Challenging the Gender Binary within Efforts to Support System-Involved Youth

Kelsey Pacha

Training Description

What is the gender binary, exactly? As transgender, nonbinary, & gender fluid people become more visible in pop culture and media, many people hear the term “gender binary” without having a nuanced understanding of how rigid cultural expectations around gender impact not just LGBTQ system involved youth, but all people. This training session explores the meaning of the term “gender binary” and invites participants to identify specific ways the binary impacts all system-involved youth, individually and systemically. Participants will work in small groups to generate three ways they can interrupt the gender binary within their efforts to support system involved youth.

Learning Objective

1. Participants will be able to explain the gender binary and identify at least 2 gender expectations.

2. Participants will be able to identify five ways binary gender expectations impact system-involved youth.

3. Participants will be able to identify five laws and community resources which can interrupt binary expectations of system-involved youth.

Agenda

9:30-10:45AM  Introductions: name, gender pronoun, one thing you wish to learn. Define gender binary and gender expectations. Identify five ways binary gender expectations impact all system-involved youth. Large group discussion.

10:45-11:00AM  Break (CE Hours will not be offered for this time)

11AM-12:30PM Review five laws and community resources to interrupt binary expectations. Individual Personal Action Plan reflection. Video case study in small groups. Final Questions & Answers and wrap-up.

Meet Our Trainer

Kelsey Pacha, MA, M.Div. is a trans man who has worked with marginalized communities for 15+ years in a variety of settings. 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. He is the owner of Kelsey Pacha Consulting, which supports the work of institutions and individuals in increasing their capacity for cultural humility and social justice-informed institutional change. Kelsey offers educational trainings and LGBTQ workplace policy expertise with an emphasis on practical skills, identity awareness, and personal empowerment. He regularly works with corporate diversity, equity, and inclusion officers and LGBTQ affinity groups, as well as legal, clinical, medical, and direct service (including child welfare and faith leader) personnel.

This course meets the qualifications for (2.75) BBS CE hours for LCSWs, LMFTs, LPCCs, and LEPs as required by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences & is provided by Fred Finch Youth Center, CAMFT Provider #045295.