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Mental Health America of California spotlights LIV program, urges Innovation Fund support for LGBTQ+ services
Summary
Contracted advocacy partner Mental Health America of California presented the LIV (LGBTQ+ Inclusivity, Visibility, and Empowerment) program and asked the commission to prioritize LGBTQ+ communities for the Innovation Partnership Fund, citing survey findings on care access and discrimination fears.
Mental Health America of California presented its LIV program to the commission’s advocacy spotlight, describing a statewide partnership network serving LGBTQ+ communities and asking the commission to prioritize the community as an Innovation Partnership Fund priority population.
Program staff described Year 1 (March 2024–February 2025) activities with 14 community partners statewide, outreach and empowerment events, peer support and training, and an initial community survey of roughly 200 respondents. Presenters said only 29 percent of survey respondents reported access to LGBTQ-competent mental health care and that 44 percent avoided care because of fear of discrimination. The program managers shared examples of local partner work, including empowerment circles, wellness events and community-based outreach in rural and immigrant communities.
The presenters urged the commission to designate LGBTQ+ people as a priority population for the Innovation Partnership Fund to preserve and expand community-led safe spaces, saying participants had emphasized funding for existing organizations as one urgent need.
Commissioners asked about outreach to specific subpopulations, including Black women and older veterans, and whether the program distributes naloxone. Presenters said their partnerships include local groups with Black women participants but that the initiative did not fund any organization dedicated exclusively to Black LGBTQ women; staff welcomed collaboration and outreach to increase representation. On naloxone, the presenter said the organization did not yet run a distribution program but planned to train staff and explore policy implications.
Public commenters and community partners supported the request and urged the commission to ensure community-based organizations are meaningfully involved in planning the Innovation Partnership Fund process.
