The LGBTQIA+ Aging Project offers a variety of trainings, workshops, and community education sessions for mainstream and LGBTQIA+ community members, employers, service providers, caregivers and support networks. If you would like more information about any of these programs, please contact us at [email protected] or 857.313.6590.
LGBTQIA+ Cultural Competency Training and Technical Assistance for Elder Service Providers
An innovative training and consultation program to enhance professional capacity and ensure that elder service providers develop both the indi-vidual skills and the institutional capacity to serve LGBTQIA+ older adults and caregivers with dignity and respect. Can be delivered in person or remotely.
Training Sessions:
These interactive sessions are intended for a wide variety of providers and can be customized for specific types of care settings or workforce. Sessions can be customized from 1/2 day workshop to 1 hour presentation.
Topics covered may include: terminology; why LGBTQIA+ training is important; history of LGBTQIA+ experiences and impact on engagement with elder services; best practices for individuals working with LGBTQIA+ older adults; best practices for organizations working with LGBTQIA+ older adults.
Technical Assistance and Consulting Sessions:
LGBTQIA+ Aging Project staff can work with your organization to implement the organizational and program changes that will further your ability to be inclusive of LGBTQIA+ older adults.
Topics covered may include: organizational policy; HR; out-reach/marketing; community programming; how to respond to pushback and resistance.
Specialized Training Topics:
The LGBTQIA+ Aging Project offers a number of specialized training modules that can be delivered in person (preferably) or via zoom. Some modules can be customized for your organization. Some of our current modules include:
Building Bridges: Creating Conversations Around LGBTQIA+ Older Adults
This 90-minute interactive presentation is designed to help non-LGBTQ older adults understand more about their LGBTQIA+ peers. Utilizing strategies to target unconscious bias and a safe interactive environment to ask questions, participants have an opportunity to learn what it means to be LGBTQIA+ in the world today, which is of-ten very different from some of the negative messages they learned decades ago. This can be delivered in a 60-minute session, but 90 minutes is preferable.
TransGeneration: A Foundation for Working with Transgender and Gender Diverse Older Adults.
This 90-minute professional develop-ment is designed for elder service providers who want to be more culturally competent when working with transgender and gender di-verse older adults. This interactive training covers the basics on gen-der identity and expression including non-binary identities, intersex and the wide range of transition pathways. The curriculum highlights the personal stories of seven different older adults that illustrate the rich diversity of gender identity and expression. This can be deliv-ered in a 60-minute session, but 90 minutes is preferable.
The Rainbow Room: Creating LGBTQIA+ Friendly Programs for Elder Service Providers
This 90-minute interactive workshop is designed for senior centers, councils on aging and other elder service providers who wish to make their existing programs more welcoming for LGBTQIA+ older adults. Participants will walk through the steps to offer informational sessions to find out the programing needs for their community as well as the steps to develop and launch a variety of programs, such as an LGBTQIA+ Community Meal Program, that can be easily im-plemented through their organization.
Community Conversations on LGBTQIA+ Aging
One of The LGBTQIA+ Aging Project’s signature programs is our Community Conversation. After an organization completes their cul-tural competency training and technical assistance, The LGBTQIA+ Aging Project will assist the staff with a community wide gathering which is often the first step in connecting with the local LGBTQIA+ older adults in their area. This social and informational event brings together local officials, faith leaders, community members as well as LGBTQIA+ older adults. Participants are invited to fill out a needs as-sessment survey for the local agency to understand what the inter-ests are for the local LGBTQIA+ older adults as well as any current unmet service needs. These programs are facilitated by a staff member from the LGBTQIA+ Aging Project.
LGBTQIA+ Aging 101: What You Need to Know About Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Questioning, Intersex and Asexual Older Adults
This presentation is an introductory overview to the topic suitable for all audiences. Presuming that the mainstream community has limited knowledge of the psychosocial, cultural, and historical issues facing LGBTQIA+ older adults and caregivers, this presentation ex-plores some of the unique characteristics of this population; genera-tional differences, similarities to general population of older adults, policy and planning issues for service providers, and suggestions for reaching this hard-to-reach population.
