Course info

Training Description: Human sexuality and gender expression are ever changing and fluid components of all human beings. In the mental health field, it is imperative that practitioners understand the scope of these identity characteristics and how they impact mental health and treatment. This live webinar aims to present human sexuality and affirmative care as a foundational skill for all practitioners regardless of client population.

Goals:

• How to provide affirmative and inclusive mental health treatment
• Increase understanding of human sexuality terms and definitions
• Gain awareness of held biases and assumptions and how to minimize their impact on treatment
• Gain awareness of systemic impact upon these communities
• Increase understanding of ethical behavior/decision making when working with individuals in these communities.
• Increase ability to guide clients and their support systems through conflict and change associated with sexual, gender, and affectional identity.

Objectives:

• Participants will be able to differentiate and define sexual orientation, gender, sex, and affectional orientation.
• Participants will be able to define affirmative care and utilize treatment modalities that demonstrate affirmative and inclusive care.
• Participants will gain an understanding of how biases and assumptions impact clients (within the therapeutic relationship, and in everyday life)
• Participants will be able to identify and demonstrate ethical decision-making when providing affirmative care.
• Participants will be able to manage difficult situations related to support system hesitancy and fear regarding sexual, gender, and affectional identity.

Workshop Outline:

1. Introduction and overview (Jennie 8:45am – 9:00am)
2. What is Affirmative Care (Anna 9:00am – 9:15am)
3. Sexuality and Gender Definitions + Terms (Anna 9:15am – 10:30am)
4. Affectional and Kink Definitions and Terms (Jennie 10:30am – 11:45am)
5. 15-minute break (11:45-12:00pm)
6. LGBTQ+ Health Initiative (Heather 12:00pm-1:00pm)
7. How does Gender and Sexuality Show up in Treatment (Anna 1:00pm-1:15pm)
8. Practitioner Biases and Assumptions (Jennie 1:15pm -1:30pm)
9. Challenges to affirmative care (Jennie 1:30pm – 1:45pm)
10. Ethics and affirmative care (Anna 1:45pm-1:50pm)
11. Takeaways and Evaluation (Jennie 1:50pm – 2:00pm)

*All training content is co-facilitated.

Level: Intermediate