The Montrose Center

(See Schedule O)The Montrose Center's counseling services are part of the Living Insightfully for Empowerment (LIFE) program. A psychotherapy and counseling program designed to empower clients' self-sufficiency in recovery without fear of encountering prejudice, ignorance, homophobia, or heterosexism in an LGBT-affirming environment. We provided LIFE program services to 935 individuals. LIFE serves special populations of the LGBT community through Anti-Violence, HIV/AIDS, and Chemical Dependency programming. Anti-Violence staff provides counseling services to address issues related to domestic violence, sexual assault, hate crimes, and childhood sexual abuse. HIV/AIDS staff provides individual couples and group counseling to people affected by or infected with HIV and/or AIDS. Chemical Dependency counselors provide a combination of education, therapy, and counseling as a state-licensed out-patience treatment program designed primarily for the LGBT communities. All programs above are LGBT affirming to provide the best service and outcomes for the target population. All phases of the program offer services to family members and others significant in the lives of clients participating in the program. Counseling services had in-kind professional services in the form of student interns. The value of the in-kind services was $116,013.

The senior program provides counseling, case management services, social and recreational activities, and health wellness education to LGBT people 60 and over. The Youth program provides adolescents and young adults who identify as LGBTQ outreach, counseling, role models, and peer support to help prevent homelessness among youth. The Women's program supports lesbian women, breaking down barriers that lesbians face when accessing health and social services through advocacy, professional and community education, and case management. The program also holds an annual celebration dance supporting women and their friends.

Case management provided services to 1,265 clients and 380 outreach participants to promote continuity of care so that clients can function independently by using government, private, and community resources. To support this intention, we provide services to assist clients in dealing with challenges to living a healthy life, including access to mental and psychosocial services in a timely and coordinated manner. These services include assistance with obtaining and completing governmental forms, as well as locating transportation, housing, and other resources. In addition to case management services for those living with HIV disease, specialized case management services are available to deaf/hard of hearing and survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence, or a bias/hate crime.

The Montrose Center's education programs provide current and accessible information on HIV, sexually transmitted infections, chemical dependency, hepatitis, and tuberculosis, by offering seminars on homophobia, heterosexism, and cultural sensitivity. The Montrose Center also provides anti-violence education that includes violence dynamics in the LGBT community. Educational services offer information and training not only to LGBT people but to the greater Houston metropolitan area as a whole to create LGBT cultural sensitivity. Seminars and outreach conversations are provided in prisons, halfway houses, inpatient and outpatient recovery centers, schools, social organizations, businesses and corporations, community and neighborhood groups, health care and legal professionals, churches, and families.