FY 23-24 Program Report

Agency Name: The Diversity Center of Santa Cruz County Program Name: The Diversity Center’s Health and Wellbeing Initiative Equity Dimension: Gender Identity

Condition: Health & Wellness Tier: Medium Budget: $111,600.00

Annual Goal FY 23-24	Annual Goal FY 23-24
Unduplicated Participants     Total Unduplicated Participants 585 693	How Many Activities/Services Will Be Provided?     strength-based case management 1 1 trauma informed care 1 1
Annual Goal FY 23-24 Age     0-5 0% 0% 6-18 37% 42% 19-59 27% 37% 60+ 36% 20% Unknown 0% 1%	Annual Goal FY 23-24 Language     English 80% 0% Spanish 19% 0% Other 1% 0% Unknown 0% 100%
Ethnicity     African American 3% 2% Asian 7% 2% Latino 29% 20% Multi-racial 7% 3% Native American/Alaskan 1% 5% Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander 0% 1% White 50% 58% Other 3% 3% Unknown 0% 6%	Gender     Female 25% 38% Male 25% 19% Transgender- Female 25% 25% Transgender- Male 25% 13% Other 0% 13% Unknown 0% 2% Nonbinary 25% 28%
Location     Capitola 5% 3% Santa Cruz 40% 44% Scotts Valley 10% 5% Watsonville 19% 12% Unincorporated Mid-County (e.g., Live Oak, Soquel, Aptos ) 13% 12% Unincorporated North County (e.g. , Davenport )  1% 1% Unincorporated San Lorenzo Valley (e.g., Ben Lomond ) 7% 4% Unincorporated South County (e.g., Freedom ) 5% 2% Unknown 0% 5% Out of County 0% 12%

Annual Goal FY 23-24   Annual Goal FY 23-24 How Well Did We Provide Service?     How many participiants did you survey? 585 318 80% of CORE program participants will report being either “satisfied” or “very satisfied” with program services as measured by a one-question participant survey completed by June 30th of each FY. 80% 97%

Annual Goal FY 23-24   Annual Goal FY 23-24 Is Anyone Better Off?     80% of participants that receive TDC mental health services will report improved access to healthcare, specifically improved access to LGBTQ+ affirming healthcare as measured by intake and post services surveys.   80% 80% 80% of participants will report improved mental health, specifically participants will self-report improvement in their overall well-being as measured by post services survey.  80% 80%

Additional CORE Questions  (The maximum length is limited to 1200 characters in the below boxes)
1. Briefly describe any progress and/or successes your CORE program achieved implementing its activities during FY 2023-2024. (Recommended 2-4 sentences)	TDC has successfully implemented activities in FY24 by building partnerships that have increased our capacity and impact. Collaborations with clinical programs at nearby universities have provided us with license-eligible interns, enabling us to offer more mental health sessions. Our partnership with PVPSA allows our Clinical Program Director to provide mental health services in Watsonville. Additionally, working with the County Office of Education and local nonprofits has enhanced our ability to offer more SOGIE training to service providers and community members, furthering our mission to support and uplift the LGBTQ+ community. This field is required
2. (Optional, Success Stories) Please share a short story about the experience of a participant or family that received services funded through this contract during FY 2023-2024. Please state the specific activity that was provided and the impact or positive change that occurred as a result of the service(s) provided. *Please make sure to change any identifying information, such as names.*	The check-in survey administered included a write-in segment for additional comments and feedback. Our team is deeply moved by the vulnerable feedback we received from community members seeking our mental health and well-being services. Some of those comments include: I am entirely full of gratitude for the insight, thoughtfulness, and knowledge that the counselor brings to each session. I have left every week with a feeling of gained self-awareness and empowerment as to how to apply that awareness to my daily living. I feel I have emerged from a moment of crisis into not only a stable but also a hopeful chapter. The counseling has greatly improved my overall mental well-being. It is the best thing that has happened to me in a while. It is the best therapy that I have ever had. TDC introduced me to life-changing self-reflective practices that have led to spiritual and artistic growth and offers these services without the anxiety of financial obligation. It helps to have a safe place to be and talk about my struggles with my family. I've shared things I don't feel comfortable sharing with others, except close friends.
3. Please describe any challenges your agency experienced in implementing its CORE funded program.	Our primary challenge in achieving our projected outcomes by year three was integrating the Family Acceptance Project (FAP). Additionally, our team was understaffed for most of FY24. Despite these obstacles, we successfully revised and enhanced our education and training program, incorporating best practices from SOGIE and FAP. Dr. Caitlin Ryan of the Family Acceptance Project is currently only accepting county-wide projects that provide specialized training for clinicians, school administrators, and community-based organizations. Without adequate funds and resources, TDC was unable to implement the full scale of FAP. However, we partnered with Q Corner Santa Clara and Monterey County Behavioral Health to offer FAP 101 education to clinicians and community organizations. This field is required
4.Have you encountered challenges in collecting CORE program or participant data?	Yes No This field is required
5. If you answered yes, what challenges did you experience? (Recommended 2-4 sentences)	Our team has made significant strides in improving our evaluation process to better demonstrate our impact. In April 2024, we brought on a UCSC Graduate Student Researcher (GSR) who has reviewed our evaluation tools and implemented new best practices, fostering a staff culture that better understands and values data collection. Aware of the LGBTQ+ community's underrepresentation in data, we partnered with DataShare Santa Cruz, joining their steering committee and providing SOGIE survey training to generate representative data. Despite challenges with survey reluctance due to privacy concerns, we remain sensitive, emphasizing respect for privacy and anonymity while explaining the importance of our data collection.
6. What technical assistance can HSD or the CORE Institute provide to support your data collection activities?	Gender identity is a broad spectrum not fully captured by traditional survey methods. To better reflect this diversity, our survey asks for gender identity and includes an additional question about identifying as transgender. Our results show that 40% of respondents identify as transgender, and held man, woman, and non-binary gender identities. HSD and CORE can assist us in developing more representative reporting methods, ensuring all identities are accurately represented and supported. We are always interested in learning about new best practices or tools that aid our data collection efforts, particularly integrated software with automation for reporting. This field is required
7. During FY 2023-2024, did your CORE program staff participate in a CORE Institute event (e.g., Coffee Chats or Conversations)?	Yes No This field is required
8. During FY 2023-2024, how did your CORE program engage its staff on issues of equity?	Our program addresses the health and well-being of individuals with diverse gender identities, offering affirming services designed by and for LGBTQ+ people. Our LGBTQ+ staff, representing various gender identities and expressions, combines lived experience with professional development to ensure the implementation of best practices. This field is required
9. In the CORE RFP, your program indicated an equity issue your program would address. How has your program impacted this equity issue in FY 2023-2024?	Our program has significantly advanced equity for individuals with diverse gender identities by providing affirming services specifically tailored to LGBTQ+ needs. By employing a staff that self-identifies as LGBTQ+ and represents various gender identities and expressions, we ensure authentic understanding and support. This, combined with continuous professional development, allows us to implement best practices, creating a safe and inclusive environment. Our efforts have increased access to essential mental health and well-being services, provided information on how to reduce or eliminate discriminatory practices, and fostered a greater sense of belonging and acceptance within the community. This field is required