Increasing Access to Mental Health Services for LGBT Victims of Crime

The primary aim of OVC's FY 2017 Vision 21 Integrated Services for Victims Program: Increasing Access to Mental Health Services for Victims of Crime (Vision 21 ISV Program) is to bridge the divide between crime victims, victim services providers, and mental health services providers so that communities are able to create a seamless network of services to assist crime victims to recover, heal, and thrive. The Vision 21 ISV Program includes five purpose areas. This project is funded under Purpose Area Purpose Area 3A: Increasing Access to Mental Health Services to Traditionally Underserved Victims of Crime. Projects funded under this program purpose area will increase access to mental health services for crime victims from traditionally underserved populations by awarding up to three, 36-month cooperative agreements to eligible applicants to develop and implement projects that propose to use technology and other innovative practices to reach these populations.

The Los Angeles LGBT Center (the Center) is a private nonprofit organization that was founded in 1969 to advance the interests of LGBT individuals in Los Angeles, CA. The Center currently employs more than 600 staff members who administer programs that meet the health and social services needs of LGBT individuals, promote greater awareness and understanding of LGBT culture, and provide leadership and advocacy on issues that impact the general health, safety and welfare of LGBT people. The Center operates a domestic violence program that is designed to address the unique needs of LGBT victims of intimate partner violence. The Center has formed a collaborative partnership with the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health (LACDMH) for this project. With an annual operating budget of $2.4 billion, 85 independent clinics, and offering services at more than 300 co-located programs in schools, courts, other county departments and community organizations, LACDMH is the nation's largest county-operated provider of mental health and substance abuse services.

Together, the Center, LACDMH, and other community partners will use the funding from this project to improve access to mental health services for LGBT individuals who are victims of crime throughout Los Angeles County by: (1) conducting a community needs assessment and create a strategic plan to address gaps in the systemic response to LGBT victims of crime identified through the assessment; (2) increase the number of LGBT victims of crime, including victims of domestic violence, who have access to mental health services by hiring an 1.0 FTE Mental Health Clinician to provide crisis, individual, group, and family counseling to members of the target population, in both office and community-based settings; and (3) promote greater understanding and awareness of the cultural and mental health needs of LGBT victims of crime by employing a 1.0 FTE Outreach Specialist to coordinate continuity of care with other providers, assist victims with identifying and accessing complementary services, and support the delivery of mobile mental health services.

CA/NCF