Rainbow Heights Club is a project of the Brooklyn based, Heights Hill Mental Health Service, South Beach Psychiatric Center, Community Advisory Board (CAB). The CAB is an independent and private 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization providing auxiliary services to the treatment provided by the New York State Office of Mental Heath at Heights Hill. CAB members are a group of community stakeholders that meet quarterly to assist the Heights Hill Mental Health Service in identifying and addressing unmet community need.

In 2000, in conjunction with the Heights Hill Mental Health Service staff, the CAB identified Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) psychiatric consumers as a very underserved and disenfranchised population. In 2001 the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) awarded a contract for the development and operation of a “mental health consumer advocacy program” to the CAB. The program, which is called “Rainbow Heights Club” (the club),  is now in its 7th year and is the first and to our knowledge, the only government funded program that exclusively serves the needs of LGBT people living with mental illness in the nation. All programs services are provided free of charge.

Growing over the years to serve over 500 members, 5 days per week the agency now welcomes LGBT mental health consumers from all five New York City Boroughs.