Resources For Mental Health Services for LGBTQ+ Youth In Los Angeles?

April 10, 2023 9:05 PM

I am currently picking up my masters in psychology and am doing a group project for our community psychology class We've decided to do our project on the lack of mental health services/suicide prevention for LGBTQ+ Youth in Central LA. The boundaries of central Central LA would include Beverly Hills to the west, Hollywood to the north, Silverlake to the east and DTLA to the south.

I have contacts at the Gay and Lesbian Center in West Hollywood. What other resources/organizations are in the area that I can utilize?

Also looking for local, state and government databases that share information (Department of Public Health? Department of Mental Health?)

posted by goalyeehah to Human Relations (3 answers total)

The Trevor Project does a lot of research, is based around LA, and has a youth hotline. From a cursory look, I didn’t see any particularly local research briefs but you could reach out to see if they’re willing to share any stats. Good luck!
posted by sincerely yours at 11:56 PM on April 10, 2023 [1 favorite]

The LGBT Center has really long arms (and I think a significant grant pipeline) so it's sometimes hard to find orgs that aren't associated with them!

They're just across the river from Silverlake (and their newer location is in Long Beach) so not quite in your boundaries, but I'd suggest checking out Folklore Salon & Barber's various social medias and reach out (probably to Spike the events coordinator - I encourage you to talk to Pony too if you can because they're such a lovely being, but it looks like they're on medical leave at the moment). It's been sporadic during the pandemic but they've always got some outreach programs going on, including haircut/barber street clinics, clothing swaps, art shows. They're just such a presence, and I think it's something of a rite of passage in LA to go to them for one's first Obviously Queer Haircut. Anyway, Spike might have suggestions of more grassroots orgs to talk to that aren't affiliated with LALGBTC.

USC has the Center for LGBTQ+ Health Equity, if you're not at USC.
posted by Lyn Never at 7:49 AM on April 11, 2023 [1 favorite]

I did my MSW in LA 15 years ago (!!) and had the pleasure of working with both Covenant House and My Friends Place, who provided emergency housing, transitional services, and a lot of clinical support to LGBTQ youth who were homeless in central LA. Both orgs offered an array of services and likely have staff that would be glad to help you understand their offerings as well as others in the area.
posted by luzdeluna at 8:57 AM on April 11, 2023 [1 favorite]