LONG ISLAND CRISIS CENTER INC

PFY (FORMERLY PRIDE FOR YOUTH), WAS ESTABLISHED IN 1993 TO SERVE LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL, TRANSGENDER AND QUEER/QUESTIONING (LGBTQ+) INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILY MEMBERS ACROSS NASSAU, SUFFOLK, AND QUEENS. PFY DELIVERS A CADRE OF FREE SERVICES: INDIVIDUAL, FAMILY, AND GROUP COUNSELING; WEEKLY SOCIAL SUPPORT GROUPS; SEXUAL HEALTH SERVICES INCLUDING HIV/STI TESTING AND LINKAGE TO TREATMENT; YOUTH LEADERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES; CASE MANAGEMENT; AND THEIR LONGEST RUNNING PROGRAM - COFFEEHOUSE, A WEEKLY, FRIDAY EVENING DROP-IN CENTER FOR LGBTQ YOUTH AND THEIR STRAIGHT ALLIES.PFY is a service and an advocate for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning/queer (LGBTQ+) individuals across Long Island and Queens. Its mission is to improve the health, wellness, and cultural competency of LGBTQ+ individuals through education, support, and personal development. In 2024, 1,145 LGBTQ+ individuals benefitted from social programming, supportive counseling, case management, HIV/STI testing and treatment services. This is a 4% increase over 2023.PFY will increase the accessibility of free HIV/STI testing through integrated HIV-status neutral program services: Free rapid HIV and syphilis testing is offered on-site in both Nassau and Suffolk locations as well as via community-based testing through use of the agencys testing vehicles. PFY continued to observe significant barriers around transportation, education, and stigma, which prevented community members from accessing sexual health services. PFYs commercial mobile medical clinic vehicle, which features two medical offices and a wheelchair-accessible lift, helps bridge the gap and increase the accessibility of LGBTQ+ responsive medical services for Suffolk County's most isolated LGBTQ+ community members. In 2024, PFY provided over 1,000 free HIV/STI tests to community members throughout Nassau, Suffolk, and Queens Counties, diagnosing 15 new HIV and 26 syphilis cases regionally. PFY will increase the awareness and cultural responsiveness towards the LGBTQ+ community:LGBTQ+ individuals oftentimes report experiencing high levels of both macro and micro-aggressions. PFYs community education and professional training workshop series seeks to enhance education and awareness of general community members and professional providers when it comes to LGBTQ+ identities and experiences. In 2024, PFY provided 82 free workshops to professionals and community members, reaching a total of 3,057 individuals. 68% of the workshops, focusing on understanding gender and sexual orientation, occurred within a school setting. 82% of the free professional training workshops were conducted within a hospital/medical setting, reaching over 1,000 medical providers. PFY will increase LGBTQ+ access and linkage to services that address the social determinant of health needs of the community:The LGBTQ+ community disproportionally faces higher rates of food and housing insecurity, lack of employment opportunities, negative health outcomes, experiences of violence, and discrimination. PFY hosts a free food pantry, insurance navigation, access to gender confirming services, housing support, employment and academic support services, and free individual counseling. In 2024, PFY's case management program served 483 LGBTQ+ individuals, providing over 1,400 case management sessions. This client-centered, strengths-based case management program is PFYs most robust and fastest-growing program with 50% of those served being between the ages of 20-30 years old. In 2024, PFYs free counseling program served 94 LGBTQ+ individuals, providing 300 free counseling sessions.

The Crisis Center operates multiple hotline services that are accessed by phone and a mobile-friendly online counseling platform, ChatLive LI. These services are a lifeline for young people and adults struggling with suicidal ideation, family crisis, substance use and many other issues. In 2024, 22,419 individuals got help from one of our counselors. An example of LICCs life-saving work: (Call details have been redacted or altered to preserve client confidentiality.)Caller (38-year-old female) started by saying she is going to kill herself as she feels tired and can't do it anymore. Caller stated that she knows how to use guns or might jump off someplace high so she will only have a couple of seconds to think about her life. She is alone, has no children or husband. Caller shared that she is a first-responder, is currently in therapy and taking anti-anxiety medication. Caller lost her mom 23 years ago and recently lost her dad and brother. Caller also shared that that she tried to kill herself many years ago by hanging herself, her father saw her and saved her life. Counselor explored self-care, reminding her that her job is not easy and it can take an emotional toll. Counselor explored what works best to help her feel calm. Counselor reminded caller that grieving is not linear, that it is different for everyone, encouraged her to take all the time she needs to heal and reminded her that its ok to cry. Counselor let the caller know that she could call us 24/7 if she starts to have suicidal thoughts or feels overwhelmed or sad. Caller thanked counselor several times and told her that you took me off a ledge," " you helped me see things differently, you saved my life."Individuals in Crisis Connect with Immediate ServicesIn conjunction with Nassau County staff, LICC counselors answer Nassau County's Behavioral Health Helpline. This line serves as the intake department for the county's Mobile Crisis Unit, a service for Nassau County residents ages 5 and over that are experiencing a psychiatric emergency. In 2024, LICC handled 3,242 calls on the Helpline and completed 528 intakes for the Mobile Crisis Unit. 988 in 2024In July of 2022, LICC was part of the launch of 988 (the three-digit phone number for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline). 988 connects callers with highly-trained crisis counselors who can help with a wide variety of presenting concerns, including suicidal ideation, relationships, housing, homicidal ideation and many other potential areas of distress. In 2024, LICCs 988 Crisis Counselors received 11,459 calls from individuals with an answer rate of 91% (calls that were not answered were routed to a back-up center). These numbers reflect a 30% call increase and 2% answer rate increase from 2023. The increase in call volume in 2024 led to changes in programmatic and administrative needs resulting in the addition of a Project Administrator, as well as additional Shift Supervisors to provide 24-hour supervisory support and access. Examples of 988 calls: (Call details have been redacted or altered to preserve client confidentiality.) A high school senior called 988, feeling overwhelmed and depressed due to academic stress and bullying. The caller disclosed that she was not thinking about suicide but was calling to avoid self-harm. The counselor validated the caller and allowed her space to share her feelings. Together, they explored coping skills, motivating factors to avoid self-injury and more adaptive ways to address challenging emotions. By the end of this 20-minute interaction, the caller expressed his feeling calmer and had was able to identify additional coping skills that could be utilized once the call ended. A 25-year-old male contacted the hotline expressed feeling hopeless and helpless because of the end of a relationship. The caller was calling from a train station, where he was considering ending his life. The counselor was able to build a rapport with the caller and he agreed to move away from the train platform while the conversation continued. The caller disclosed a history of emotional difficulties and abuse, as well as challenges faced as a result of his questioning his sexuality. The counselor validated the difficulty of feeling isolated and misunderstood by loved ones and offered several referrals. The counselor was able to help the caller identify connections to life and additional coping skills he could potentially utilize to avoid attempting suicide. The caller eagerly accepted referrals and agreed to immediately drive to a walk-in mental health facility for evaluation. He also agreed to a follow-up call from a 988 counselor. When this call was made a couple of days after the initial call, the caller shared that he was on his way to a therapy appointment and that he was doing much better since his initial call.