Request for Application (RFA)
Transgender, Gender Nonconforming and Intersex Wellness and Equity Fund
TGI Mental Health Support Grants (25-10699)
Question & Answers - Final Update
*Revised 12/5/2025
Q1: As a mental health clinic serving primarily LGBTQ+, TGI, and QTPOC community members, could you clarify whether we are eligible to apply for both the TGI Mental Health Support Grants and the Gender-Affirming Clinical Care Systems Grants, or if we are only eligible for the mental health grant?
A1: Each funding opportunity has its own distinct eligibility requirements. An applicant could apply for both funding opportunities if they met the eligibility requirements for each individually.
This funding opportunity is only available to TGI-Serving Organizations, as defined in
Health and Safety Code Section 150900. Please refer to Section 1.2. of the RFA to determine if your organization qualifies as a TGI-Serving Organization.
Q2: Our organization has recently secured fiscal sponsorship, though we have operated programs for longer. Is there a requirement of how long an organization needs to be fiscally sponsored prior to applying?
A2: This RFA and TGI Fund Statute (HSC §150900) allows for TGI-Serving organizations to utilize a fiscal sponsor. While the fiscal sponsor must be a 501(c)3 tax exempt organization, there is no requirement for how long an organization needs to be fiscally sponsored. However, the TGI-Serving Organization itself must still meet the minimum qualifications set forth in Section 3.1. of the RFA.
Q3: Is it required that applicants provide inpatient, outpatient, and ongoing therapy services, or is an outpatient model with ongoing therapy services sufficient to meet eligibility criteria?
A3: Proposed programs can provide one or more activities included in Section 2.4 of the RFA. Applicants are not required to provide all activities listed in any particular category.
Q4: Could capacity building and individual coaching count as a mental health services to individuals?
A4: Mental health care services and treatment can include a wide range of activities. Applications should propose the types of care they wish to fund based on their knowledge of the TGI communities they serve.
Q5: My program is a mental health clinic that serves LGBTQ+ youth and their families, mainly TGI youth. We are based at a university and are a non-profit, as is the university. CDPH has funded other similar clinical projects based at our university in the past. Are we not eligible because we are a part of a university?
A5: Correct. State law is clear that programs or divisions of organizations or institutions do not qualify as a TGI-Serving Organization. However, a TGI-Serving Organization funded through this grant could refer TGI Californians to your clinic and pay you for those services.
Q6: We are an LGBTQ+ center serving the rainbow. We also have a mental health clinic. Our mental health clinic serves 70% TGI clients but for over-all client base, we serve 42% TGI. Since we are applying for our mental health clinical services only, do we qualify?
A6: As described, the LGBTQ+ Center does not qualify as a TGI-serving organization, as defined in Section 3.1 “Minimum Qualifications” on page 10 of the RFA (derived from California
Health and Safety Code Sec. 150900).
Q7: Could you please explain the voucher model for Mental Health Services i.e., what it is in this context and how the model works? How will hospitals/clinics/private practice providers know what to do with/how to accept vouchers?
A7: We are using “voucher” as an umbrella term for a payment system to purchase mental health services on behalf of clients of the grantee. A physical voucher isn’t required, but some system of referral and payment that does not provide cash to an individual client is required. We expect that the grantee would have an existing agreement with that provider to accept payment directly from the Grantee rather than the client.
Q8: Can we be a fiscally sponsored autonomous project of a 501c3 in California?
A8: We require additional information to make this determination. A 501(c)3 nonprofit organization can serve as a fiscal sponsor for a TGI-Serving Organization that does not have its own 501(c)3 nonprofit status. However, the TGI-Serving Organization must still meet the legal definition as defined in Section 3.1 “Minimum Qualifications” on page 10 of the RFA.
Q9: If an organization with a smaller % of TGI participants partners with an organization with a larger % of TGI participants (over 65%), is this ok?
A9: No. The applicant must be a TGI-Serving Organization (or their fiscal sponsor). Partnerships between organizations does not satisfy the statutory requirement that the applicants be a TGI-Serving organization.
Q10: Can you clarify the definitions of “mental health care services” and “mental health treatment” especially in the context of Attachment 9’s required licenses and certifications? Do the services/treatments need to be exclusively from licensed medical providers in order for our application to be competitive? Due to the current political climate and how often our TGI community is not able to access their health insurance, our mental health care is often both social interventions as well as traditional clinical therapy. Social interventions like guided support groups, peer-to-peer mentorship groups, spiritual care, therapeutic arts programs, and services supporting drug, alcohol, and tobacco free environments.
A10: We cannot determine whether your application will be competitive with the information provided. Applications that do not utilize licensed medical care providers services are not necessarily at a disadvantage for the reasons you’ve articulated. Mental health care services and treatment can include a wide range of activities, some of which can be peer-led and do not require professional support. However, the intention of this RFA is to expedite care for TGI Californians in crisis. Applications will be scored, in part, based on that intent. We anticipate that the most competitive applications will involve outsourcing mental health services specifically for the reasons that you’ve enumerated – lack of access to health coverage including talk and other therapies.
Q11: Can you clarify the criteria to balance “prioritizing” mental health treatment vouchers “over any ancillary/practical support services” in our budget? What constitutes a “limited portion” of practical support services in order for our application to still be competitive? (i.e., 20% of the total budget? 40%? etc.?) Our organization is BIG on a holistic approach to gender-affirming care that combines mental health care with practical support. Our clients engage so well with our mental health care services because they are also receiving practical support services to address accessibility barriers and repair distrust.
A11: The RFA doesn’t specify a percentage requirement for funds dedicated to individual types of services. However, as you noted, the proposed practical support services should be a limited portion of the overall budget. We encourage applicants to propose projects and allocate funds culturally responsively and in a way that addresses the needs of the TGI communities that you serve.
Q12: Can you clarify the requirements in Attachment 7’s Certificate of Insurance? Does it mean we need to update our insurance coverage to include the verbatim statement (on page 23 of 29) and have that updated coverage active BEFORE the December 10 grant deadline?
A12: Yes. All required application documents must be included at the time of submission to meet the required minimum qualifications.
Q13: We make many referrals with follow-up and accompaniment if needed to low or no-cost, sliding scale, etc. mental health resources. Would this qualify as a voucher system?
A13: We are using “voucher” as an umbrella term for payments to mental health providers for services provided to individuals. Solely funding your staff to make referrals would not qualify. However, if the mental health services to which your client is being referred are being paid directly by you using this grant funding, then it does qualify. Please specify in your budget narrative and project narrative the process by which you will disburse and track payments for these services.
Q14: How would voucher work for an organization that IS a mental health provider?
A14: This RFA is intended to provide resources to TGI-Serving Organizations for the purpose of quickly and efficiently facilitating access to mental health services for TGI Californians. If your organization is a TGI-Serving Organization and a mental health provider, “vouchers” could be given to providers either inside or external to your organization for services including, but not limited to, therapy, inpatient care, outpatient care, or ongoing maintenance post-care. We are using “voucher” as an umbrella term for a system of payment to mental health providers for services provided to individuals. Additionally, Mental Health Program staff salaries are a listed ancillary personnel support in the allowable activities section of this RFA.
Q15: If we are providing referrals and resource navigation but not direct mental healthcare services, do we need to provide the licensure of our referral network?
A15: No, you do not. Please note that an application focused entirely on funding referrals and resource navigation to mental health services does not qualify. The applicant must utilize funding to pay for the mental health services themselves.
Q16: Based on this language in the RFA, would medical provider training be an acceptable activity? “The grants shall be available to TGI-serving organizations for the purpose of increasing the capacity of health care professionals to effectively provide TGI health care and institute TGI-inclusive best practices. This includes the creation of educational materials or facilitation of capacity-building trainings.”
A16: While provider training is part of the statute that governs the TGI Fund, this funding opportunity is focused on direct service provision by TGI-Serving Organizations (as defined in
Health and Safety Code Section 150900). A program focused solely on increasing the capacity of healthcare professionals to provide culturally responsive care to TGI persons would not be allowable. However, provider training as ancillary support for your proposed project for the purpose of ensuring that mental health professionals are equipped to provide care to TGI persons is allowable.
Q17: We are an FQHC. Do we still need to partner with a TGI organization or be their fiscal sponsor in order to meet the eligibility criteria?
A17: Only TGI-Serving Organizations, as defined, are eligible to apply for this funding opportunity. If your FQHC is a TGI-Serving Organization then you may apply. No partnership arrangement can override this statutory requirement. However, a TGI-Serving Organization could make referrals to your FQHC and reimburse for uncompensated mental health care services provided at your clinic.
Q18: To clarify about the voucher language, as a mental health provider. We would say that our patient navigator would provide 10 vouchers worth $125 to use at our mental health clinic. Is that correct?
A18: This RFA is intended to provide resources to TGI-Serving Organizations for the purpose of quickly and efficiently facilitating access to mental health services for TGI Californians. If your organization is a TGI-Serving Organization and a mental health provider, “vouchers” could be given to providers either inside or external to your organization for services including, but not limited to, therapy, inpatient care, outpatient care, or ongoing maintenance post-care. We are using “voucher” as an umbrella term for a system of payment to mental health providers for services provided to individuals. Additionally, Mental Health Program staff salaries are a listed ancillary personnel support in the allowable activities section of this RFA.
Q19: For the work plan template, do we not include the first month’s efforts as we put the program in place? Could you elaborate a bit about what goes on the work plan template?
A19: We listed the first month in the workplan template as “project kickoff period” to allow time for organizations to work on program design and attend grantee orientation, but you can include the first month’s activities in the workplan if you so choose.
Q20: Does an organization that is both a TGI-Serving Organization and a Medical Provider still need to subcontract with another organization?
A20: No. This funding opportunity does not require a partnership.
Q21: Will this recording be made available?
A21: You can email us at
TGIUnit@cdph.ca.gov for the recording. The recording is also now available on the
TGI Unit webpage
Q22: If we already have a therapist on staff, specifically for TGI clients, can we use the grant to pay for the therapist’s salary (i.e., cover the cost of their mental health services with our members/clients)?
A22: Projects can use a portion of this funding for an already existing position’s salary, in addition to vouchers for mental health care services. However, this grant has a one-year term, so it would not provide ongoing funding for the position’s salary. Additionally, this grant award cannot supplant existing funding. Please read Section 2.4. “Allowable and Unallowable Activities” on page 8-9 of the RFA for more information.
Q23: Do we have to email TGI Unit to receive templates for budget narrative and workplan template?
A23: Yes. Please email us at
TGIUnit@cdph.ca.gov.
Q24: Our mission is to create a world in which Black and Native TGI children are free from sexual violence, and over 65% of our members/clients are TGI. We do have some programs that serve QTIBIPOC together (but many programs, including this one, are for TGI BIPOC folks specifically). Would we qualify?
A24: Your organization qualifies as a TGI-Serving Organization if you also have 501(c)3 nonprofit status (or are fiscally sponsored by a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization).
Q25: Is there a limit on what percentage of grant funds can be allocated to Ancillary Supplies and Support?
A25: The RFA doesn’t state a specific requirement for amount of funds dedicated to individual types of services. We encourage applicants to propose projects and allocate funds culturally responsively and in a way that addresses the needs of the TGI communities that you serve.
Q26: Which page/sheet should we use on the Budget Template?
A26: Please email
TGIUnit@cdph.ca.gov and we will respond with the budget template. There are 2 tabs in the template, one for instructions and one for the budget. You would fill out the budget tab.
Q27: Can we also use this email address (TGIUnit@cdph.ca.gov) to request a recording for the GAC meeting?
A27: Yes, please email us if you want to request the recording for either pre-application conference. Additionally, the recording is now available on the
TGI Unit webpage.
Q28: I am trying to update the Certificate of Insurance to include the required phrase. Our insurance broker has asked us to provide the complete information of the certificate holder: The State of California, including the mailing address, so we can proceed on issuing this certification. Could you provide the information?
A28: Please utilize the following address:
California Department of Public Health
Office of Health Equity
Gender Health Equity Section
1616 Capitol Ave,
Sacramento, CA 95814
Q29: I have a question regarding how you would like us to calculate the cost of vouchers. Should we base the calculation on personnel costs only, or include personnel plus indirect costs? Alternatively, should the calculation include additional items such as supplies and insurance, or reflect the full program cost without the grant? Any guidance on your preferred method would be greatly appreciated.
A29: We have no preference how the value of vouchers are calculated as long as they represent at or below a reasonable market rate for the specific service.
Q30: I also have a question regarding insurance for fiscally sponsored organizations: should CDPH be listed on the fiscal sponsor’s insurance, the TGI organization’s insurance, or both?
A30: The fiscal sponsor will be the official applicant. For the purpose of this application, CDPH needs only to be listed on the fiscal sponsor’s insurance.