Openhouse

Community Engagement: To ameliorate social and environmental conditions that may serve as barriers for LGBTQ seniors, Openhouse organizes over 100 hours per month of intellectually stimulating activities and opportunities that bring LGBTQ+ older adults together to meet each other, reduce social isolation and enhance their quality of life. Activities include game days, bi-weekly and monthly lunches, movie screenings, museum tours and other outings, general discussion groups, financial planning seminars, and arts and writing workshops.(Continued on Schedule O)

Strategic Partnerships: The Strategic Partnerships and Training department aims to transform the existing infrastructure of aging clinical and social services in a multi-pronged approach. Strategic partners are organizations with a demonstrated commitment to transforming their existing expertise to better serve LGBTQ+ older adults and adults with disabilities. An example of a strategic partner is the existing partnership with On Lok, a highly recognized community-based healthcare organization who are creators of the PACE healthcare model. Together, we co-created the first-of-its-kind adult day program, for and by the LGBTQ+ community. This kind of transformational work is a powerful component gleaned from our training work. Our DAS funded training and transformational work is responsible for executing robust interactive learning experiences to agencies, organizations, and non-profits to adapt their expertise to become inclusive to older adults who happen to be LGBTQ+. We provide assessment tools for skilled nursing and residential care facilities, adapt and tailor trainings to clinicians, social workers, and other providers all in the aim to inform culturally competent clinical and social services for our elders in San Francisco and beyond.

Community Support Services: Under the Openhouse Community Support Services Department, 55 Laguna and its neighboring building, 95 Laguna are uniquely designed to support LGBTQ+ seniors. Both buildings were established through a partnership between Mercy Housing, a nonprofit housing developer, and Openhouse a community nonprofit that serves LGBTQ+ seniors. Through this partnership, Mercy Housing provides property management and resident services, and Openhouse provides a range of activities and services for LGBTQ+ seniors that honor and affirm their experience and create a safe home environment within community. Openhouse also provides case management for Continuum of Care participants of all genders, sexual identities and expressions who live on site. (Continued on Schedule O)