Caring for the Caregivers: How Kaiser Permanente Is Helping Rainbow Labs Build a Healthier Future—From the Inside Out
At Rainbow Labs, we know what it means to carry weight while simultaneously showing up for someone else. Our mentors, staff, and facilitators—many of whom identify as LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC—hold space for queer and trans youth navigating deep, sometimes invisible, bearings of rejection, uncertainty, and overall mental health challenges, and the weight of just trying to be in a world that doesn’t always make room. And the truth is, the data echoes what so many of us feel on a soul level. Statistically speaking, Over half (54%) of LGBTQ+ adults of color report experiencing poor mental health, with transgender adults of color facing even higher rates at 61% according to the HRC Campaign back in 2024.
But something we’ve learned over time is that showing up for youth means nothing if we don’t show up for ourselves. Afterall, we are the ones guiding them.
That’s why we’re proud to share that, with the support of Kaiser Permanente, Rainbow Labs has launched a bold initiative to care for our resilient and educated team. Through a one year grant focused on mental and behavioral health,Rainbow Labs is taking intentional steps to build up our team’s capacity not just in skill, but in wellness as well.
Our Youth Mental Health Capacity Development Project is all about holding our people as whole. Over the next year, Kaiser’s investment will provide the following:
Trauma-informed care training for all seven of our LGBTQ+ and BIPOC staff, to help build tools for empathy, boundary-setting, and burnout prevention.
Wellness stipends, allowing staff to access mental health resources in the way that works best for them—whether that’s therapy, movement classes, or time set aside for rest.
A staff retreat rooted in leadership and wellness practices, where team members will share space, slow down, and reconnect to themselves and one another.
Weekly program development coaching, offering space to reflect, imagine, and co-create trauma-informed programming that supports both staff and youth.
A Board retreat focused on aligning strategic planning with the real-world mental health needs of our community—because care should be a priority from the top down.
It’s the kind of behind-the-scenes support that makes those at the frontlines feeling sustained and supported. The kind that doesn't always get the spotlight, but the support makes a significant difference.
At Rainbow Labs, we often think of our staff as “mirrors.” They reflect our youth—their stories, their adversities, their brilliance. But mirrors need as much care if not more.
Through Kaiser’s support, we’re affirming what we’ve always known: our team deserves to be resourced, rested, and reminded they aren't alone in the titular work that they do. This partnership with Kaiser doesn’t stop with staff. Through a separate grant, Rainbow Labs is also building out Youth Empowerment Pathways, a mentorship and leadership program that helps LGBTQIA+ youth explore advocacy, financial literacy, and self-determination. Together, these investments create an ecosystem of care. One where youth and staff are growing alongside one another in a beautiful synchronicity.
We’re not just teaching self-care; we’re practicing community care. We’re not just talking about safety; we’re building structures that hold it.
In a world where legislation continues to threaten queer and trans lives,especially youth, our work is urgent. But more than urgent, it’s sacred. And it deserves the kind of thoughtful, long-term support that Kaiser is offering.
Because when our people feel cared for, they move differently. They show up with more capacity. More creativity. More room to breathe.
Overall we’re grateful to Kaiser Permanente for walking with us in this journey toward wholeness. Toward community. Toward a future where one can choose to care for others but also care for themselves.
