Historically, trans people and folks of color have not been represented in the creation of mental health counseling and the field of psychology. The lack of inclusion of TPOC extends to our conceptualization of suicide and structural responses to caring for TPOC within chronic suicidal thoughts and behaviors, and a lack of acknowledgement of how systemic oppression impacts suicidality in TPOC. Conceptualizing suicidality and suicide prevention within an anti-oppressive framework is essential in understanding how transgender individuals of color experience and cope with long-term, chronic suicidal thoughts and behaviors. Through our work at Trans Lifeline and other crisis/clinical work, we practice a harm reduction, community-based response to suicidality and other serious mental health concerns within the trans community. Our aim for this presentation is to bridge our practice and academic training to offer a new perspective of caring that is less punitive and more restorative. By engaging in this presentation, participants will be able to (1) identify anti-oppressive models of suicide such as intersectional and social justice models, (2) describe how discrimination and minority stress influence suicidality for TPOC, (3) think critically of how medical models of suicide and oppressive suicide prevention responses involving the police, mandated reporting, and forced hospitalization harm TPOC, (4) identify one way that you can alter your clinical and crisis practice to better serve trans and non-binary BIPOC who experience chronic suicidal thoughts and behaviors.
Objectives:
- Identify anti-oppressive models of suicide such as intersectional and social justice models
- Describe how discrimination and minority stress influence suicidality for TPOC
- Think critically of how medical models of suicide and oppressive suicide prevention responses involving the police, mandated reporting, and forced hospitalization harm TPOC
- Identify one way that you can alter your clinical and crisis practice to better serve trans and non-binary BIPOC who experience chronic suicidal thoughts and behaviors.
PRESENTERS
Kiyoshi Kohchi, MLS
Kiyoshi Kohchi (he/him) is a Quality Assurance Coordinator and a Staff Operator at Trans Lifeline, and a first-year student at Smith School of Social Work. He also has a Masters degree in Library and Information Science from Simmons School of Library and Information Science. His passion is supporting other trans and non-binary BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) in crisis and peer support work, as well as building structures for community care to support and sustain trans and non-binary people. He loves his communities and is committed to liberation for all oppressed and marginalized people, as well as a trauma-informed, harm-reduction based approach to peer and clinical support. When he’s not working he likes to do community organizing, spend time with his friends and family, hang out with his pets, garden, and over-analyze how trauma is depicted in TV shows and movies.
Álvaro Gamio Cuervo, MSW
Álvaro Gamio Cuervo (they/el/elle) is a first-year doctoral student in the Counseling Psychology Ph.D. program at UMass Boston. Álvaro received their MSW in Social Work and their clinical work focused on trauma/crisis services with LGBTQ, POC, and low-income young adult populations. Álvaro works as a Bilingual Services Coordinator at Trans Lifeline, co-creating the only national Spanish-language harm-reduction, community-led resource for transgender individuals in crisis divested from the police. Their research focuses on hope and resilience for trans folks of color, more specifically on how Latinx trans individuals make meaning of family rejection and the relationship between suicidal thoughts and behaviors. Álvaro enjoys cooking new recipes, crocheting, exercising, and watching copious amounts of reality television.
AMHCA will provide 1.0 CE for this all viewers who view the webinar and complete the accompanying quiz with a passing grade (80% or higher). American Mental Health Counselors Association (AMHCA) has been approved to provide continuing education by the National Board for Certified Counselors and the Ohio Counselor, Social Worker and Marriage and Family Therapist Board. All sales are final - home study registrations are non-refundable.