October 17, 2022 Newsletter

Opportunities for the Community

Black Health & Wellness Survey

The Commission on African American Affairs, in association with Halcyon NW and Equity Leadership Collaborative invite you to participate in a statewide Black Health and Wellness study.

We need your voice and insights on how to improve the quality of life for American Americans in Washington state in the areas of economic stability, wellness, housing, wealth, education, child welfare, environmental and social justice.  

Please complete our 15-minute survey and consider participating in our online focus groups. By sharing your lived experiences with us, we can continue to advocate for change. 

Both the survey and focus groups are designed to protect your privacy. 

Send an email to info@equityleadershipcollaborative.com to participate in a focus group or groups.

Access our survey here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/CAAABlackWellnessStudy

GLSEN – Kaleidoscope Book Club for Educators

GLSEN Washington State is starting an intersectionality book club for educators called The Kaleidoscope Book Club. We will have groups for educators in K-12 schools with the books geared toward those student age groups. At the book club meetings, we will discuss the book and also how educators can bring that material into their classrooms or student clubs. We will select books by and/or about LGBTQ+ people-- focusing on representation of people of color and/or disabled people. At the meetings, we will have trained facilitators to lead the discussions and potentially guest speakers as well.  We are excited to begin this project and hope you will register to join us! For more information and registration, please visit this link.

LGBTQ+ Scholarship Programs Accepting Applications

Pride Foundation Scholarships

Pride Foundation’s scholarship program supports LGBTQ+ students who are leaders—in their own lives, in their families, in their home communities, in their fields of study, in their workplaces, or in our movements for justice. 

We prioritize moving resources to LGBTQ+ students who need it most, so we especially focus our funding on those LGBTQ+ student leaders who have some or all of the following experiences and qualities:

• Demonstrate a commitment to advancing justice and the well-being of their communities, past, present, and future
• Have experienced family rejection and/or haven’t been able to access a larger community support system
• Face systemic barriers to educational access, and have been impacted by systemic discrimination and oppression. Specifically:
  • Black, Indigenous, and other People of Color
  • Trans, non-binary, gender diverse, gender non-conforming, and Two Spirit people
  • Immigrants
  • Disabled people/People with Disabilities, including people living with chronic illness, HIV, neurodivergence, and mental health challenges
  • People over 25, as non-traditionally aged students
  • People living rurally
  • People who have experienced or are experiencing housing instability or houselessness
  • People who have experienced or are experiencing poverty
  • Demonstrate financial need and don’t have access to familial or other financial supports
• The priorities above drive the funding for all of our scholarships. While most Pride Foundation Scholarships are open to all students, we also host a number of scholarship funds that have specific criteria, based on students’ majors, backgrounds, where they live, and more. For those scholarships, we will prioritize students who both meet the specific fund criteria and also the broader programmatic priorities above.

For more information visit this link.

GSBA Scholarship Fund

About the Fund

Awarding scholarships to LGBTQ+ and allied students who exhibit leadership potential, demonstrate strong academic abilities, and are actively involved in their schools and community.

Become a Scholar

GSBA awards educational scholarships to LGBTQ+ and cisgender/straight-ally students who are committed to making a difference in the world. Our scholarships range up to $13,000 annually and are meant to provide significant support as you pursue your educational goals.

For more information, visit this link.

Listening Sessions for 988 Crisis Call Center Hub Rules

If you are having thoughts of suicide, a mental health crisis, or substance use concerns or if you're worried about a loved one who may need crisis support, you can call or text 988 to get help from a trained crisis counselor. To support the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, the Washington Department of Health needs your help. In 2021, the state Legislature passed a law requiring us to develop standards for crisis call centers to become crisis call center hubs. To help create these rules, we will host three listening sessions. We want to hear from people who have used crisis call lines for themselves or for others, crisis call center staff, crisis responders, and others. We want to learn how our rules related to 988 crisis call center hubs standards could affect you. We will also conduct two workshops to help write the rules. Please read our Rulemaking for 988 Crisis Call Center Hubs flyer (found here) for more information on: 988 crisis call centers and call center hubs The set questions for each listening session Workshop objectives Listening Session 1: Thursday, Nov. 3, 6-8 p.m. Audience: People who called a crisis line for themselves Questions we’ll ask: If you used a crisis call line for yourself, what worked well? What did you find challenging? What confidentiality and safety concerns are most important to you? If you contacted a crisis line, what barriers made it difficult for you to call, text, or chat? Is there anything else DOH should consider about how people access crisis call center lines? Listening Session 2: Thursday, Nov. 10, 6-8 p.m. Audience: People who used a crisis line for others Questions we’ll ask: If you used a crisis call line for someone else, what worked well? What could be improved? Did you experience difficulty or harm? What confidentiality and safety concerns are most important to you? If you used a crisis line, were there barriers that made it difficult for you to call, text, or chat? Is there anything else DOH should consider about how people access crisis call center lines? Listening Session 3: Wednesday, Nov. 16, 4-6 p.m. Audience: Crisis call center staff, responders, behavioral health care providers Questions we’ll ask: What is important to include in standards for crisis call centers to become crisis call center hubs? As a responder or behavioral health care provider, what information do crisis call center hubs need to collect so you can provide your best care to people using the crisis line? Is there anything else DOH should consider about how crisis call center hubs can best coordinate with responders and behavioral health care providers? Workshops: We will use what we learn in the listening sessions to help draft standards for crisis call center hubs. We will provide the draft rule language for your review before the workshop. At the workshop, we will review the draft language and listen to any concerns and feedback. Anyone who may be affected by the 988 crisis call center hubs rule should attend. Tuesday, Dec. 13, 2022, 6-8 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 15, 2022, 4-6 p.m. The listening sessions and workshops will have American Sign Language interpreters and auto generated Closed Captioning. Persons with disabilities or limited English proficiency who would like to request accommodations may contact us. Requests for interpreters and/or CART providers should be made by the date given in each registration form (below). We will make every effort to secure services, but services are subject to availability. To join us, please register by clicking on the session you plan to attend below . Listening Session 1: Nov. 3, 2022, 6-8 p.m. Listening Session 2: Nov. 10, 2022, 6-8 p.m. Listening Session 3: Nov. 16, 2022, 4-6 p.m. Workshop 1: Dec. 13, 2022, 6-8 p.m. Workshop 2: Dec. 15, 2022, 4-6 p.m. Email: Please write us if you are unable to attend but want to share your input. We look forward to hearing from you. Please email Ashley Noble, Division of Prevention and Community Health Rules Coordinator, with any questions about the sessions or comments at 988ProgramInfo@doh.wa.gov.

PFLAG Southwest Washington is launching a virtual support group, all in Spanish! Our mission is to serve the Latinx community, specifically Latinx LGBTQIA+ people, their friends, and families, by providing peer support and resources in Spanish.  This meeting is fully remote, and accessible throughout the state. If you or a loved one needs support, in Spanish, please sign up for our meeting using the link below. 

Register for Support Meeting in Spanish

Our first meeting kicks off this October 3rd, at 7:00pm. We hope to see you there! 

¡PFLAG Southwest Washington está lanzando un grupo de apoyo virtual, todo en español! Nuestra misión es servir a la comunidad Latinx, específicamente a las personas Latinx LGBTQIA+, sus amigos y familias, brindando apoyo y recursos en español. Esta reunión es totalmente remota y accesible en todo el estado. Si usted o un ser querido necesita apoyo, en español, regístrese en nuestra reunión utilizando el enlace a continuación.

Reunión de apoyo de PFLAG para LGBTQ+, familiares y aliados

The Washington State Citizens’ Commission on Salaries for Elected Officials (COS) has a vacancy.

COS was created in 1986 by the passage of the 78^th amendment to the State Constitution. The purpose of the referendum was to establish an independent citizen commission to set the salaries of the state’s elected officials and to remove politics from the process.

We set the salaries of:

• The Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of State, Treasurer, Attorney General, Auditor, Superintendent of Public Instruction, Insurance Commissioner, and the Commissioner of Public Lands;
• Members of the Legislature; and
• Justices of the Supreme Court and judges of the Court of Appeals, Superior Courts, and District Courts.

 Membership Requirements

1. You cannot be a state official, public employee or lobbyist or an immediate family member of an official, public employee or lobbyist.
2. You must have general personnel management experience.

This is a volunteer position and the salary setting process is currently underway. You are only reimbursed for your travel expenses.

Please visit our website at www.salaries.wa.gov if you have questions or would like more information about us or about service as a commissioner. You are also welcome to contact us directly.

Please send your resume directly to Teri Wright at Teri.Wright@salaries.wa.gov if interested in serving on the commission.

Staff Contact Information

Teri Wright (she/her/hers), Executive Director

(360) 556-2744

Teri.Wright@salaries.wa.gov

Lindsay Matthews (she/her/hers), Executive Assistant

(360) 819-8818

Lindsay.Matthews@salaries.wa.gov

It is that time of year again. Are you ready to vote?

Need to know what is on your ballot? Read the Voter Guide for 2022

Need to know what is on your ballot? Read the Voter's Guide for 2022. Click the image to go to the link. HTTPS://VOTER.VOTEWA.GOV/GENERICVOTERGUIDE.ASPX?E=877&C=99#/

Need to register to vote? You can do it online until October 31, 2022

Need to register to vote? You can do it online until October 31st. Click the image to go to the link. HTTPS://WWW.SOS.WA.GOV/ELECTIONS/VOTERS/

Working Families Tax Credit - A New Tax Credit for Washington Workers

Starting in 2023, the Working Families Tax Credit is a new tax refund that helps Washington workers and their families get more money back at tax time. The refund returns a portion of sales tax paid each year and is modeled after the federal Earned Income Tax Credit program. The purpose of the Working Families Tax Credit is to stimulate the local economy, promote racial equity, and support the financial stability and well-being of low-to-moderate income Washington residents and their families. This credit program is managed by the Washington State Department of Revenue (DOR), the state’s tax administration agency. Find out more information about this program by visiting the Working Families Tax Credit page through this link.

Interested in serving on Commissions and Boards?

Monthly Upcoming Appointment Opportunities

Washington is home to vibrant communities and diverse Washingtonians who all have unique talents, skills and experiences. Governor Inslee places a high priority on boards, commissions, and agencies that are reflective of the diverse make-up of Washington and that utilize the impressive talent of Washingtonians. We are always seeking skilled and experienced individuals from a wide variety of backgrounds to participate in boards and commissions ensuring an effective and representative government. We are excited to share the highlighted Current and Upcoming Gubernatorial Appointment Opportunities. As someone with deep roots in your respective communities and organizations, we hope that you will share these opportunities.  Anyone interested in being appointed will need to fill out this Application.  Please explore the Boards and Commissions Profiles if you are interested in learning more about the many opportunities to get involved! Thank you for your assistance in helping Governor Inslee find well-rounded candidates with significant talent and diverse experiences. Please feel free to reach out to Boards and Commissions staff with any questions you might have.  Thank you for your time.

Jobs Opportunities for LGBTQ Washingtonians

Check out the list of job opportunities for the community on our Careers Opportunities page by visiting this link.

We are excited to share job postings sent to the LGBTQ Commission. There are three requirements to be included on our page:

• The job needs to be able to be done in Washington State (virtual works)
• The business must have an inclusivity and/or equal opportunity statement
• The job posting must include a salary range.

 Please send any job opportunity to share with the community to our Program Manager, Tracey Carlos (she/her) to tracey.carlos@lgbtq.wa.gov

Have something you want to share in our newsletter?  Please send any submissions to Tracey Carlos, Program Manager, at tracey.carlos@lgbtq.wa.gov  

Deadline for all submissions is Thursdays by 12:00 PM Pacific Time.

Published Monday mornings.