Thanks to support from local officials and a $25,000 donation by LA County Supervisor Don Knabe, the Gay & Lesbian Center of Greater Long Beach has announced the creation of a 20-member committee that will oversee a mental health counseling program at The Center. The committee is co-chaired by Long Beach First Lady Nancy Foster and community leader Richard Lewis. Long Beach Councilmember Suja Lowenthal and Signal Hill Councilmember Larry Forrester also sit on the committee.
“The program’s primary goal is to provide affordable psychotherapy for the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered community in a safe and supportive environment,” said Executive Director Kim Woods, in a released statement. “This will help our community and strengthen many of our existing programs. We are so thankful for each of the community member’s involvement on this committee.”
The program will be the newest service at The Center, which serves more than 20,000 clients every year through its 23 programs. The Mental Health Counseling Program will help people cope with depression, anxiety, HIV status, domestic violence and more. The program would not have been possibl without the grant awarded by Supervisor Knabe.
“Mental illness affects people regardless of who they are,” Knabe said in the release. “An affordable mental health program like this provides access to underserved segments of our community.”
By Ryan ZumMallen, Managing Editor