John Aguirre
Working Well Together Technical Assistance Center Coordinator
National Alliance on Mental Illness California 

The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) California is a grassroots organization of families and individuals whose lives have been affected by serious mental illness. NAMI has a long standing commitment to becoming a truly diverse organization that welcomes individuals from all cultural backgrounds. Based on the 2007 GLBT Listening Session and follow-up dialogues between NAMI GLBT Leaders Group and NAMI leadership, the organization has established long- and short-term goals to move forward with LGBTQ inclusion. Working Well Together is a newly formed collaborate of four statewide client, family, parent/caregiver and mental health training and technical assistance organizations: California Network of Mental Health Clients, NAMI California, United Advocates for Children and Families, and the California Institute of Mental Health. Together, these organizations utilize their combined expertise, experience, grassroots networks and mental health system connections to affirm wellness and recovery from mental illness.

California Network of Mental Health Clients (CNMHC) is a solely consumer-run organization whose membership consists of affiliates and individuals throughout the state. It provides a statewide advocacy voice for California's mental health consumers. CNMHC is a critical participant, stakeholder and advocacy agent in all statewide mental health processes. CNMHC also lends critical support to self help and mutual support groups and programs throughout the state. LGBTQ individuals are represented on the Board, as staff and as members of CNMHC. CNMHC often presents workshops and hosts caucuses on LGBTQ issues. Delphine has been a social justice advocate working on LGBTQ issues since 1993, including HIV/AIDS prevention and support, LGBTQ prisoner support, lesbian and queer youth activism, police accountability, transgender issues, homeless youth issues, sex workers' issues and mental health policy.

Gil Gerald
Founder/President/CFO, Gil Gerald & Associates, and 
Project Director, LGBT TriStar

Gil Gerald & Associates serves non-governmental and governmental organizations at the grassroots and grasstops seeking to better serve their clients in an increasingly culturally and linguistically diverse community environment. They provide organizational development, capacity building, fund development and training services. LGBT TriStar, a subsidary of Gil Gerald & Associates, serves the LGBTQ community by working to improve access to and the appropriateness of AOD prevention, treatment and recovery services. They also serve the LGBTQ community through LGBT Access, which provides continuing education opportunities for health and mental health professionals wishing to increase access to culturally competent health care services for LGBT individuals, families and communities.

Betsy Gowan, MFT
Manager, Program Development
MHSA & Cultural Competency Coordinator
Butte County Department of Behavioral Health

The mission of the Butte County Department of Behavioral Health is to provide community based, culturally competent, individual and family centered, and medically necessary Mental Health and Alcohol and Drug services to individuals and families, and to work with the community on prevention and education initiatives related to Mental Health and Alcohol and Drug issues; and to implement the Mental Health Services Act in Butte County.

Jamison Green
President
Jamison Green & Associates

Jamison Green & Associates is a consulting firm that advises businesses, educational institutions and governmental agencies concering transgender-related policies and practices. The firm has completed extensive work with the UCSF Center for Excellence on Transgender Health on transgender primary care protocols and physcian training development. Jamison is internationally known as a leader in transgender health, policy, law and education. He has advocated for the health, safety and civil rights of gender-variant people since 1968. He is the author of the prizewinning book Becoming a Visible Man (Vanderbilt University Press, 2004), and he led FTM International from March 1991 through August 1999. Jamison currently serves as the Director of the World Professional Association for Transgender Health, TransYouth Family Allies and the Transgender Law and Policy Institute.

Caroline Laub
Founder/Executive Director
Gay-Straight Alliance Network

Gay-Straight Alliance Network (GSA Network) is a youth leadership organization that connects school-based Gay-Straight Alliances (GSAs) to each other and to community resources through peer support, leadership development and training. GSA Network supports young people in starting, strengthening and sustaining GSAs, and it builds the capacity of GSAs to create safer environments, educate their campus communities and fight discrimination, harassment and violence in their schools.

Dennis Mallillin, MS, MFTI
Senior Case Manager, API Wellness Center, and Psychotherapist

The API Wellness Center (APIWC) is a health services, education, research and policy organization whose mission is to educate, support, empower and advocate for Asian and Pacific Islander (API) communities -- particularly APIs living with or at risk for HIV/AIDS. The agency's core values reflect who they are as a community-based organization: Client-Centeredness, Compassion, Justice, Leadership, Respect, Sex-Positivity and Wellness. APIWC serves with pride API lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning and intersex (LGBTQQI) youth, Men-Who-Have-Sex-With-Men (MSM) and transgender individuals. They also proudly serve API people living with HIV/AIDS by providing them with lifesaving care and advocacy.

Hector Martinez
LGBT Outreach Service Coordinator
Mental Health America of San Diego County

Mental Health America of San Diego (MHASD) was founded in 1942 as the first mental health advocacy organization in San Diego County. The organziation brings together clients, families, professionals, providers, community leaders and the public to collaborate, cooperate and ensure available, affordable care to all citizens. MHASD's Breaking Down Barriers campaign is working to increase access to mental health services for all individuals from culturally diverse populations, including but not limited to Latinos, Native Americans, African Americans, Asian/Pacific Islanders and the LGBTQ community.

Dan Parker, Ph.D
Clinical Psychologist and Consulting Clinician
Golden Rainbow Center-SAGE

Dan Parker is a clinical psychologist specializing in LGBT aging and working with LGBT older adults.  Dan is a clinical consultant to the Counseling Program at the Golden Rainbow Center- SAGE in Palm Springs; the former Director of Wellness Programs for the GRC; and has been instrumental obtaining funding for and in the implementation of GRC's Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Late-Life Depression program (funded under Prevention and Early Intervention funds by Riverside County Department of Mental Health).  Dan has provided clinical and consultation services to LGBT community members and organizations for many years, in both the United States and Western Australia.  He is a member of the Riverside County Department of Mental Health Task Force; and a former Board Member of the GLBTI Retirement Association of Western Australia (GRAI).

Denise Penn
Director
American Institute of Bisexuality

The American Institute of Bisexuality (AIB) encourages, supports and assists research, education and programs likely to make a material difference and enhance public knowledge, awareness and understanding about bisexuality. Its goals are: to educate the general public, civic and professional organizations on bisexuality and the needs and concerns of bisexually-oriented people; to promote and fund research on bisexuality; and to sponsor and organize conferences, public forums, panels, social and cultural activities that increase understanding and acceptance of bisexuality.

David Reyonlds, M.P.H., C.P.H.
Senior Public Policy and Research Manger
The Trevor Project

The Trevor Project is the leading national organization focused on crisis and suicide prevention efforts among LGBTQ youth -- offering both crisis intervention services and upstream prevention approaches that include fostering acceptance and promoting self-esteem. The Trevor Project takes a comprehensive approach to youth suicide prevention through a premiere website resource and several forms of online outreach and counseling, an accredited and award winning nationwide 24/7 lifeline, educational programming, research and public policy initiatives. The Trevor Project is proudly headquartered in West Hollywood and does a great amount of work throughout California. Most recently they were awarded a grant through the Mental Health Services Act using Prevention and Early Intervention funds to reduce risk for suicide among youth in the Central Valley's Tulare County.

Nazbah Tom, MFTI
Family & Child Guidance Clinic Interim Project Director, Native American Health Center

The Native American Health Center assists American Indians and Alaska Natives to improve and maintain their physical, emotional, social and spiritual well-being while maintaining respect for their cultural traditions. The Center recognizes the vulnerable status of Two-Spirit individuals due to historical trauma, homophobia and shame, and that health disparities experienced by Two-Spirit individuals exceed those who are not Two-Spirit. The Center demonstrates a history of funding and programming aimed at the Two-Spirit/LGBT community with an emphasis on HIV/AIDS prevention, HepC Prevention and Co-Occurring Disorders utilizing a culturally-based holistic model that links prevention and treatment. Nazbah currently sits on the board of the Bay Area American Indian Two-Spirits (BAAITS) organization, which is a community-based volunteer organization offering culturally relevant activities for Two-Spirit/LGBTI Native Americans, their families and friends.  

Michael Weiss
Program Services Coordinator
Humboldt County Health and Human Services Public Health Branch -- Prevention and Early Intervention Program

Funded through the Mental Health Services Act, the Prevention and Early Intervention Program focuses on raising community awareness around sucicide prevention and reducing stigma and discimination at institutional, community and personal levels. Michael co-founded Queer Humboldt and Eureka Sisters and held leadership roles in both organizations. He has also held leaderships in many other organizations, including Humboldt Pride and Humboldt Equality Coalition. He has coordinated local trainings on transgender communities to Department of Health and Human Services staff, community partners, Humboldt State students and the College of the Redwoods staff.