"At Choices, we understand the need toget immediate help from people who understand what you' re going through. Choices@AZC is here to help you inyour own language. Our team ofLGBTQ+psychologists and volunteers speak Arabic, English, Dutch, Farsi, French, German, Turkish, Russian andUkrainian."

Choices brings psychological first aid directly to LGBTQ+ residents in the AZC. Psychological first aid is essentially counseling from compassion. It primarily addresses emotional and practical needs and concerns. An important goal of psychological first aid is to build people's ability to recover. Together with our psychologist, we determine what the immediate needs are, what the person's strengths are, and what the options are for meeting these needs. Once this is done, the person can develop a personalized care plan with the psychologist according to their own goals and needs.

Choices on-site prevention counseling in the AZC helps LGBTQ+ residents with trauma, depression, PTSD and/or anxiety disorders to remain stable in the AZC during the long and uncertain asylum process. Our clients are exposed to racism, threats of physical violence, rape, harassment and are sometimes transferred to different asylum centers without prior notice.

The uncertainty of the asylum process and the long wait exacerbates their mental state, traumas, fears and instability, creating further difficulties in coping with it and safely integrating into Dutch society and the queer community here. Many turn to dating apps and sexual activities that involve drug use as a means of becoming socially accepted and part of the queer community.

We stabilize our clients with ongoing counseling, psychoeducation, social gatherings and a toll-free telephone helpline. With our help, we aim to prevent our clients from developing addiction, a sexual infection, or an increase or escalation of their mental health problems.

Our psychological first aid includes:

• Immediate clinical assessment, referral for people with acute symptoms due to trauma, depression and drug/alcohol dependence;
• Crisis management, immediate referral where necessary;
• Identify and help with current needs;
• Helping people identify their own strengths and abilities to deal with problems;
• Foster belief in people's ability to be self-reliant;
• Helping people through the initial period of high intensity and uncertainty;
• Reduce the risk factors of mental illness;
• Setting personal goals to minimise and eliminate identified HIV risk behaviours;
• Set personal goals to minimize and eliminate problematic substance use and sexual risk behaviors related to drug use;
• Developing a positive social network for support;
• Involving partners in the support process whenever possible and with consent;
• Identifying appropriate organizations and institutions for further clinical support.
• In addition, we can put people in touch with the Public Health Service for HIV/SOA testing and PrEP. We also offer free HIV self-testing for our clients.

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