Queer therapy nonprofit marks 10 years of service
After being delayed by a year due to the COVID pandemic, San Francisco's LGBTQ community recently came out to support mental health services as the nonprofit Queer LifeSpace celebrated its 10th anniversary.The gala, held May 7, also premiered the organization's new Emerging Queer Artists in Their Youth program, EQUARTY, with a silent auction of 13 works from seven emerging artists.The organization's executive director, Ryan MacCarrigan, told the Bay Area Reporter the event raised close to $40,000 for the San Francisco LGBTQ mental health and substance abuse services organization.
About 150 people attended the outdoor daytime reception in Lower Nob Hill while another 100 people who could not attend nevertheless made donations.The funds will help QLS's 163 clients and work toward expanding the organization's in-person and virtual counseling services.
Currently, QLS operates with a budget of more than $225,000, MacCarrigan told the B.A.R. A gay technology executive who moved from board member to lead the organization in 2021, MacCarrigan, 37, said that the organization's current operating budget was up by more than $92,000 from its IRS 990 form filed in 2020.QLS currently has one full-time clinical director, said co-founding member Chris Holleran, a 43-year-old gay man who oversees one part-time staff member and up to 10 clinician trainees.
MacCarrigan, who is bringing his skills from the tech sector to the organization, said he's looking to double the training program by bringing on another clinical director to support another 10 clinical trainees, among other plans to rebrand and expand services."We feel that we're entering a new chapter at Queer LifeSpace," MacCarrigan said. "We have done a lot in the last 10 years with.
