Envision:You – Envisioning a Better You
Disturbingly high rates of mental health challenges affect a significant portion of the LGBTQ+ community, impacting individuals at two to four times the rate of their straight, cisgender peers. Antagonistic environments can deter queer people from being able to express their identities openly. This is problematic, as fear of discrimination, harassment, and general unease take a toll on one’s mental health.
“If you’re raised in an environment where your very existence is questioned or trusted adults fail to offer support and affirmation, the transition into adulthood can be marked by constant fear,” says Steven Haden (he/him), founder of Envision:You as well as a mental health clinician. “Ultimately, it affects the quality of your mental health and wellbeing. The years we live are more challenging, and the duration that we live is shortened because of the profound trauma and difficulties that people experience.”
Navigating the dual challenges of pervasive fear and growing political hostility is intricate and multifaceted. It underscores the need for healthcare providers and resources specifically attuned to the nuanced challenges faced by the LGBTQ+ community.
However, this care is nearly nonexistent for many people around the country. While the LGBTQ+ community is in greater need of mental health care support than their straight, cis counterparts, less than 1% of philanthropy goes to LGBTQ+-focused nonprofits, undermining the ability to offer expansive and coordinated services and programs for queer people. Haden and his exceptional team are determined to address these concerning statistics.
Envision:You is a Denver-based nonprofit that focuses on the mental health and wellbeing of the LGBTQ+ community across Colorado. Haden’s work is deeply personal to him, as he identifies as a gay man, a person in recovery from a substance use disorder, and someone who has battled mental health issues himself. Upon seeing the mental health disparity between straight, cisgender people and that of the LGBTQ+ community, he had a calling to start a nonprofit that addressed this issue. More than six years ago, Haden started Envision:You.
The mental health disparities in the queer community can be attributed to hostile systems and environments that discourage people to be their authentic selves. Many systems set up to support mental health are exclusive and non-affirming. Historically, public health and medical systems have been designed for and by white, cisgender men. This has marginalized and discouraged those of other identities when they seek care.
“Healthcare systems are not designed to take into account the lived experience of LGBTQ+ individuals—their cultural identities, their ethnic, racial, gender, or sexual identities,” says Haden. He additionally discussed how mental health graduate programs and medical schools are not training their practitioners to be culturally affirming, further complicating this process. “They’re not understanding the importance of intersectional identities, which leads to poor and sometimes traumatizing care.”
The LGBTQ+ community has faced a history of being pathologized. Inaccurate and incorrect care and diagnostics still prevail, even after 1973, when ‘homosexuality’ as a mental health disorder was removed from the DSM.
Envision:You Vice President Brad Barfield (they/he) says, “Our approach to programming is necessarily community-informed and co-created. To serve all LGBTQ+ Coloradans, we can not just rely on a selective group of experts that may make assumptions about what people need. Instead, we prioritize the diversity of experiences and identities of the people we support in the development and activation of all programs. By fostering a co-creation mindset, we ensure that our work is meaningful, impactful, and truly serves the diverse needs of the community.”
With a lack of safe spaces, many queer people struggle to find affirming mental health professionals. A key component of Evision:You’s work is their comprehensive evidence-based training for behavioral health providers. Bringing together a team of people with lived experience, mental health professionals, public health workers, and academics, Envision:You has a multi-level training program to equip their workforce with the skills and tools to aid LGBTQ+ folks. They have trained nearly 2000 professionals to deliver better care through the multi-phase training program, a foundational course, an intensive clinical training program, and population-specific modules for queer youth, queer communities of color, and trans folks.
In addition to addressing the delivery of clinical services in Colorado and beyond, Envision:You offers a wide range of resources, events, programs, and advocacy initiatives to tackle systemic issues. To address ongoing fundraising challenges and a challenging political climate, Envision:You recently announced its acquisition by Mental Health Colorado. This partnership opens doors for expanded impact and transformative change within the LGBTQ+ community. With Brad Barfield stepping in as Envision:You’s new leader and founder Steven Haden assuming the role of executive vice president at Mental Health Colorado, the organization is poised for continued growth and influence.
Colorado, known for its abundant sunshine of over 300 days, faces significant challenges in terms of mental health care accessibility. Envision:You acknowledges these disparities and recently introduced You:Flourish, a groundbreaking wellness platform tailored to the LGBTQ+ community. Offering a wide array of resources, peer support, and access to affirming providers, You:Flourish is a beacon of hope in addressing the needs of Colorado’s LGBTQ+ community. Go to youflourish.app to check out this new resource.
“When help is not readily available, we tend to suffer in silence, and when people suffer silently, unfortunate things like self-harm, overdose, or suicide often occur,” says Haden.
If you are struggling, Envision:You and You:Flourish offer supportive programs, resources, and services and it is right at our fingertips. To find out more, go to envision-you.org or you-flourish.com.
