Services for Men

Men’s Prevention Services

Men’s Prevention Services which consist of five services; Many Men Many Voices, Healthy Relationships / CHOICES, Comprehensive Risk Counseling Services, Expanded Syringe Access Program, and the Barbershop. Within these programs there are various services provided and criteria to be met for enrollment.

Many Men Many Voices:  Many Men, Many Voices, is a group level intervention geared towards gay and bisexual men of color. The sessions are co/facilitated at GMHC over three days or 7 weeks by a trained facilitator along with a trained Peer Educator.  The goal of this program is to help the participants understand factors that influence behaviors and how they might lead to negative feelings and STD/HIV risk-taking behaviors.For more information regarding Many Men Many Voices contact Durell Knights at Durellk@gmhc.org or 212.367.1388.

Healthy Relationships / CHOICES: Healthy Relationships is a five-session, small-group intervention for men living with HIV/AIDS. Participants develop skills around disclosure and building self-esteem through role-playing, watching movie clips and interactive exercises. For more information regarding Healthy Relationships call 212.367.1384 or 212.367.1469.

Comprehensive Risk Counseling Services (CRCS): If you are concerned about your substance use and sexual behaviors, CRCS offers individual counseling. Work with a counselor to come up with plan to make some changes in your life and begin to reduce the risk you may be putting yourself and others in. For more information regarding CRCS call 212.367.1384.

Expanded Syringe Access Program (ESAP): In addition to GMHC’s harm reduction, substance use, and mental health programs. ESAP’s mission is to reduce risks for HIV/AIDS and to promote options for healthy decision-making by offering clean syringes at no cost.

You can come and receive 10 clean needles each time you access the program. You do no need to exchange dirty needles in order to receive clean needles. You will be seen by an ESAP specialist to assess and begin to strategize how to reduce potential risks. Each time you meet with a specialist before you receive an ESAP kit from the nurse Practioner containing ten alcohol swabs, ten band aids, one ounce water bottle and one ounce bleach bottle with instructions on how to safely clean and dispose of needles and ten new syringes. Included are instructions on how to dispose of needles safely, both in English and Spanish. You will also be given a Fit pack to dispose their dirty needles. Throughout the building there are sharps containers where dirty needles can be disposed of. If you are not a client of GMHC, you will complete a short intake and assessment on your first visit. For more information regarding ESAP, please call 212.367.1384.

The Barbershop is a weekly support group for Black men who have sex with men. Each week a different topic will be discussed focusing on pertinent issues confronting participant’s lives. The intent is to be thought-provoking with the end goal of skills building, increased peer support, identification of risks and negotiating skills pertaining to risk reduction as it relates HIV/AIDS & Substance Abuse. For more information regarding the Barbershop please call 212.367.1384.

OBB (Outstanding Beautiful Brothers) provides counseling and community building & educational groups to young gay, bisexual, questioning and other men who have sex with men of color regardless of HIV status. All services are free and confidential. Click here for a full listing and information on OBB groups.

Mental Health

We offer a multi-disciplinary mental health clinic at GMHC that provides free short- and long-term psychotherapy and substance-abuse counseling to adults living with HIV/AIDS, regardless of age, gender, race, or sexual orientation.  We engage clients in a holistic, tailored and collaborative approach. This is accomplished by creating a dynamic relationship with the client, therapist and other services providers. As a team, we coordinate care to impact the client’s overall mental health and well-being. Client strengths are utilized to address psychosocial and emotional stressors on physical health and quality of life.

We work with clients on a diverse range of issues including, but not limited to: Anxiety, Depression, History of Abuse and Trauma, Alcohol and Substance Use, Compulsive Sexual Behavior, Grief and Loss, and Relationship Problems.

The staff  is culturally diverse and consists of professionals in the fields of Clinical Psychology, Psychiatric Nursing, Clinical Social Work, Mental Health Counseling, Creative Arts Therapies, Substance Use Counseling, and Peer Education.

For more information regarding mental health services at GMHC, email team119@gmhc.org  or call 212.367.1165.

Types of Counseling

Our services are available in English, Spanish, and French

Clients enrolled for services will initially be scheduled for a comprehensive psychosocial assessment. Following the assessment the client will be matched with a therapist and/or therapy group, based on availability and the client’s individual preferences.

Individual Counseling
We provide short– and long-term individual therapy in the following areas: mental-health, substance-use and treatment adherence.

Family Counseling
We work with families, whether biological or of-choice, on a wide range of issues such as disclosure, loss, parenting skills and effective communication.

Couple Counseling
Couple counseling is offered to couples who have been together for at least 1 year. Issues include healthy communication, trust, behavior change, and discordant HIV status.

Support Groups

Group Therapy
Group services focus on issues such as: New Diagnosis, Living Well with HIV, Long Term Survivors, Harm Reduction, Drug Recovery, Sexual Compulsivity, Depression & Anxiety, Gay Men’s Group, Visually Impaired Group, and others.

Creative Arts Therapy
This service provides group and individual interventions that use the creative process of art making and drama techniques to enhance physical, mental and emotional well-being.
Creative Arts Therapy Group topics include: male survivors of sexual trauma, women’s emotional wellness; open studio and others.

Mental Health Services

Psychiatric Services
The Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner (PNP) conducts psychiatric assessments, provides mental health counseling, and coordinates client referrals for medication -management and other general  psychiatric care.

Mental Health Case Management
The Case Manager assesses client’s needs and actively makes referrals that can be helpful in client’s remaining connected to services and engaged in mental health care.

Independent Living Skills
Psycho-educational sessions helping clients improve self-sufficiency and effectively manage stress, time, finances, and emotions.

Housing Advocacy
Educational and supportive services that help clients learn the necessary skills to navigate through the process of finding housing and maintaining a healthy home in New York City.

For more information regarding services at GMHC, email team119@gmhc.org  or call 212.367.1165.