Exploring Identity Development Models for System involved Youth with Multiple Identities

Kelsey Pacha

Training Description

This highly interactive and informative cultural humility training supports service providers in deepening their understanding of racial, sexuality, gender, and moral development when working with system-involved youth. Through self-reflection and group case study work, attendees will be better equipped to formulate case plans and other strategies to support system involved youth clients in their healthy identity development by considering the multiple, complex, and layered influences that create a unique individual experience of development throughout the lifespan.

Learning Objective

• Review Jean Piaget's Theory of Cognitive Development and Erik Erickson's Stages of Psychosocial Development as a foundation to evaluate several identity development models.
• Become familiar with Sue et. al's Stages of Racial Identity Development Model, Cass' Model of Gay and Lesbian Development, Bem’s Gender Schema Theory and Kohlberg's Stages of Moral Development.
• Identify cognitive and psychosocial contexts that may influence a system involved young person's identity development.
• Complete a sample moral development evaluation in small groups and discuss its utility for system involved clients in various stages of cognitive development.
• Identify ways that traditional development models may not apply to youth who have multiple marginalized identities, contrasting Kohlberg’s Cognitive Developmental Theory of Gender Development & Veale’s Identity Defense Model of Gender Variance as an example.
• Complete video case studies that illustrate the complex interaction between multiple identities and generate a case plan to best support that young person's healthy identity development.

Agenda 

10:00am -10:15am Intros, learning objectives, scope.

10:15am - 10:30am Self-reflection: Identity map activity. What are our identities, and what are the identities of our clients? How do they interact?

10:30am - 11:00am Basic premises: How do we understand an individual’s identity journey through considering multiple spheres of influence, templates of early experience, and throughout the lifespan? Explore ecological perspective, intersectionality, and the minority stress model.

11:00am - 11:15am What are identity models? How can we understand conceptual differences in identity model structure? What is the proper utility and inherent limits of identity models?

11:15am - 12:00pm Foundational models: Piaget & Erikson, with two videos & discussion. Critiques.

12:00pm - 12:30pm Racial identity model: Sue & Sue. Video and discussion.

12:30pm - 1:00pm Sexuality identity model: Cass and D’Augelli.

1:00pm - 1:15pm  Break. (CEUs will not be issued for this time)

1:15pm - 1:30pm  Gender identity model: Bem.

1:30pm - 2:15pm Moral development: Kohlberg. Heinz dilemma activity.

2:15pm - 3:00pm Where models fail: Compare and contrast 2 other models of gender identity development, Kohlberg and Veale. Apply to video case study.

3:00pm - 3:45pm Video case study: Kesawn. Examine his psychosocial stage, sexuality, racial identity, and moral development. Small group and large group discussion.

3:45pm - 4:00pm Question & Answer period, resources, evaluations, 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. For more information, visit kelseypachaconsulting.com or email info@kelseypachaconsulting.com.

This course meets the qualifications for (5.75) BBS CEUs for LCSWs and MFTs as required by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences & is provided by Fred Finch Youth Center, CAMFT Provider #045295.