Mental Health
The Trevor Project To Launch Its Life-Saving Crisis Services for LGBTQ Youth in Mexico
For The First Time, The Leading LGBTQ Youth Suicide Prevention Organization Will Offer Its Crisis Services Beyond The U.S., With Plans to Serve LGBTQ Youth Across Several Countries In The Future
NEW YORK – The Trevor Project, the world’s largest suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer & questioning (LGBTQ) young people, announced plans to launch its digital crisis services – including TrevorChat and TrevorText – in Mexico by the end of 2022. The launch will enable Mexico-based LGBTQ young people to receive support and talk about mental health challenges they may be facing with highly trained counselors in Mexico.
“LGBTQ youth suicide is a global public health crisis and we know that so many LGBTQ young people do not have access to the services they need,” said Amit Paley, The Trevor Project’s CEO and Executive Director. “We believe that all LGBTQ young people—regardless of what country they live in—deserve the life-saving resources that The Trevor Project offers. We are proud to be able to scale our operations internationally to help more LGBTQ young people in need, while simultaneously moving full steam ahead to continue supporting more LGBTQ youth in the U.S.”
While The Trevor Project estimates that more than 1.8 million LGBTQ young people seriously consider suicide each year in the U.S., that number is more than 40 million LGBTQ youth globally. Specifically in Mexico, it’s estimated that more than 745,000 LGBTQ youth ages 13-24 are in crisis, though that figure is a rough approximation due to a severe lack of data collection and research. To identify the first country for its international expansion, The Trevor Project undertook a robust research phase and assessed laws impacting local LGBTQ communities, need for LGBTQ youth mental health support, operational feasibility, regulatory risk, human resources, and more.
“There is a persistent need for more mental health resources and support for LGBTQ youth in Mexico,” said Carlos Carrazana, The Trevor Project’s Chief Operating Officer, who is based in Mexico. “We also know that the challenges LGBTQ young people face in Mexico may look different than those that youth face in the U.S. We’re aware that there are many amazing local organizations fighting for the wellbeing of LGBTQ youth in Mexico, and we’re so energized to collaborate with those on the ground and build on the progress they’ve already made.”
The Trevor Project is actively hiring for various Mexico-based roles, including but not limited to Executive Director, Director of Digital Crisis Services, Director of Recruitment, Director of People Operations, and Director of Growth. In addition, the organization is building an international expansion team to help lead systematic research, tools adaptation and translation, training implementation, recruitment, and obtaining legal presence, all of which are happening in parallel.
The organization has achieved remarkable growth in the past five years, steadily recruiting new talent to grow its staff from 60 people to nearly 350 people and deepening its expertise, competencies, and capacity across each of its key program areas: Crisis Services, Research, Advocacy, Public Education, and Peer Support. With a crisis support model that has proven successful in the U.S. and significant domestic growth under its belt, The Trevor Project aims to expand its life-saving services to LGBTQ young people in need around the globe.
The Trevor Project’s goal to expand internationally was originally introduced in its three-year strategic plan, which was developed to respond to the global public health crisis of LGBTQ youth suicide. Launching 24/7 digital crisis services for LGBTQ young people in Mexico will enable the organization to build expertise in both language and geographic expansion, while providing a foundation to support LGBTQ young people in additional countries in the future.