NNews-Spring-2022

13 “Kids enjoy the drop-in nature of Pride+. It’s open during after-school hours and it provides a safe, comfortable space where they can be themselves,” Pedoto added. Recognizing Tremendous Need and Achieving Immediate Impact “We’re in a time when the rights of LGBTQIA people are being threatened and people feel they must be silent about who they are. We need to break down that incredible barrier,” Travers stated. “We must show youth that they’re not alone and help themdevelop in the most healthy of ways. We need to create openness and awareness so we’re not taking 10, 20 steps backwards. We feel really proud that, especially at this time, we can encounter the threat.” “The rates of depression and suicidal thoughts are escalated in the LGBTQIA population. It’s critically important to create a safe space for LGBTQIA youth to come together, socialize, enjoy fun recreational events and participate in psychoeducational groups,” Travers said. Pride+ meets all of these needs. The program also offers family and group therapy; support groups for the LGBTQIA youth, as well as for their parents and siblings; and parent education sessions. According to Travers, parents often struggle, wanting to protect their children without understanding the difficulties LGBTQIA youth commonly face. These challenges commonly cause parents’ anxiety about their children’s future. In addition to this broad array of services, the Pride+ team tailors the programs to meet the youths’ specific needs. Pedoto continually seeks input from the participating youth to identify important topics to address and develop relevant activities. Pride+ opened just in time not only to prevent a gap in these much- needed services, but also to engage children and families from the community in an event for the first Transgender Day of Visibility on March 31 st . “Youth from the programwere the centerpiece and they spoke at the event,” Pedoto said. Both the staff and participants are promoting the program. The team is planning more events that will be geared to all age groups. “The LGBTQIA community is being identified much earlier than we used to see. We saw 8- and 10-year-olds at the March 31 st event,” Travers said. In addition to hosting its own events, the Pride+ team attends other events with the youth from their program. “We’re really trying to make youth feel comfortable in their community,” Pedoto stated. Pride+ is currently available at two locations to serve youth and families who live in Maplewood, East Orange and Millburn. The program is operated Tuesdays through Thursdays at St. George Episcopal Church in Maplewood. On Fridays and Saturdays, Pride+ is run at a house in East Orange that Family Connections uses for visitation. The number of locations and the reach of this impactful program are likely to grow in the near future. Already Planning to Expand this Valuable Program “Once we’re awarded a grant, we start thinking about next steps. We want to create sustainability for the program, and are working toward expansion,” Travers said. Of the first calls JP received, one was fromUnion County and another was from a parent of an elementary school student who expressed interest in therapy that the program offers. “Diane and I have big ideas and need to figure out how to do all of them,” Pedoto said, clearly eager to make it all happen—which he and the teamwill undoubtedly achieve. For more information, visit familyconnectionsnj.org/prideplus. Spring 2022 The youth and their families are very, very thankful for our services. There is no wait with our program. - JP Pedoto, MSW Coordinator of Pride+ and Clinician