”
Anyone in Colorado is allowed to sign up to use this platform for free for one year, but it is tailored to the LGBTQ community. Coloradans can register here.
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