Grantee: Asian Counseling & Referral Service
Timeframe: January 2020 – September 2020 | Amount: $25,000
ACRS’s Queer Vision Access Program (QVAP) has been successful in raising awareness across the agency on important issues of gender identity and LGBTQ inclusion, resulting in knowledgeable staff who then delivered services with a greater understanding of LGBTQ community needs.
This year, ACRS formalized QVAP and hired their first QVAP Coordinator to provide dedicated support that will expand the programs’ efforts. With dedicated staff, QVAP will enhance ACRS’ service model, strengthen support for LGBTQ communities and build alliances with internal/external stakeholders.
Service delivery will include staff education of LGBTQ-AAPI concerns. Additionally, ACRS will hire an external consultant to support strategy development and a community needs assessment that will guide long-term strategic planning.
QVAP partnerships will include Seattle Counseling Service for coordination of behavioral health services and; API Chaya to provide support to people who have experienced domestic violence, sexual assault, forced marriage or human trafficking. Together, we will work to coordinate information and referrals for LGBTQ community members. The QVAP committee members will continue to be an important component of the program and will ensure that program goals are grounded in an intersectional analysis.
QVAP activities will include:
- Develop and document core LGBTQ competencies to guide the agency services.
- Implement and complete analysis of ACRS agency-wide assessment, inclusive of LGBTQ community voices beyond QVAP.
- Identify and outline agency baseline capacity.
- Engage ACRS leadership at all levels. Review core competencies, assessment and baseline capacity with ACRS leadership to outline plans for incorporation of LGBTQ competency.
- Develop action items and timeline including policy and procedure changes, trainings, outreach, etc.
- Advise on the creation and implementation of new policies and procedures.
- Identify strategies to access behavioral health funds from Health Care Authority and Managed Care Authorizations for long-term sustainability.
About Our Grantee
Asian Counseling & Referral Service
Asian Counseling and Referral Service (ACRS) is a nationally recognized nonprofit organization offering a broad array of human services and behavioral health programs to Asian Pacific Americans in King County. ACRS is the largest multiservice organization serving all the different Asian Pacific American communities – immigrants, refugees and American born – in the Pacific Northwest.
