We Are Closed In Observance Of Juneteenth

 

The DC Center will be closed on June 19, 2020 in observance of Juneteenth

and

to support the #StrikeForBlackLives. #BlackLivesMatter

If you are facing a life threatening situation or seeking immediate care:

DC Mobile Crisis: 202-673-9300
DC Shelter Hotline: 202.399.7093 or 311
Maryland Mobile Crisis: 240-777-4000
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 800-273-8255
Trans Lifeline: 877-565-8860
LGBTQ under 25: Trevor Lifeline: 866-488-7386
LGBTQ National Help Center (all ages – various lines/hours): 888-843-4564 www.glbthotline.org

 

DC Center – Closed Effective 3/16/20

Image of the Coronavirus and the works COVID-19

Taking guidance and recommendations about social distancing from the DC government and the CDC, effective Monday, March 16th, The DC Center for the LGBT Community’s office will be closed. Staff are still working remotely, and will be checking emails and voicemails multiple times each day. Please reach out to supportdesk@thedccenter.org to connect with the DC Center, as we are still able to provide services and support.

If you are interested in attending support groups remotely, please reach out to your facilitator or supportdesk@thedccenter.org and we can provide options for remote meetings using conference lines.

The situation is changing rapidly, please refer to the CDC’s website and coronavirus.dc.gov for up-to-date information on what you can do to help prevent and slow the spread of the coronavirus. 

The DC Center team will be meeting regularly to assess the situation and rest assured that we will open as soon as it is safe to do so, as we know that many of our clients and participants are vulnerable and will need support. If you are able, please consider donating and supporting organizations that provide food, medicine, and other support to marginalized populations. 

 

If you are facing a life threatening situation or seeking immediate care:

DC Mobile Crisis: 202-673-9300
DC Shelter Hotline: 202.399.7093 or 311
Maryland Mobile Crisis: 240-777-4000
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 800-273-8255
Trans Lifeline: 877-565-8860
LGBTQ under 25: Trevor Lifeline: 866-488-7386
LGBTQ National Help Center (all ages – various lines/hours): 888-843-4564 www.glbthotline.org

 

UPDATE : DC LGBTQ Health and Wellness Festival

LGBTQ Health & Wellness Festival

*** Hello friends,
In order to help reduce the spread of the coronavirus, the DC Center is closed effective Monday, March 16th. To protect the health and safety of everyone we have decided to postpone our health and wellness festival, we will no longer have the event on March 28th , a new date will be decided in the future. Please consider how you can help delay the spread of coronavirus by consulting sites such as https://coronavirus.dc.gov/ for more information. ***

Due to unfortunate circumstances, we have been forced to reschedule our Wellness Expo. Join us on Saturday, March 28th for our first-ever DC LGBTQ Health and Wellness Expo.

Please click here for the updated event information, and if you have previously registered there’s no need to re-register. Thank you for your patience. If you have any questions please email supportdesk@thedccenter.org.

Job Opening at the DC Center : Social Worker/Therapist

Job Opportunity at the DC Center for the LGBT Community

The DC Center for the LGBT Community is hiring! We are looking for a full-time social worker/therapist. Bilingual in Spanish, a plus. See below for details.

Social Worker/Therapist Position:

The DC Center for the LGBT Community has a mission of educating, empowering, celebrating, and connecting the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community of Washington, DC. The Social Worker/Therapist helps to achieve this mission by providing mental health support services to survivors of violence, crime, and trauma. These services are available free-of-charge to our community members due to grant funding from the Office of Victim Services and Justice Grants (OVSJG). The Social Worker/Therapist will see clients individually and in group settings, as well as in a couples/collateral therapy capacity, if requested. The person who fills this position is also responsible for assisting on other related projects, such as quarterly reporting and management of the OVSJG grant, outreach and education in the LGBTQ community, and assisting the mission, vision, and values of The DC Anti-Violence Project (DC AVP). The Social Worker/Therapist will report to the Executive Director.

Special Skills:

The Social Worker/Therapist must have the appropriate licensure to practice in DC (LGSW or LICSW) and have at least 2 years’ experience working as a clinician with a diverse client population. They must also have a demonstrated ability to work with LGBTQ+ adults, to work well in a team, to problem solve and communicate at all levels verbally as well as in writing. Must be self-motivated and be able to build and maintain relationships, both with colleagues and with key stakeholders in the larger victim-serving network of Washington, DC. The ideal candidate will have prior nonprofit/grant management experience and is well adept at multitasking in a fast-paced environment. Bilingual capabilities are not required but strongly preferred.

Functions and Duties

Social Worker/Therapist: Responsibilities:

  • Provide individual, couples, and group mental health support services to a caseload of 25-35 unique clients
  • Conduct intake assessments with all new potential clients to assess safety, job status, financial resources, living arrangements, current support system, type and history of victimization, legal issues, related medical history, and clinical symptomatology for the past 30 days
  • Provide clients with LGBTQ-friendly and affirming referrals to community-based services, aimed at assisting individuals affected by crime, violence and trauma
  • Assess clients and provide necessary intervention in crisis situations (safety plans, hospitalization, referrals, etc.)
  • Keep current and accurate records of all clinical interactions in our clinical database system
  • Collaborate with DC Center staff to provide community-based education and outreach opportunities in line with OVSJG grant requirements
  • Provide data for quarterly reports and help manage grant deliverables for the OVSJG grant throughout the fiscal year
  • Deliver trauma-informed, culturally competent assessment and treatment techniques to all survivors seeking support services, and serve as a resource for all individuals seeking support through The DC Center
  • Work in partnership with The DC Anti-Violence Project members to further the mission, vision, and values of DC AVP
  • Work well with a diverse staff to facilitate an open, supportive and warm environment for all individuals who visit The DC Center

Please click here to apply

Holiday Closure

Holiday Closing. Information about our holiday schedule below.

We would like to inform our community members that The DC Center will be closed from December 25, 2019 and reopens on January 2, 2020. We are closed to let staff members spend time with their loved ones. Any meetings/events scheduled for those days are cancelled.

We recognize that many of us in the LGBTQ community struggle during the holidays. We hope that while we are away, you can connect with loved ones for support. If you are having an emergency, please see these options for support:

LGBTQ National Help Center: 888-843-4564  www.glbthotline.org  (all ages – various lines/hours)
Trans Lifeline: 877-565-8860
LGBTQ under 25: Trevor Lifeline: 866-488-7386  
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 800-273-8255
DC Mobile Crisis: 202-673-9300

Maryland Mobile Crisis: 240-777-4000

 

We wish everyone good holidays and a good start to 2020!
~ The DC Center for the LGBT Community

Statement from the DC Center Board of Directors

Update 11/3/19:

 

 

The DC Center Board of Directors have released the following statement on the search for a new Executive Director.

 

 

Thank you to everyone who has provided feedback on our search for a new Executive Director. Because community input is a crucial part of this process, we are launching a survey to get additional feedback from all of you. We would really appreciate your participation in this survey, as we will use the results to inform the selection criteria and interview questions for Executive Director candidates. Please share with your friends and across your networks. We would like to hear from as many members of the community as possible.

 

The job description for the Executive Director is posted here. We look forward to receiving your applications and encourage you to share the job posting widely!

 

To apply, please submit a brief cover letter, including salary expectations, résumé, and references as attachments via e-mail to:  careers@lgbtcenters.orgwith Subject Line:  DC Center ED Search

 

If you have any questions or comments please fill out our survey or contact the Board of Directors at jobs@thedccenter.org.

 

Update 9/10/19:

 

The DC Center Board of Directors have released the following statement on the search for a new Executive Director.

 

We are currently interviewing candidates for the Interim Executive Director position and we are also very excited to embark on the next stage in the DC Center’s history. Choosing an Executive Director who will lead us into the future, helping the Center and our community to grow and flourish, is an important task — one that we do not take lightly. For this reason, we have engaged CenterLink to assist in managing the search process.

CenterLink is an organization, founded more than twenty years ago, that supports the development of strong, sustainable LGBT community centers. The DC Center has been a member of CenterLink for many years, our Board members and staff have attended their conferences, and we have long found their resources to be very helpful. CenterLink has significant experience assisting with recruiting leaders for LGBT centers, and we are certain that they will be an invaluable asset as we begin our search.

Please send any comments or questions on the process to jobs@thedccenter.org.

8/27/19

 

The DC Center Board of Directors have released the following statement on the departure of David Mariner as Executive Director.

 

David has worked incredibly hard on behalf of the DC LGBT community and specifically The DC Center for over a decade and we will always be grateful for the blood, sweat, and tears he has poured into the Center to get it to where it is today. He has been a strong leader and activist for LGBTQ rights in the DC community and has demonstrated unwavering dedication to ensuring  our community receives the support and resources needed to thrive. His hard work has laid an incredible foundation for us to build upon. We look forward to seeing him continue to do amazing things at Camp Rehoboth and we wish him the best of luck in all of his endeavors. We know he will continue to be a strong advocate for our fight for equality.

We are looking forward to leading the DC Center for the LGBT Community as we embark on this new chapter in its history. We understand the importance of the perspective the wider community can offer in our search for the next Executive Director of the Center and welcome your ideas and suggestions as we begin the selection process. Please reach out to jobs@thedccenter.org to share your thoughts with us!

The DC Center Board of Directors

Saying Goodbye to the DC Center for the LGBT Community

David Mariner

Dear Friends

In 1999, the Cherry Fund and Whitman Walker Clinic formed an Ad Hoc Committee to create an LGBT Community Center in the District. That vision became a reality when theDC Center for the LGBT Community was incorporated in 2004 with signatories Patrick Menasco, Jeff Englar, Larry Stansbury, and Ed Craft.

As we celebrate our 15th Anniversary this year, I hope we all take time to celebrate the many visionary board members, staff, volunteers, and community partners who have brought us to this point, including our past board chairs Michael Sessa and Michael Fowler, and our current board co-chairs Rehana Mohammed and Jonathan Gilad.

2019 also marks my 11th and final year at the DC Center.   September 30th will be my last day serving as Executive Director of this remarkable organization.  While I look forward to the opportunities in my future, the DC Center will always hold a very special place in my heart.

I will spend my remaining time here assuring a smooth and strategic transition.   2020 will be a year of growth for the DC Center with a significant increase in grant funding. This includes a groundbreaking grant from DC Department of Aging and Community Living (DACL).   This grant, which will help us better serve older LGBTQ adults, is the first grant ever given by DACL to an LGBT organization.

I am grateful to be able to leave the DC Center in the hands of very capable board members and staff,   It is the right time to make way for new leadership, ideas, and vision.   I look forward to seeing where we go from here.

Please make plans to join me at the DC Center Fall Reception on Friday September 13th at the Warner Building celebrate our 15th Anniversary.   Purchase your tickets now at: thedccenter.org/events/fifteen

Best Regards,

David Mariner

Meet the Team: Lisa

Meet the Team: Lisa

Meet Lisa, who is one of our new front desk volunteers. She is looking forward to helping the community, answering questions and directing them to as many resources as possible.

Birthdate, Astro Sign.

31 March, Aries.

Where are you originally from?

Originally from Seattle, but I have lived all over, which included 10 years in NYC. I arrived to D.C. via Belgium.

Why did you start working at the DC Center?

It’s a wonderful way to get to know the local community.

What has been your favorite part about working at the DC Center?

Meeting people. Especially the international community.

What is your music anthem?

I am a musician myself and it’s hard to pick just one song. I’d say there are a few songs off Siouxsie Sioux’s last solo album that could fit!

What is your favorite part about the LGBTQ+ community?

How it is global. You can be anywhere in the world, join an LGBTQ+ event and meet people who understand you and you can relate too.

 What is your favorite spot in DC and what do you do there?

Well, I just arrived here and looking forward to warmer weather. I love playing sports, so hoping to find a softball field or an outdoor volleyball court to unwind.

 What is your favorite queer movie?

It’s not really a queer movie, but I enjoy comedies and California scenery, so I am going to say Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion, ha!

 What clothing item is a staple in your wardrobe?

Comfortable walking shoes.

 What color would you paint the White House, given the chance?

I’ve worked on a few mosaic mural projects. I’d say get a fun group of people together and mosaic the entire White House inside and out with many colors!

 Who do you look up to in the queer community?

Many people I have met in my travels, no one specific. I’d say their key traits were modesty, compassion and their willingness to help others.

 

Meet the Board: Rehana

Rehana

Help us welcome Rehana! She is a new member of the DC Center Board of Directors. She looks forward to helping support the critical work of the Center and getting more connected with all the ways they contribute to the local community.

Birthdate, Astro Sign.

March 24, Aries.

Where are you originally from?

Takoma Park, MD.

What has been your favorite part about volunteering with the DC Center so far?

Supporting the range of programming and ways that they support the LGBTQ community in the DC area. And meeting great people!

What is your favorite part about the LGBTQ+ community?

Our diversity! I love that we’re a multi-faceted community that includes very different people – I think we can all learn a lot from each other.

Who do you look up to in the queer community?

Janelle Monae.

What is your favorite spot in DC and what do you do there?

Too many favorite spots to pick just one – I love walking around different neighborhoods  and trying new bars and restaurants.

What is your favorite queer movie?

Moonlight.

What is your go to restaurant and what do you order?

El Sol – beef enchiladas.

Are you more of an early bird or a night owl?

Early bird.

Meet the Board: Rebecca Bauer

Help us welcome one of the newest members on our Board of Directors, Rebecca! She first became connected with the DC Center through her participation in the social group, Women in their Twenties & Thirties (WiTT). She has stayed involved with that group and has also helped with the Youth Working Group.

Birthdate, Astro Sign.

June 23, Cancer.

Where are you originally from?

Montclair, NJ

When and why did you start volunteering at the DC Center?

I started coming to the DC Center in August 2014 because I was search for an LGBT community after finishing college earlier that year.

What is your favorite part about the LGBTQ+ community?

I love how open-minded, supportive and strong our community is.

Who do you look up to in the queer community?

Is it too cliché to say Ellen Degeneres? If so, Kristin Russo.

What is your favorite queer movie?

Imagine Me & You (though I’m much more passionate about queer television than movies).

What is your favorite DC neighborhood?

U St Corridor, which was one of the first neighborhoods that felt like home since the DC Center is there!

What is your go to restaurant and what do you order?

I love HipCityVeg and I order their Lil Golden Nugs (vegetarian chicken nuggets) and sweet potato fries.

Are you more of an early bird or a night owl?

I’m definitely an early bird!