April 15, 2024

Free Mental Health at the Intersections Conference for QTBIMPOC Youth

April 15, 2024/ The California Endowment Oakland Regional Office / Ronnie Sharpe

Thursday, May 30 · 8:30am - 4pm PDT

Mental Health at the Intersections (MHTI) is a FREE day-long hybrid conference presented by Pacific Center for Human Growth for mental health providers and community workers that centers care & support for those who sit at the intersections of race, gender, and sexuality. This year we are focusing on the mental health and empowerment of LGBTQIA+ Black, Indigenous, Mixed Race, People of Color (BIMPOC) youth. We will offer three hybrid workshops for adults who serve LGBTQIA+ BIMPOC youth. In collaboration with GSA Network and BAVC Media: Reel Stories we are offering in-person workshops for youth ages 11+.

Arriving Together

9:15 AM - 9:30 AM
Fresh "Lev" White will guide us through mindfulness practices that will support us in our being together in community, and staying compassionately present in our own experiences and learning throughout our day.

Keynote Address: Empowerment Through Storytelling

9:30 AM - 10:15 AM
Per Sia is a Latine Trans Drag performer, an educator and a founding member of Drag Story Hour. She has been performing for over fifteen years in San Francisco where she has been able to combine her love of drag with her love of the classroom. She currently teaches at an after-school arts program as head teacher of first grade. Throughout the years she’s found storytelling as an important way to entertain, educate and heal. :: our stories hold healing powers:: What’s your story?

Youth Meet Up

9:30 AM - 10:15 AM
Youth will have the opportunity to meet other youth at the conference. This space will be facilitated by Pacific Center's Youth Program Manager.

Workshops 10:30 AM - 12:00 PM

Marginalized Youth and Eating Disorders: Applying a Social Justice Lens

The need to incorporate social justice perspectives and practices in our understandings of and approach to eating disorders treatment is irrefutable. When eating disorders occurs in marginalized people, the dynamics have increasing complexity due to being marginalized, isolated, or stigmatized. Marginalized people seeking professional help may find eating disorders services unequipped to provide the interventions and treatment for their intersecting identities. Most eating disorders services are constructed for cisgender heterosexual affluent, thin, able bodied women and cannot offer appropriate services for a more diverse client population. Eating Disorders treatment programs, advocates and clinicians need to work together to ensure all individuals with eating disorders can access safe and intersectional treatment options. The workshop offers practical interventions through a social justice lens in clinical practice.

Trans, Gender Expansive Ally Workshop

Please join us for an engaging introductory cultural training to support you in learning a bit of the history and current experiences of the Trans, Gender Expansive, communities locally across the U.S. today. This workshop will support you with a better understanding of why our struggle to be ourselves continues, and why we also celebrate our lives and achievements, made possible because our commitment to live authentically, and the true allies and citizen partners on our journeys.

Friendship, Effort, Victory: Animated Representation & BIPOC Mental Health

Friendship, Effort, Victory is a workshop for clinicians that explores the use and evaluation of animated representation (anime, anime-influenced, cartoon, animated) to address presenting clinical challenges using various therapeutic modalities (such as IFS, DBT, CBT, ACT, Psychodynamic, various Families/Couples frameworks).

Media Literacy: Empowerment Starts With You (Youth Workshop) with Sarah Bryant-Cole &
Yasaman Ford

We interact with media constantly, every day. From billboards on the highway, to social media influencers, to the shows we unwind with at the end of the day, and beyond. Each piece of media we consume was made by someone, from a certain perspective, for a certain purpose. How does this affect us, both as individuals and as a broader culture and society? How do marginalized demographics suffer due to harmful representation in the media? In this workshop, you will learn how to identify biases and how you hold enough power to make a difference.

Know Your Rights: LGBTQIA+ students

Learn how to protect yourself and others! The Know Your Rights Training workshop reviews significant rights relevant to LGBTQ+ students in California and provides tools to support students exercising their rights. This workshop is for youth only.

Lunch 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM

Youth Meet Up - During Lunch Hour

12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
Youth will have the opportunity and space to engage with other youth during the conference lunch hour.

Story Hour - During Lunch

12:15 PM - 12:45 PM
Did you forget you like to be read to? Well, founding member of Drag Story Hour , Per Sia, is here to remind you that Drag Story Hour is for everyone. Enjoy an hour of reading, lip sync, education, and self acceptance.

Workshops 1:00 PM - 3:30 PM

Marginalized Youth and Eating Disorders: Applying a Social Justice Lens

The need to incorporate social justice perspectives and practices in our understandings of and approach to eating disorders treatment is irrefutable. When eating disorders occurs in marginalized people, the dynamics have increasing complexity due to being marginalized, isolated, or stigmatized. Marginalized people seeking professional help may find eating disorders services unequipped to provide the interventions and treatment for their intersecting identities. Most eating disorders services are constructed for cisgender heterosexual affluent, thin, able bodied women and cannot offer appropriate services for a more diverse client population. Eating Disorders treatment programs, advocates and clinicians need to work together to ensure all individuals with eating disorders can access safe and intersectional treatment options. The workshop offers practical interventions through a social justice lens in clinical practice.

Trans, Gender Expansive Ally Workshop

Please join us for an engaging introductory cultural training to support you in learning a bit of the history and current experiences of the Trans, Gender Expansive, communities locally across the U.S. today. This workshop will support you with a better understanding of why our struggle to be ourselves continues, and why we also celebrate our lives and achievements, made possible because our commitment to live authentically, and the true allies and citizen partners on our journeys.

Friendship, Effort, Victory: Animated Representation & BIPOC Mental Health

Friendship, Effort, Victory is a workshop for clinicians that explores the use and evaluation of animated representation (anime, anime-influenced, cartoon, animated) to address presenting clinical challenges using various therapeutic modalities (such as IFS, DBT, CBT, ACT, Psychodynamic, various Families/Couples frameworks).

Media Literacy: Empowerment Starts With You (Youth Workshop) with Sarah Bryant-Cole &
Yasaman Ford

We interact with media constantly, every day. From billboards on the highway, to social media influencers, to the shows we unwind with at the end of the day, and beyond. Each piece of media we consume was made by someone, from a certain perspective, for a certain purpose. How does this affect us, both as individuals and as a broader culture and society? How do marginalized demographics suffer due to harmful representation in the media? In this workshop, you will learn how to identify biases and how you hold enough power to make a difference.

GSA Fam! Connect Through Storytelling (Youth Workshop)

Engage in activities to create and support relationships! The GSA Fam! Connect Through Storytelling workshop explores how community is built and strengthened, using storytelling as a central practice. This workshop is for youth only.

Closing Activity - 3:40 PM - 4:00 PM