LGBTQ+ Resources in SoCal

SPECIALIZED ADDICTION TREATMENT PROGRAM FOR LGBTQ+ COMMUNITY Specialized addiction treatment programs for the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender LGBTQ+ community have evolved over the years as an increasing number of individuals are revealing their sexual orientation and gender identity. Thanks to greater awareness and widespread access to information, LGBT individuals and their families have resources to learn more about each other, and informed practitioners are changing the way they approach substance abuse treatment with individual counseling, family education, and client-centered treatment plans. The movement to remove stigma and discrimination related to LGBTQ+ populations has helped more individuals to come out and identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender, but since federally funded surveys have only recently begun to include information about the sexual orientation and gender identification of survey participants, little is known about the long-term trends of substance abuse in LGBTQ populations. To date, the most recent data we have comes from the 2015 National Survey on Drug Use and Health administered by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration (SAMHSA). Results from the national survey show that sexual minorities are more likely to have a mental illness (AMI), a serious mental illness (SMI) and a major depressive episode (MDE) than their sexual majority counterparts.

MISSION Gay & Sober is an LGBTQ nonprofit organization*. Our mission is simple – to provide a safe, fun, and enriching experience to the sober community. Our primary purpose is to encourage unity and enhance one’s sobriety. VISION Our vision is to help raise awareness about life in recovery. In the spirit of unity, we come together to support and love one another and to show others – especially beginners – that it is indeed possible to be happy, joyous, & free while being sober.

OC ACCEPT provides community-based supportive services to individuals who are struggling with and/ or self-identify as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, lntersex and/or Questioning (LGBTIQ) and the people important in their lives. OC ACCEPT seeks to provide a safe environment with acceptance and compassion for individuals to express their feelings, build resilience, be empowered, and connect with others for support. OC ACCEPT also seeks to raise awareness and reduce stigma by providing education about the LGBTIQ population to the community at large. OC ACCEPT provides the following services: • Short-term Individual and/or Family Counseling • • Case Management • • Peer Mentorship • • Community-based Supportive Services • • Outreach & Engagement • • Referral & Linkage Services • • Support & Discussion Groups • • Health & Wellness Activities • • Educational & Vocational Support •

Engage. Empower. Explore. The Brad Brafford LGBT Center on 4th is the social hub for the Orange County LGBT community. Located in the heart of downtown Santa Ana, (named one of the top 5 great neighborhoods in the U.S.) this venture of the LGBT Center Orange County celebrates the culture, art, and lives of the LGBT community. The Center on 4th offers an array of educational, engaging, and empowering courses, art exhibits, and events that connect LGBT individuals with common interests. Experience the themes, lives, and politics of both the LGBT and local Santa Ana communities.