In addition to counseling, Montrose Counseling Center offers case management to individuals who have been diagnosed with HIV. Case Management Coordinator Tomekia Edwards encourages people to seek out case management services "Anytime, when they're feeling sick or feeling well, in order to improve quality of life." Case management services include: advocacy and service linkage for housing, transportation, medication, applying for disability, finding dental care, and many others.

To begin receiving counseling or case management services, please call 713.529.0037 to schedule an intake appointment. Services are grant-funded for those who qualify.

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Coming Out Support Group Begins January 28

As a new year begins, many people take this opportunity to set goals for themselves in the coming months. If one of yours is to become more open about who you are, please consider joining the Coming Out Support Group, which begins on Wednesday, January 28.

Coming Out is an ongoing process for anyone who identifies as Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual or Transgender. Every day, you are presented with choices about whether or not to "come out." When your coworkers ask you about how you spent the New Year, will you tell them that you and your partner attended the Big Hearts and Black Ties Charity Ball? When people ask if you are married, do you tell them about your life partner? Whether you are years into the process of "coming out," or whether you have just begun, you are welcome in this support group.

The group is open to all persons who identify as GLBT or questioning. It is a 7-week group from 6 - 8 p.m., Wednesdays from January 28 - March 11. Participants may join at any time, and there is no fee to participate, although we will accept donations. You need not be a client of Montrose Counseling Center to join. 

Each session will be composed of an educational presentation on a specific topic, followed by an open, confidential discussion of that topic. Some of those topics include Coming Out; Homophobia and Self-Loathing; Spirituality for GLBT persons; Gay History/Gay Pride; Coming Out to Others; Coming Out to Family; Coming Out in the Workplace; Healing the Hurt - Prejudice & Discrimination; Coming Out – A Lifelong Process.

R egistration is requested, but not required. For more information about the Coming Out Support Group, please call Jheri Bashen at 713.529.0037 x701 or Bianca Freer at 713.529.0037 x702.

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Participants in Day Without a Gay Volunteer for HATCH

December 10 was "Day Without a Gay," where Houston residents were encouraged to "call in gay" as part of a national protest in response to California's passing of Proposition 8. Instead of going to work, people were encouraged to spend the day volunteering at local GLBT organizations. Mike Ongoco and Meghan Baker were two Day-Without-a-Gay participants, who spent their day assisting Youth Specialists Deb Murphy and Jascelyn Tatum move the HATCH office from the third floor of Montrose Counseling Center down to the first floor, next door to the HATCH meeting room in the GLBT Cultural Center. Murphy says, "As always, HATCH is nothing without volunteers. Here is yet another example of community members pitching in and making something that could have been miserable, fun!" She went on to share, "After 4 moves in 6 years, we are thrilled to be in our permanent home."

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Switchboard Volunteer Receives 2008 Tom Strain Volunteer of the Year Award

We are very pleased to announce that Gay & Lesbian Switchboard Houston volunteer, Wesley D. Capps, has received Montrose Counseling Center's 2008 Tom Strain Volunteer of the Year Award. Mr. Capps has volunteered for nearly 200 hours in the two years that he has been a Switchboard volunteer and was nominated for the award because of his intelligence, dedication, reliability, patience, and outstanding communication skills. Community Projects Specialist Sally Huffer, who manages the Switchboard and its volunteers, said, "His compassion for our callers is evident in the level of research he will do to provide the best possible information and referrals. He takes the initiative to find out what's happening in the GLBT communities so that when callers have questions, he knows where to find answers." She went on to explain that he goes above and beyond his duties as a volunteer, helping train new volunteers, taking on extra shifts, and donating equipment to help the Switchboard operate more efficiently.

Montrose Counseling Center's Volunteer of the Year Award is named after Tom Strain, who saved countless lives as a volunteer for Gay & Lesbian Switchboard Houston prior to its joining MCC. He then went on to train scores of volunteers on crisis intervention and worked for many years as a therapist at Montrose Counseling Center. Previous winners of the Tom Strain Volunteer of the Year Award are Theo Thourson in 2006 and Kelly D. Bryan in 2007.

Volunteers needed! Gay & Lesbian Switchboard volunteers handle phone calls from callers who want to talk about many different issues that affect their lives, such as HIV/AIDS anxiety, coming out, relationship issues or loneliness. If you would like to become a volunteer, training will be provided. The next training will be in the spring. Give back to your community by getting involved with the only 24-hour crisis intervention hotline in Houston that exists to serve the GLBT communities. To apply to be a volunteer, fill out this form (Word Doc) and fax it to 713.526.4367 or mail it to MCC.

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SPRY Socials in January: Food, Travel, & Entertainment

HIV/AIDS Continuing Education Class, January 16

Montrose Counseling Center's next Continuing Education training will be held at 401 Branard Street on Friday, January 16, from 1 - 5 p.m. The topic this month is HIV/AIDS, and the speaker will cover detailed information about HIV/AIDS, the immune system and the human body, transmission, prevention, testing, current trends in treatment, and statistics. Classes are open to everyone, and Continuing Education Units (CEUs) are available for LMSWs, LBSWs, LCDCs, and LPCs. The cost for the HIV/AIDS training is $30 if prepaid, $40 at the door. A registration form is available here. Please call MCC’s Education Department at 713.529.0037 for more information.

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Save the Date! 20th Annual Bringin' in the Green, Friday, March 13

This next year marks 20 years of MCC's annual St. Patrick's Day celebration, Bringin' in the Green. The event is a favorite of MCC's supporters, a long-held tradition in Houston's GLBT communities, and one of our most successful fundraisers.

Become a part of this history-making event by sponsoring the 20th Annual Bringin' in the Green. You may feel good knowing that one hundred percent of the proceeds from this event will go directly toward client services, due to the generous underwriting of the party's host John Danielson.

Sponsorship opportunities begin at $50. Please contact Meleah Jones, Community Projects Specialist, at 713.529.0037 x372 or by EMAIL for more information about sponsorships.

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Meeting Space for GLBT Non-Profit Groups

The GLBT Cultural Center is now open and bustling with activity. Located on the 1st floor of MCC, at 401 Branard, this multi-use space is dedicated to GLBT nonprofit and community groups. Fully-accessible by elevator and stairs, a variety of rooms are available to rent or lease, from small meeting rooms to a large conference/event hall. Our largest room is perfect for a commitment ceremony or movie screening. The smaller spaces are ideal for board meetings or workshops. Amenities include electrical outlets, nearby public and private restrooms, and kitchenette. If you would like to schedule a room, check the floor plan (pdf) to determine which space best meets your needs and then check the calendar to determine its availability. Then, simply download this file and fax the first and last page to 713.526.4367. Someone from our staff will contact you to confirm your room's reservation. EMAIL questions that are not answered in the attachment.

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Thanks 1,000,000!

We would like to thank Katz's Deli for choosing Montrose Counseling Center as the charity table for the month of December and Charles Armstrong for including MCC in his 12 Days of Christmas donations. Thanks also go out to the Illuminations Project for selecting MCC as a beneficiary of their 2008 event and Big Hearts and Black Ties Charity Ball for choosing SPRY as one of its beneficiaries.

As a new year begins, we would like to take this opportunity to recognize and give thanks to the following foundations for their continuing support of Montrose Counseling Center.