Affirmations awarded grant to expand counseling services

FERNDALE-
Oakland County Community Mental Health Authority and Affirmations Community Center are partnering to assist with the mental health needs of the local LGBT community of youth and adults. Affirmations, through a grant from OCCMHA, will assess mental health needs of local LGBTQ community of youth and adults, provide access to LGBTQ affirming counseling services and coordinate the setup of Medicaid eligible billing services.
Research suggests that LGBTQ people are likely to be at higher risk for depression, anxiety, and substance use disorders. Affirmations and OCCMHA will assess local needs, identify available resources and make recommendations to meet the needs of the LGBTQ community.
"Our partnership with Affirmations is a positive step to help the LGBTQ community have access to and receive appropriate services for their mental health needs," said Jeffrey L. Brown, OCCMHA executive director.
Antonio David Garcia, Affirmations' new executive director, said, "This is an important step forward in our efforts to expand counseling services here at Affirmations to better meet the needs of our LGBT community."
Affirmations is Metro Detroit's community center for LGBT people and their allies. Open since 1989 and located in the Detroit suburb of Ferndale, Affirmations provides a welcoming space where people of all sexual orientations, cultures and gender identities and expressions can find support and unconditional acceptance. For more information, visit http://www.GoAffirmations.org.
The OCCMHA provides services through a provider network to more than 20,000 Oakland County residents who are adults and children with developmental disabilities, adults with mental illness and children with emotional disturbance. To learn more, visit http://www.occmha.org.