Evaluation of the Healthy Relationships Program for 2SLGBTQIA+ Youth

The Healthy Relationships Program (HRP) for Two-Spirit, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, Queer, Intersex, and Asexual + (2SLGBTQIA+) Youth is a small group positive mental health promotion program for gender, sexual, and romantic minority youth. It helps build resiliency and promote well-being among 2SLGBTQIA+ youth. It affirms, validates, and celebrates sexual and gender diversity, cultivates a caring and supportive community, and helps 2SLGBTQIA+ youth develop skills and strategies that promote healthy relationships. This trauma-informed, strengths-focused program explores stressors unique to 2SLGBTQIA+ youth, including identity and expression invalidation, stigma, prejudice and discrimination, internalized oppression, coming out, safety, and microaggressions. This program includes 17 sessions, each lasting approximately 45 minutes. It may be delivered in school-based Genders and Sexualities Alliances/Gay-Straight Alliances (GSA) or 2SLGBTQIA+ youth group settings.

Students at comparison sites will participate in standard GSA programming, a safe space for 2SLGBTQIA+ youth and their allies to meet, develop relationships, support each other, socialize, and learn about sexuality and gender-related topics, and lobby for social change.