Out At Home

CLINICAL CARE AND SUPPORT FOR THE LGBTQ+ COMMUNITY

The Home for Little Wanderers’ Out at Home program provides outpatient, therapeutic support services for LGBTQ+ individuals of all ages, families, couples and caregivers. It is operated in coordination with Waltham House, The Home’s residential group home for LGBTQ+ youth—the first of its kind in New England when it opened in 2002.

Many young people have experienced difficulty and discrimination due to their gender expression or sexual identities. Out at Home was created with the goal of providing LGBTQ+ competent clinical care, with a strong emphasis on keeping youth within their home environments and communities by offering comprehensive, specialized services and resources that educate, support, strengthen and empower.

Our clinicians offer innovative, ever-evolving programming, whether providing in-person or virtual clinical care, leading confidence and community-building group sessions, or counseling LGBTQ+ students in Greater Boston schools and colleges.

PRIMARY GOALS OF OUT AT HOME

• Offer competent, clinical services to folks in the LGBTQ+ community, including their family members and other supports, by providing individual, family, couples and group therapy
• Connect prospective clients to clinicians who have both specialized training and lived experience
• Provide training and consultation to organizations in the community to further access to capable providers

SERVICES WE OFFER

• Individual therapy sessions for the LGBTQ+ community with licensed and master’s level clinicians
• Family therapy, group therapy and couples counseling with licensed and master’s level clinicians
• Trauma-informed therapeutic approaches with emphasis on the complex and intersectional needs and vulnerabilities of our diverse clients
• Clinicians who can provide EMDR, Dance and Movement Therapy, Narrative Therapy, Solution-Focused Therapy, CBT, DBT, ACT, Motivational Interviewing and a variety of other generalist practices
• Collaboration and support within and outside of our home state of Massachusetts to support the LGBTQ+ community in accessing competent care with their providers
• Life skills support and community resource connections
• Professional development and instruction services

PROFESSIONAL TRAINING AND CONSULTATION SERVICES

Out at Home is driven to expand access to skilled providers and offers training and consultation to outside professionals and agencies. Our clinicians work closely with programs to ensure the training we provide is relevant to the program’s model and service delivery method. Explore our current training offerings below:

• Working with LGBTQ+ Communities 101: A training to gain knowledge on LGBTQ+ identities and community needs, and how to support the LGBTQ+ community.
• AFFIRM Caregiver: This is a seven-session evidence-based and manualized group program designed to help parents and caregivers build the confidence and skills they need to best support their LGBTQ+ youth. The intervention focuses on enhancing compassionate parenting practices that help promote LGBTQ+ youth safety and well-being. Through engaging discussions and activities, sessions help parents and caregivers explore and better understand LGBTQ+ identities broadly and the needs of their LGBTQ+ youth specifically.
• Family Acceptance Project: The Family Acceptance Project is a research, intervention, education, and policy initiative to prevent health and mental health risks and to promote well-being for LGBTQ+ children and youth, including suicide, homelessness, drug use and HIV in the context of their families, cultures, and faith communities.
• School-based work / Supporting LGBTQ+ Students: A training offered to school staff to discuss LGBTQ+ needs, risk factors, bullying concerns, and strategies for staff to support LGBTQ+ youth.
• Disordered Eating and LGBTQ+ Community: A training to provide knowledge and explore the intersection that can occur between gender diversity, disordered eating, and body image issues and the unique risk factors within the LGBTQ+ community.

GROUP AND WORKSHOP OFFERINGS

Out at Home staff offer group therapy and workshops throughout the year on a variety of topics for clients and caregivers of all ages. To receive monthly updates on Out at Home’s group offerings, please contact the team at outathomeintake@thehome.org to be added to our mailing list.