In today’s challenging media and political climate, leaders in the LGBTQ+ and BIPOC communities are navigating immense pressures while advocating for inclusion, equity, and mental well-being.
This program provides a safe space for connection, support, and healing, facilitating conversations about these struggles and offering therapeutic support.
Touchstone Foundation proudly offers Helping the Helpers, a ten-week program providing free healing circles and group therapy sessions for community leaders serving LGBTQ+ and BIPOC populations. This initiative fosters resilience and mental well-being among leaders who work tirelessly to uplift vulnerable communities. Thanks to generous funding from the LGBTQ+ Giving Circle at the Lancaster County Community Foundation, facilitators will receive compensation for their valuable contributions.
Jacquelyn Palm- CLINICIAN ,STEPS TO RECEOVERY BEHAVIORAL HEALTH, AND TOUCHSTONE FOUNDATION BOARD MEMBER, ACCESS COMMITTEE
Jacquelyn brings a wealth of experience in addiction and mental health recovery, with a career spanning counseling, ethics, trauma-informed care, and mental health billing. A Mental Health Careers Scholarship recipient and 2024 Elizabethtown College graduate in Human Services, Jacquelyn is passionate about empowering others through recovery and care.
Skylar Wyatt Smith, LPC, ATR- LICENSED PROFESSIONAL COUNSELOR AND ART THERAPIST, OUTPATIENT THERAPIST, TEAM CARE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH
Skylar has over 35 years of experience supporting clients across life stages, specializing in ADHD, anxiety, ASD, trauma, and LGBTQ+ issues. A seasoned therapist and published author, Skylar also co-facilitates the Lancaster-based Trans/Nonbinary group Acrasid and is expanding their private practice, Welcoming Connections, LLC, to offer therapy and expressive arts services.
Participants are supported through guided sessions facilitated by mental health professionals and individuals with lived experience, creating a space for healing, empowerment, and growth.
We are actively seeking facilitators from LGBTQ+ and BIPOC communities to support these sessions, and we invite mental health professionals to apply as facilitators.
Each session will be co-facilitated by two individuals: one will be a mental health professional, and we encourage individuals with lived experience to apply as co-facilitators.
To ensure facilitators feel supported, all sessions will include guidance and supervision from a licensed mental health professional.
For Facilitators:
Eligibility Requirements:
We seek co-facilitators who are: Mental Health Professionals with experience leading group therapy and/or healing circles.
Mental health professionals may be:
Compensation: Facilitators will be compensated for their participation in the program, with funding provided by the LGBTQ+ Giving Circle at the Lancaster County Community Foundation.
Paired Co-Facilitator:
Facilitator Role:
Current Session Format:
Touchstone Foundation remains committed to our mission of elevating the mental well-being of youth and communities in Lancaster County, and this partnership enables us to continue providing essential support to LGBTQ+ and BIPOC leaders. Together, we are creating lasting impact and fostering resilience in the face of systemic challenges.
More about this fund:
The Touchstone Foundation is honored to be awarded a grant from the LGBTQ+ Giving Circle, a program of the Lancaster County Community Foundation. This generous grant will support our initiative, Helping the Helpers: Healing Circles and Group Therapy for LGBTQ+ and BIPOC Leaders, a six-week program offering free healing circles and group therapy sessions for community leaders who serve LGBTQ+ and BIPOC populations.
Launched in October 2022, the LGBTQ+ Giving Circle was established by local volunteers and donors to raise visibility and address the needs of LGBTQ+ communities in Lancaster County. Through this collective and intentional approach to philanthropy, the Giving Circle ensures that critical projects, such as inclusive resources at public libraries, empowerment programs for transgender individuals, and community festivals celebrating LGBTQ+ resilience, are funded and celebrated. This grant cycle has awarded $100,000 to six local organizations working to make an impact.
The advisory committee of the LGBTQ+ Giving Circle, which includes diverse voices from the local LGBTQ+ community, carefully selected initiatives that align with its mission to support and uplift vulnerable communities facing systemic challenges such as racism, homophobia, transphobia, and misogyny. We are truly grateful to be among the recipients and to share in this collective vision. Learn more here: https://www.lancfound.org/lgbtq-giving-circle-awards-100000-to-organizations-in-lancaster-county/