Tuesday, May 13, 2025
5/13/2025
The San Diego Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Community Center's Mental Health Awareness Training - Established in 1972, The San Diego Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Community Center (The Center) is one of the most vibrant and largest LGBT community centers in the nation. The mission is to enhance and sustain the health & well-being of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer, transgender, nonbinary, immigrant, and HIV communities to the betterment of our entire San Diego region. The Center’s Mental Health Awareness Training (MHAT) training will help LGBTQ individuals residing in San Diego County who are at-risk for or experiencing homelessness. We partnered with organizations within San Diego County’s continuum of care for individuals who are at-risk for or experiencing homelessness as the intended recipients of our MHAT. They include education institutions, Federally Qualified Health Centers, staff who serve victims and survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault and sex trafficking, and community-based organizations that provide a continuum of services to those experiencing homelessness. LGBTQ individuals experience unique challenges when facing homelessness, including stigma, discrimination, victimization, disconnection, and rejection by family, all of which can have a detrimental impact on individuals’ physical and mental health. These challenges are compounded by difficulty finding safe, affirming, and competent service providers. According to the American Psychiatric Association’s Mental Health Disparities: LGBTQ report (2017), LGBTQ individuals have higher rates of mental health services use than their heterosexual peers. In addition, many LGBTQ people reported experiencing stigma and discrimination when accessing health services. This leads to LGBTQ people to delay or forego health care. According to the California LGBTQ Reducing Mental Health Disparities Population Report (2012), providers, “face barriers to providing culturally competent services for LGBTQ people, including lack of training. Providers identified “not enough access to training” as one of the top four barriers. The Center will incorporate SAMHSA’s TIP 55 - A Treatment Improvement Protocol -Behavioral Health Services for People Who Are Homeless and a training on de-escalation strategies into a training series. While TIP 55 is appropriate for our focused population, we will modify the training to include more substantial content on the unique needs, issues, and experiences of LGBTQ individuals. The goals are to (1) increase the ability to recognize the signs & symptoms of mental illness in LGBTQ community members & how to safely & appropriately respond, (2) increase basic knowledge of LGBTQ people who are at risk of or are experiencing homelessness, and associated health disparities, & (3) increase the ability of the individuals trained to refer and link the population of focus to knowledgeable mental health services and resources. Lastly, we will serve 1,867 people over the lifetime of the project, and 400 unduplicated people each year, with year one prorated for a 4-month program set up.
HHS’ Tracking Accountability in Government Grants System (TAGGS) website provides access to detailed descriptions of grants, loans, aggregated direct payments and other types of financial assistance awarded by the HHS Operating Divisions (OPDIVs) and the Office of the Secretary Staff Divisions (STAFFDIVs).