In partnership with the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, we created Project Honesty, Openness, Mindfulness, and Empathy, or Project H.O.M.E. Project H.O.M.E aims to improve mental health, well-being, and resilience in LGBTQIA2S+ youth. While focused on Wisconsin residents, anyone can utilize the modules.
Background: We held several listening sessions to learn the needs of the groups that were going to take the modules. There were 77 participants (42% identified as LGBTQ+), and we identified common topics that were requested by youth and adults. Some of these topics were the same for both groups, yet each group had its own needs.
Problem: Youth and adults requested similar topics, yet they also requested topics specific to their own group. How do we create modules to cater to these different audiences?
Solution: Create a series of online modules for LGBTQIA2S+ youth to complete alone, supportive adults to complete alone, and youth and supportive adults to complete together. Each group of learners can choose which modules they would like to complete.
We created 13 modules that dealt with 8 topics of interest to youth and parents. For example, youth and parents thought "Understanding LGBTQIA2S+ identities and experiences" was important, so we made one for youth, one for adults, and one that youth and adults to do together. The information is similar, but each module has different advice for youth and other advice for caregivers wanting to support youth.
Here is a video of the Youth module and some differences between it and the Adult and Together modules.
