TRAINING SERIES
Monterey County Rainbow Connections Gender Diversity Provider Training
Understanding Gender Identity for Youth Under 18
January 9, 2025
CE’s Available
The Gender Health Training Institute is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. Gender Health Training Institute maintains responsibility for this program and its content.
The Monterey Behavioral Health Gender Care Trainings is a comprehensive workshop series designed to enhance the knowledge and skills of medical and mental health professionals, educators, and community members in supporting transgender and gender diverse youth and their families. Through this series, participants will build a strong foundation in gender literacy, medical support, and developmental understanding of gender, enabling them to provide the highest standard of culturally attuned, gender-affirming care. Each session of this training is 3 hours long and held on Thursday afternoons and will cover crucial topics related to gender diversity and care, integrating perspectives from youth, parents, and families.
This training series offers an invaluable opportunity for professionals and advocates to enhance their skills, expand their knowledge, and contribute to a more inclusive and affirming society for all youth. Beyond imparting knowledge, it fosters a supportive community of professionals and advocates dedicated to the well-being of transgender and gender diverse youth. By participating, attendees will join a network of individuals committed to creating inclusive and affirming environments for all youth, regardless of their gender identity or expression.
As the landscape of gender identity and expression continues to evolve, staying informed and equipped to address the unique needs of transgender and gender diverse individuals is essential. This workshop series is meticulously crafted to address these needs, blending theoretical knowledge with practical skills. Through interactive sessions and collaborative discussions, participants will delve into critical topics, including gender literacy, medical support, and the developmental journeys of transgender youth and their families.
Understanding Gender Identity for Youth Under 18
How can participants utilize their new skills and knowledge after the training to reinforce their learning?
- Learn to distinguish between transgender, gender nonconforming, and gender creative children, and choose interventions appropriate to each group.
- Refer clients & their families to six community and clinical resources for caregivers of gender diverse youth.
Learning objectives:
By the end of this workshop, participants will be able to:
- Define the biopsychosocial model of gender.
- Distinguish between cisgender, transgender, gender nonconforming, and gender creative children.
- Compare and contrast three traditional models with two more recent models of gender identity development and analyze them in context.
- Complete one video case study reflecting on gender identity development.
- Identify four best practices to engage introspection about gender based on developmental & chronological age for cisgender, transgender, gender nonconforming, & gender creative children.
- Discuss six community and clinical resources for caregivers of gender diverse youth.
Presenter
Luke Pacha is the owner of Infinite Diversity LLC. He holds a Master of Religion and Psychology, Master of Divinity, and Certificate of Sexuality and Religion from Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley, CA. He also holds a Bachelor of Science in Human Development and Psychological Services from Northwestern University in Evanston, IL.
Luke straddles the worlds of academia/theory and practice, serving as the Board President of Trans Bodies, Trans Selves, a national non-profit organization that publishes a 705-page resource guide of the same name, by and for the trans, gender expansive, and nonbinary communities. Through this work, he connects with leading transgender and gender expansive scholars in medicine, law, mental health, social sciences, politics, and culture to collaborate on editions of Trans Bodies. He recently authored the Religion and Spirituality chapter of the second edition of the book, released April 15, 2022, and served as Survey Editor, managing a nationwide qualitative survey of over 2,000 respondents quoted in the book, and editing several chapters. Luke co-authored an academic review of methodologies used to survey transgender & nonbinary people based on the Trans Bodies Second Edition Survey, “Surveying trans and nonbinary communities: Research methodologies, accountability, and ethics with the Trans Bodies, Trans Selves Survey (2nd edition),” published in Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity in 2022.
Luke also co-authored the Religion and Spirituality chapter in the surgical textbook Gender Confirmation Surgery: Principles and Techniques for an Emerging Field, edited by Loren Schecter, released 2020. He has been featured as a subject matter expert on gender pronouns in Rolling Stone, Grammarly’s Guide to Personal Pronouns, and NPR Cap Radio about best pronoun practices in the workplace. He has also been interviewed on NPR’s The Takeaway and been published in LGBTQ Nation. More information can be found about Luke at infinitediversityllc.com.
Upcoming Events
Session is 180 min including time for Q&A.
3 CE Credits Available
The Gender Health Training Institute is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. Gender Health Training Institute maintains responsibility for this program and its content.