Discrimination and Microaggressions on LGBTQIA+ Client Mental Health: Apply Intersectionality as a Framework to Clinical Treatment

CPD

Planning Committee Disclosure - No relevant relationships

All members of the PESI, Inc. planning committee have provided disclosures of financial relationships with ineligible organizations and any relevant non-financial relationships prior to planning content for this activity. None of the committee members had relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies or other potentially biasing relationships to disclose to learners.  For speaker disclosures, please see the faculty biography.

Handouts

Speaker

Shanea Thomas, Ed.D, LICSW Related seminars and products

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Shanéa Thomas, Ed.D, LICSW (He/She/Dr.) is a bold lecturer and seasoned scholar-practitioner with more than 18 years of professional social work experience in the Washington DC metro area. His organization, Thomas Consulting and Therapeutic Services’ main commitment is training and strategizing with social workers, educators, and service providers around building safer therapeutic and educational spaces for all people. This is especially for those working in communities who are underserved and under resourced, and those identifying as black, indigenous, people of color, and LGBTQI+ folks. Dr. Thomas has facilitated over 80 workshops centering DEI needs, grief and loss, mental health, sex and gender, and LGBTQI+ populations. When creating organizational change through strategic planning, Dr. Thomas’ work unapologetically centers marginalized voices with community organizations and healthcare institutions to help shift power, privilege, and organizational accountability. Dr. Thomas ended his 10-year position at University of Southern California School of Social Work as a senior lecturer in 2022 to further the commitment around LGBTQ+ inclusivity through University of Maryland School of Public Health as their new LGBTQ+ Training Specialist and Assistant Research Professor. Dr. Thomas is currently curating a national training program launching in May 2023 with the use of the Prevention Research Center’s evidence-based tools used to build LGBTQ+ competency in practice amongst mental health professionals.

Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Dr. Shanéa Thomas has employment relationships with Wendt Center for Loss and Healing, WhitworthKee Consulting, and the University of Maryland. She receives a speaking honorarium and recording royalties from PESI, Inc. She has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Dr. Shanéa Thomas is a member of National Association of Social Workers.

Objectives

1. Apply intersectionality as a framework in clinical practice through the appropriate use of language, terminology, and consideration of historical contexts.
2. Evaluate the effects of discrimination and microaggressions on LGBTQIA+ clients using research and clinical case study examples.
3. Apply resources provided to become better allies and advocates to the community, regardless of sexual orientation, sex, gender identity, and racial and ethnic identity.

Outline

• Intersectionality and Covering as Survival: Where Our Parts Meet
  • Apply intersectionality as a framework to clinical practice
  • Concepts of covering and passing as a survival in social environments
• Prejudices, Microaggressions, and Discrimination on Mental Health: What Lies Beneath
  • Presence of LGBTQ+ folks in healthcare system
  • Intersection of mental health and the LGBTQ+ community
  • How to analyze research and theory which supports the lack of equity and societal support
• Making Mistakes and Owning Harm: People, Pronouns and Compassion
  • Our responsibility as clinicians to model accountability for harms caused
  • Micro, mezzo and macro clinical examples of micro/macroaggressions
  • Nondiscriminatory treatment of clients
• Anti-Discriminatory Practices and Exercises: Tips, Tools and Resources
  • Internalize complex lessons
  • Integrative practice for all people
  • Limitations of research and potential risks

Target Audience

• Addiction Counselors
• Counselors
• Marriage and Family Therapists
• Nurses
• Psychologists
• Therapists
• Social Workers
• Other Mental Health Professionals