About

About my services addressing transgender care



SPECIALTIES



I am a board-certified clinical sexologist, sex educator, advocate, instructor, and I serve as a Chair to doctoral students earning their Ph.Ds. I also  serve as a committee member as my way of giving back. Lastly, I diagnose dysfunctions and disorders in sexual health within the LGBTQIA+ and GD individuals. I refer individuals to therapists qualified in treatment modalities.


I specialize in two areas. One is transgender care, and the other is human trafficking.  This does not mean that I do not address the gay and lesbian or bi population. It gets complicated. A person may identify as trans and be gay or bi.


My specialty is in trans care because I attended the International Transgender Certification Association, known as ITCA, an intensive program that is only one of a handful in the country. ITCA is interactive affording students to receive training from highly skilled professionals, surgeons, pediatricians, lawyers, and therapists, with some who are trans or from the LGBTQIA+ community themselves, making this particular program unique in exposing students to families of trans youth and couples whose partners are trans. The time students spend with families and couples fosters a positive experience for students, reduces bias, and builds trust.


Also, the two areas of LGBTQIA+ and GD population and human trafficking may seem opposites, but they are not. Both populations are vulnerable. This section addresses these populations within companies and corporations who may overlook the growing problem of human trafficking as it is prominent in those who are house insecure and living on the streets or are in foster care. I do not refer to those living on the streets as house insecure. There are those persons who may not have a home, are about to lose their home, or are couch surfing between homes. This is not the same as someone living on the street. I have been there with a small child and I am not a proponent for lumping everyone in this category. It is not the same.


INTERSECTIONS BETWEEN TWO POPULATIONS


I advocate for gender and sexual minority children, youth, and parenting families. I am referring to TGD populations. I mentor medical students, mental health students, and survivors who are seeking to further their education. I am always open to serving as a committee member or advocate to a survivor returning for higher-level learning. 


EXPERIENCE COUNTS


Companies tend to wait until they receive a citation calling for corrective action before enforcing some of their own practices. For an example: Companies that only focus on utilizing an AI system to collect feedback in one department but don’t apply the same methodologies to other departments or only apply feedback to a specific role within an ER system (for example) may be misleading the patient to believe they are providing feedback on the ER staff. There is a risk in overlooking what other departments and their staff do well in or what areas need improvement. A uniform method for collecting feedback from other departments within their company, clinic, or hospital is essential. However, ER staffing may be contracted out and not be a part of the hospital staff. Therefore be completely overlooked because the company that employs them may be separate (and often is) from the hospital.



More importantly, paying attention to employee feedback about how friendly systems are towards any population is critical, but just because a company or corporation does not include DEI does not mean that patients and clients' complaints about treatment are not addressed just because they are LGBTQIA+ . Patient and client feedback about other departments is equally as vital. Do so to avoid being risky and costly to companies. Remember that reputation says it all.


More and more states are doing away with DEI. But what does that mean? Ensure you remain respectful and mindful of where a person is from and who they are. It does not mean that employers and employees get to choose whom to treat with respect because of their internalized biases. Overt bias is as harmful as implicit bias. Consider following these valuable pieces of advice from Upwardly Global.



ADVERTISING ALL INCLUSIVE LANGUAGE WITHOUT DEI?


Word travels fast when companies' employees, volunteers, contract personnel, consultants, vendors, and collaborators harbor implicit bias towards minority persons, victims, survivors, or anyone who belongs to a minority group. It is essential to use up-to-date, inclusive language when addressing any individual from a minority group, remain respectful and transparent, and include it in contracts to create diverse groups of individuals and hold providers and vendors accountable for agreeing to continue to receive training. Diverse teams are essential to any company.


CONSULTING SERVICES 


I serve as a consultant with multiple local organizations that focus on improving services and harm reduction to at-risk gender and sexual minority [LGBTQIA+ and GD] individuals.


As a member of the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH), I adhere to ethical standards and best practices by maintaining a professional service and following standards of care within my specialization. 


WHAT SERVICES I DO NOT OFFER CLIENTS


WHAT I DO NOT DO



I do not provide therapy.


There are clinical sexologists who provide therapy and treatment modalities.


WHAT SERVICES I DO OFFER CLIENTS


WHAT I DO


I diagnose dysfunctions and disorders in sexual health.


I do provide support, advocacy, and guidance and I refer to therapists qualified in treatment modalities when necessary.




THE BRIDGE THAT LED TO WHERE I AM TODAY



Years ago, I facilitated a program in Chicagoland. I had risen from the ranks as a field nurse and developed a valuable tool, a guidebook, that helped me navigate and access procedures, including information to contact contract providers, home medical supply companies, pharmacies, EMS, and medical mental health providers. Eventually, this led to developing one for home health and hospice field staff, and by the time I filled the role as a facilitator, I had the pleasure of recognizing its value as somebody shared it within the corporation. 



The guidebook was straightforward without the legal jargon and built on best practices. Every field person had one as part of their onboarding. It was a turning point in my life that led to improving access to information for field staff and eventually led to work in compliance, furthering my journey throughout healthcare. 



WHAT SERVICES I DO OFFER PROGRAMS



My services are centered around helping and preparing programs to offer friendly services focusing on the company's best practices, offer guidance on developing or enhancing policies, procedural, and training manuals for onboarding, programs, risk management, utilization of services, guidance on setting up indicators, and employee field guidebooks in mental and healthcare. 


https://www.messageforparents.com/

https://www.therapycertificationtraining.org


A member of WPATH

https://www.wpath.org/

Continuous Professional Development 

 

    

Share by: