IMPORTANT: Please keep in mind that as you come into Alternatives’ space, not all staff are comfortable with their picture or video being taken and posted online. Please get permission to do so before filming or photographing any of our staff.
INFORMATION FOR LEADERS OF STUDENT GROUPS
Please confirm with parents about which subjects are okay to share with their children in the Orientation + Tour. We are mindful with our words and address these subjects with sensitivity and compassion, even with adults. But we understand that some young people may not be ready to hear about all the work in a pregnancy center. We do seek to inform/educate, but we never use graphic detail as we do not want to scare or shame people. Note: The wording below shows the language we use at Alternatives to talk about sensitive subjects with youth.
Counseling After Abortion: We offer individual and group counseling to those who have had abortion experiences (includes men). We see people one week to 50+ years after their experience. We are helping them find community and healing. We want to emphasize compassion and grace for these clients. For many of them, someone on our staff may be the first person they tell about their experience.
STD Testing and Treatment: We only test women, but we are able to treat the woman and their male partners. Testing and treatment are free to our clients. We focus on holistic health and go beyond just a physical exam/test. We address all dimension of our clients overall health (physical, mental, emotional, spiritual and social).
Pregnancy Options Consultation: We educate and help people process all three of their options i.e., Parenting, Adoption and Abortion. We believe that people deserve a safe space to learn about and explore their options so that they can make an informed pregnancy decision. We do not refer to or recommend abortion and do not show our clients videos with disturbing images to convince them not to have an abortion. We do tenderly confront their understanding of abortion for them physically and emotionally. At the end of the day, we are ministers and not manipulators and the client is responsible for their ultimate decision. Clients come from diverse backgrounds, ages, religions, political views, etc. so we serve anyone and everyone. We strive to provide quality medical and mental health services with care and compassion, always.
