STATE TO TAP LOCAL ORGANIZATION TO HELP SERVE LGBT SENIORS

San Francisco, CA - November 14th, 2007 – In a move recognizing openhouse as one of the state’s leading experts on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) seniors, the state of California has enlisted the San Francisco based organization to train the directors of all of its 33 county Agencies on Aging to better serve LGBT seniors.

California Department of Aging (CDA) Director Lynn Daucher invited openhouse to present at this year’s Conference of the California Association of Area Agencies on Aging in Los Angeles on November 15. Moli Steinert, the Executive Director of openhouse, along with openhouse Education & Outreach staff and a panel of LGBT seniors, will speak to conference attendees on the topic “Hidden, Isolated, and Underserved: Reaching Out to LGBT Seniors.”

Conference attendees are expected to include more than 100 of the State’s top providers of aging support and health services, as well as California’s care management partners, the County
Welfare Directors Association of California, the California Association of Public Authorities, and others.

“We’re thrilled that the state is partnering with us to train so many providers,” said openhouse Board member Nancy Brundy. “California is always on the cutting edge, and this partnership
allows California to become the model for how to include, support and sustain LGBT citizens as they age in the 21st century.”

“Openhouse has been an incredible ally as we’ve worked to understand the unique needs of the LGBT senior population,” said Anne Hinton, the Executive Director of San Francisco’s Department of Adult & Aging Services. “San Francisco not only has one of the highest percentages of people over 60 in the country, it also has one of the highest concentrations of
LGBT older adults. We’re proud to help fund such a needed and innovative program.”

Openhouse entered into a contract with the CDA on September 24 of this year when it trained 120 CDA staff members in Sacramento to understand and respond to the experiences and concerns of LGBT seniors. The statewide training initiative follows last year’s passage of
AB2920, Assemblyman Mark Leno’s legislation requiring all of California’s Area Agencies on Aging to reflect and meet the needs of LGBT seniors in their service areas.

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About openhouse – Openhouse is a nonprofit organization based in San Francisco dedicated to helping lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender older adults stay connected to community. In
addition to efforts to build new supportive housing that addresses the needs of our aging community at all income levels, openhouse offers an increasing variety of services, aging
resources, programs, events, and outreach to LGBT seniors so they can age in their homes.

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If you’d like more information on this topic, or to schedule an interview with Moli Steinert, please call Trilce Santana at 415-296-8995 ext. 4, or email Trilce at trilce@openhouse-sf.org.
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