Celebrating 40 Years - Hetrick-Martin Institute

Celebrating 40 Years of Empowering LGBTQ Youth

This year Hetrick-Martin Institute (HMI) proudly celebrates 40 years as the nation’s largest and very first LGBTQ Youth Services organization. In 1979, Dr. Emery Hetrick and Dr. Damien Martin learned of a homeless 15-year old boy who had been beaten and kicked out of his emergency shelter because he was gay. In response, they along with other concerned adults, created the Institute for the Protection of Lesbian and Gay Youth, which was renamed in 1988 in honor of Dr. Hetrick’s and Dr. Martin’s commitment to service of LGBTQ young people.

Since then, hundreds of thousands of youth have walked through HMI’s doors seeking a safe environment and the care and guidance that they otherwise may be lacking. Today, we serve over 2,000 LTBTQ young people, nurturing them with hot meals and showers, counseling and advocacy, and health education—only a few of the myriad services offered.

Over the past four decades, HMI has made significant strides in fostering healthy youth development.

In 1984, founded Harvey Milk High School devoted to serving at-risk youth. HMI remains home to Harvey Milk, which is now a fully accredited public high school and administered by the NYC Department of Education. Creating the first education model of its kind, it focuses on young people seeking physical and emotional safety and a respite from trauma so that they too could have access to a public education.
Launched the Center for LGBTQ Youth Advocacy and Capacity Building in 2013. To date, we have trained more than 1,500 elected leaders, policy makers, educators, advocates and service providers across the country and around the world. We continue to impart skills enabling each to return to their own communities and to enhance their own LGBTQ youth-focused trainings.
Founded HMI: New Jersey in 2012, making our organization the first comprehensive LGBTQ youth-focused federated service program based on the principles and best practices of 40 years. HMI programs today are being implemented in the City of Newark and neighboring counties.
Designed the HMI Goes Citywide for LGBTQ Youth initiative in 2015, in an effort to improve the emotional/mental wellness and to create safe and nurturing environments for LGBTQ youth across NYC. The goal of the project is to strengthen the “systems” that are part of the safety net necessary for the development of healthy and thriving LGBTQ young people.

Over the past 5 years, HMI Goes Citywide for LGBTQ Youth has provided over 2,000 vulnerable and “at-risk” LGBTQ young people of color with comprehensive life-saving mental health services and over 300 community and government partners with capacity building and training services.
We have been working with government leaders to educate and inform policies that better support LGBTQ youth—particularly youth of color—in areas such as education, human services and law enforcement. This work has included supporting the creation of the NYC Department of Education “Gender Institute” to increase safety for transgender students throughout the NYC Public School System as well as leading a community coalition of service providers to expand the NYPD School Safety Agents training on how to address the challenges and better support LGBTQ youth in educational environments.

While this major milestone is an opportunity to reflect on our history, impact, and accomplishments over the past four decades; more importantly, it’s a time to look forward and plan for improving and expanding upon how we serve LGBTQ youth – especially youth of color, homeless youth, and court-involved youth. We’re proud of what and where HMI is today, but we certainly have more work ahead of us as we continue to expand our reach and services offered. As part of our immediate plans, you can expect to see two major initiatives, the HMI Millieu Model and PRYSM Scan, rolled out in the very near future.

We’re excited and eager to embark upon the next 40 years and beyond with the continued support of all of you. We have not lost sight of the amazing contributions so many of you have made over the past 40 years, for which none of this would be possible.

HMI Millieu Model

An all-inclusive “how to” program manual for community stakeholders and service providers on evidence-based best practices for serving LGBTQ youth within their own non-profits.

PRYSM Scan

A comprehensive organizational assessment that enables organizations to fully assess their readiness for working with and serving as safe and inclusive service providers and places of employment for LGBTQ people.

This year is especially monumental as it also marks the 50th Anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising, for which our CEO, Thomas Krever is a Stonewall Ambassador, and it is also the first year in its 20-year history that World Pride will be held in the United States, in our spectacular city.

We hope you will join us in celebrating these momentous events throughout the year. Follow us on social media, sign up to receive email updates and visit our website regularly for the latest developments and events.

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