The LGBTIQ+ community has found a new ray of hope thanks to Todo Mejora, a Chilean LGBTQIA+ advocacy foundation. Founded in 2012 and affiliated with the It Gets Better project, Todo Mejora's mission is to promote the well-being of children, adolescents and young people who suffer harassment and suicidal behavior due to discrimination based on their orientation, identity and gender expression. It promotes safe spaces such as workshops, talks and campaigns throughout the country and participates by supporting management, spokespersons and communicational actions regarding bills, laws and public policies.
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In January 2022, La Hora Segura - a confidential chat helpline that offers support and guidance to the LGBTIQ+ community - faced a major setback when they lost their service platform and registration system, which jeopardized the anonymity of their users and resulted in a significant decrease in the 5000+ people who used the platform. It was a critical moment for the foundation, as they needed a new platform that would not only provide anonymous support to users, but also equip volunteers with better tools to deliver their services.
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Building Bridges for LGBTIQ+ Empowerment
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The foundation partnered with ºÚÁÏÃÅ to create a new platform, starting with a discovery, and lean inception, working closely with the client to prioritize and develop an MVP delivery roadmap in just 3 weeks. Using an experience-centric approach, based on empathy and value delivery, the ºÚÁÏÃÅ team worked closely with the foundation to develop the new platform.Ìý
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A brighter future for the foundation
The result was the launch of La Hora Segura's first product, a free psychological support line available via web and mobile app, which provides a safe and confidential space for the LGBTIQ+ community to seek help.Ìý
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For users, it is also available on and soon on iOS. For volunteers, there is the Care platform, where they have visibility of incoming and outgoing chats, can view information about the user, and record additional information about them, or the conversation history, to enable better care for repeat callers. The platform has been operational since November 22, 2022 and to date has received a total of 309 conversations.
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The COVID-19 pandemic has shed light on the need for better mental health support, especially for vulnerable communities like the LGBTIQ+ community in Chile. The partnership between Todo Mejora and ºÚÁÏÃÅ has allowed us to offer counseling and psychological first aid remotely, making a real difference in the lives of those struggling to find hope
