Are you a member of the LGBTQIA+ community? Have you had adverse experiences in medical settings as a queer person?
OR
Are you a medical professional and want to become more trauma informed and more knowledgeable on working with different populations? Do you simply want to become more educated on the LGBTQIA+ community for your practice/patients?
If so, please join MP Pride Center & R.I.S.E Advocacy in attending our Best Practices Working with Queer Folx Panel! It will be an evening of open, fruitful and educational conversation on best practices when working with patients who happen to be queer. There is little to no required training for medical professionals on working with the LGBTQIA+ community, meaning many queer folx find themselves uncomfortable, misunderstood and often mistreated and misdiagnosed in medical settings. This panel will help practitioners to understand the contexts with which queer folx exist in the medical sphere, hear from their experiences, and come to a better, more trauma informed understanding of how best to work with LGBTQIA+ individuals. This panel is for anyone, but is geared specifically towards medical professionals.
Date: April 11th
Time: 6pm
The panel will be held at the Veteran’s Memorial Library in their Annex Room. (301 S. University Ave Mt. Pleasant, MI 48858). Virtual option will be available. Link below.
Virtual option via GoogleMeet (Google account not required): meet.google.com/ezm-xqse-dkd
Meet Our Panelists:
Mel Bailey, RN (she/her/hers)
Mel Bailey began her journey in the field of reproductive healthcare over 25 years ago. She is a Midwife, Nurse, Herbalist, and Integrative Nutrition Coach. She is currently in charge of Maternal Child Health Services for the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe. She is also a Gynecological Teaching Associate, providing training on trauma informed pelvic examinations for medical & nursing students and sexual assault nurse examiners. Mel is passionate about helping healthcare professionals provide safe and respectful care to all individuals on our beautiful spectrum of humanity.
Kendree Berg, LMSW (she/her/hers)
Kendree Berg is a clinical social worker working primarily as a gender therapist at Mt Pleasant Counseling/Greater Michigan Gender Services. She has dedicated over a decade of her life to advocating for the LGBTQ+ community with a special focus on improving access to essential resources, including healthcare. In her work as a gender therapist Kendree has assisted in the transition of hundreds of transgender individuals and has played a critical role in helping her clients navigate the healthcare system and its numerous obstacles to gender affirming care. In 2018 Kendree helped to open the LGBTQ+ Resource Center at Ferris State University as its coordinator. Recently she has been assisting in the opening of the Mt. Pleasant Pride Center. Throughout her career Kendree has sat on numerous panels addressing LGBTQ+ issues in healthcare.
Connor McGahan, LLMSW (he/him/his)
Connor McGahan is a dedicated gender therapist with a decade of experience supporting the LGBTQ+ community. Based in Mt. Pleasant, MI, Connor is passionate about fostering positive mental health outcomes for individuals of diverse gender identities and sexual orientations. With a foundation in best practices, empathy, and cultural competency, he provides a safe and validating space for clients, recognizing and respecting the unique challenges faced by the LGBTQ+ population. In addition to his clinical work, Connor proudly contributed to the establishment of the Mt. Pleasant Pride Center, embodying his commitment to creating affirming spaces that celebrate diversity.
Michelle Miller, MSN, RN, CNEclQuestions? Please contact Kayla at kschmitz@riseadvocacy.org