The Center on Colfax, a nonprofit dedicated to providing programs and services to the LGBTQ community, will begin offering mental health services free of charge this month.
The Lawler Mental Health Program, as the new effort is called, will offer group sessions and individual sessions to those who qualify.
The Center has offered occasional mental health services before, but the new full-time program will be a first for the nonprofit, according to Jaylin Goodloe, the Director of Mental Health Services at the Center.
Goodloe said the idea behind the program came from Carmah Lawler, a gay rights activist who recently passed away. Goodloe said one of Lawler's wishes was for the Center to add more mental health services to their roster and finally her wish is coming true.
One of the major goals of launching the program is to increase access to mental health services to the LGBTQ community.
About 56% of folks identifying as lesbian, gay or bisexual reported having poor mental health statuses, according to a 2022 survey conducted by the Colorado Health Institute. The survey also noted that transgender and non-binary individuals experience the most mental health disparities with about 77% reporting that they are in a poor mental health state, compared to about 28% of cisgender individuals.
These are the eligibility requirements for the free counseling services:
The program is for participants 18 years and older. Participants looking for individual sessions will receive up to 12 sessions. Goodloe will be providing therapy services along with several graduate student interns.
Eligibility depends on the severity of the participants' needs, Goodloe said. Since graduate students will be leading some of the group and individual sessions, Goodloe said work load needs to be manageable. Any individual who may require more intense services will be referred to a different program that can better assist them.
"If there is a severity of symptoms where we don't feel like we would be the best option for that person, we would then refer them out to someone else. So we're not just dropping people off," Goodloe said. "Pretty much anyone can receive the services and will receive the services."
One of the programs' focus will be on offering mental health services through a culturally inclusive lens, one that the therapy field doesn't often take into consideration, Goodloe said.
The Health Institute survey says that one major barrier to receiving care is finding a mental health provider who is trained responsive to LGBTQ-specific issues.
That's why another major goal of the program is to train more behavioral health professionals in providing services through that affirming and culturally inclusive lens. That's understanding people's backgrounds and taking into consideration that everyone's lived experiences are different.
Goodloe said one group session will focus on BIPOC issues as a way to create a safe space for Black and Brown participants and promote utilization of the program.
"That piece is so big so that we can break those barriers and kind of come together and find ways that we can help serve more BIPOC people in the community," Goodloe said.
If folks are curious, Goodloe said they can stop by the Center to learn more or they can attend the Lawler Mental Health Launch Party scheduled for Sept. 7 at the Center located at 1301 E Colfax Ave. from 6-8 p.m.
Attendees will hear more about the program, meet the providers, tour the therapy rooms and watch a drag performance.
Goodloe said all are welcome to both the party and therapy program.
"My hope for the program itself is to create a safe place for our community members to come to no matter where they are, what state they're in in life," Goodloe said. "I would just like to provide the space for our community members as well as providing and teaching more affirming therapists and giving the community access to more affirming LGBTQ therapists."
