Maintaining Behavioral Health Peer Services for King County’s LGBTQ Community and Allies

Grantee: Peer Seattle
Timeframe: July 2018 – June 2021 | Total Amount: $535,000

Year 1: July 2018 – June 2019. Amount: $175,000
Year 2: July 2019 – June 2020. Amount: $180,000
Year 3: July 2020 – June 2021. Amount: $180,000

This project will ensure continuing access to peer services for Greater-Seattle’s LGBTQ community and their allies in recovery from behavioral health disorders and support the roll-out of Peer Seattle’s confidential digital data collection system.

Peer Seattle will continue to make space available to other LGBTQ and allies peer-led support groups addressing behavioral health and chronic conditions. Over the past year they have found their new location has made it even easier to support the community in this way with welcoming space appropriate for a variety of uses. Approximately 60 support groups, with a strong focus on 12-step programs, will make use of the safe and welcoming space. Some people from these groups will link up with our peer services by accessing resource referral or getting matched with a peer coach.

Through combination of service delivery and enhanced data collection, this project will directly support LGBTQ individuals and their allies to live healthy, powerful, self-directed lives, reducing the inequity experienced by our community. The primary goal of this project remains to maintain access to peer recovery services that reduce behavioral health disparities experienced by the LGBTQ community. A second goal is to improve the social determinants of health that can support individuals on their recovery pathway (employment, social connection, and housing).