Lazara Paz-Gonzalez: A leader on the never-ending journey to support the LGBTQ+ youth community
Hetrick-Martin Institute, HMI, is a nonprofit organization based in NYC, that aims to provide a welcoming community for LGBTQ+ youth from ages 13 to 24. Most recently they have expanded their age limitation to provide housing support services to individuals up to 29 years old through a funded partnership with H.U.D. HMI provides programs such as counseling and case management, housing services, arts workshops, health and wellness services, academic achievement and GED classes, college prep, and job readiness training, while also supporting the community with nightly hot meals, pantry services, and a safe space for the community.
Lazara Paz-Gonzalez, the senior director of Youth Services at HMI, shares her story of helping the LGBTQ+ youth community, along with her own personal journey, with ODAC. Lazara shares that her journey to HMI started with her own past experiences that included a lack of opportunities and mistreatment as a queer Latinx woman in her younger years. With a clear understanding of the difficulties LGBTQ+ individuals face, especially during their time of youth, Lazara believes that the supportive services HMI offers are built upon the foundation of providing physical, emotional, and psychological safety to youth.
When discussing the types of youth services provided in HMI, Lazara was very proud to introduce their positive youth development and membership model which focuses on providing a supportive environment, allowing for ample peer interaction through programming they offer in their community space, and the availability of therapeutiful and clinical services that are free, readily available, and offered by culturally-aligned staff. After completing an intake form and becoming members of the agency, youth can get access to mental health counseling, internship opportunities, sexual health education, gender-affirming services, monthly cultural celebrations, and other recreational programs at no cost to them. Lazara stressed that offering free services decreases the barriers that youth face when trying to access the services that they need and want to thrive as LGBTQIA+ persons.
For example, Lazara told the story of a queer 15-year-old youth who did not speak English and arrived at HMI in search of any supportive services they could receive on the basis on their housing situation. HMI quickly connected them to a housing partner in the community and assessed other immediate needs for the youth. They were able to offer them a hot meal for the evening (and every night after they became a member), provide them with some basic supplies for daily-living, and ensured they were connected with any other wellbeing resources they might need in NYC. Lazara stressed that one of the organization's highlights is providing immediate support for individuals in difficult situations, and connecting them to opportunities and resources that they could not have found on their own.
In an HMI satisfactory survey, 94.7% out of 280+ respondents indicated they were either satisfied or very satisfied with the services they received. Youth members mentioned that they appreciate having faculty who identify with them, as this makes the community a safe space where youth are comfortable to participate.
Similarly to ODAC, Lazara talked about HMI’s critical vitality of helping others. The impact of one’s actions can change another’s life, and these missions are never-ending journeys where the influence of support will continue and spread to others.