Morning Workshop Selections

Session 1
LGBTQ 101: Out of the Closet and Into the Clinic
Presented by: Jeana Butler, The LGBTQ Coalition of Southern Arizona
Session Track: Beginners
Session Abstract
This session is a must for individuals brand new to LGBTQ health issues. This
introductory training delves into the differences between gender, sex and sexuality, and
discuss the LGBTQ acronym as distinct populations. This training will also provide a
macro-level look at LGBTQ individuals in contemporary society, and challenges they
many face in a clinical setting.

Morning Workshop Selections

Session 2
Substance Abuse Treatment for the LGBTQ Population
Presented By: Kelly Obert, Wright State University School of Professional Psychology
Janine Johnson, Wright State University School of Professional Psychology
Session Track: Beginners
Session Abstract

Several research studies have shown that the LGBTQ population is at a higher risk for abusing alcohol
and other substances than the general population. Exposure to discrimination and community violence
leading to internalized shame contributes to the intersecting identities of LGBTQ and substance abuse.
Traditional substance abuse treatment modalities may not address the specific needs of the LGBTQ
population. Despite an awareness of the need for specialized treatment, a 2011 study found that only
62 substance abuse treatment programs in the United States offer specialized services for the LGBTQ
population. Over half of the agencies offering these services are located in California or New York,
leaving few options for those living outside these states. Although there is limited research on how the
intersecting identities of age, gender, race and ethnicity effect substance abuse and substance abuse
treatment among the LGBTQ population, the literature suggests that these multiple identities warrant
attention in treatment as well. As Arizona continues its quest to provide culturally competent
healthcare to the LGBTQ community, effective and informed programs must be developed to serve the
intersecting identities of sexual orientation, gender identity and substance abuse.
This workshop will review the literature around the types of assessment and interventions that are
effective for the LGBTQ population seeking substance abuse treatment.

Morning Workshop Selections

Session 3
Providing Culturally Competent Care for Transgender Veterans
Presented By: Dena Omar, LCSW, Southern Arizona VA Health Care System
Lynn Pion-Kurpiewski, LMSW, Southern Arizona VA Health Care System
Session Track: Intermediate
Session Abstract

This workshop will explore the intersections of identity and the particular healthcare challenges faced by
the Transgender Veterans we serve and how the Southern Arizona VA Health Care System (SAVAHCS)
addresses their needs. We will discuss the specific challenges facing Transgender Veterans in their
healthcare and how SAVAHCS addresses their needs. We will provide a brief overview of the steps the
VA system has taken to meet the needs of Transgender Veterans. We will share the lessons learned
from starting and running a support group for Transgender Veterans, including the best practices for
treating Transgender Veterans. We will address the intersections of gender, Veteran Status, age, race
and geographic location (rural vs. urban) effect health care. The discussion will be highly interactive,
asking participants to draw on their experiences and skills. Several experiential activities will engage
participants in the discussion and materials presented.
Presenter Bios
Lynn Pion-Kurpiewski, LMSW, is a Patient Aligned Care Team social worker at the Southern Arizona VA
Health Care System (SAVAHCS). She completed her bachelor and master degrees in social work at San
Diego State University and interned at the Armed Services YMCA and the Naval Consolidated Brig at
Miramar during her studies. She focused some of her academic energy on transgender issues related to
aging and was connected to the San Diego LGBT community through her employment. When the
opportunity arose to join the Tucson Regional Transgender Consultation Team, she quickly volunteered
and helped to develop the weekly transgender support group at the SAVAHCS which she co-facilitates.
Dena Omar, LCSW, is the Home TeleHealth Social Worker at the Southern Arizona VA Health Care
System (SAVAHCS). She graduated from the Arizona States Universitys School of Social Work after
completing her internships at the University Medical Center and SAVAHCS. She worked in community
behavioral health where she was a clinical social worker specializing in treating trauma, eating disorders,
addictions, personality disorders and dissociative identity disorder both in group and individual settings.
She returned to SAVAHCS in 2013, and was pleased to be able to co-facilitate the weekly Transgender
Support Group and to join the Tucson Regional Transgender Consultation Team. In November, 2014, she
was appointed the SAVAHCS LGBT Special Emphasis Program Manager.

Morning Workshop Selections

Session 4
Tailoring Case Management Services to Younger MSM Living with HIV
Presented By: Hector Quiroz, Chicanos Por La Causa
Duvia Lozano, Chicanos Por La Causa
Session Track: Intermediate
Session Abstract

The LUCES Program currently serves a wide range of Latino HIV positive MSM between the ages of 1826. At least 50% of these young men are undocumented. The LUCES Program has been in the
community for over 15 years.

The purpose of this workshop is to share the successes and some of the challenges the program has
faced and how those challenges have been overcome. The focus of the program has always been to
keep the consumers of the program engaged and moving forward with their life despite their HIV status.
The LUCES Program is aware of the culture factors that affect the consumers of the program and have
established an effective and empowering Medical and Supportive Case Management team to assist the
participants even further that just simply helping them deal with their HIV Status. However, there is still
not a cure for HIV and in the last couple of years there has been an increase of more and more new
cases of HIV between the ages on 18 -26. The CDC statistics prove that 6 out of 10 Latino Youth between
the ages of 13-24 are diagnosed with HIV every year. Moreover, due to the increasing numbers of this
target population the LUCES Program at Chicanos Por La Causa has taken action to further service,
educate and empower the Young Latino MSM Community.

Morning Workshop Selections

Session 5
Challenging Environments: Harm Reduction Strategies with Youth
Presented By: Jai Smith, Southern Arizona AIDS Foundation
Marcos Trujillo, Southern Arizona AIDS Foundation
Sarah Bahnson, Southern Arizona AIDS Foundation
Session Track: Intermediate
Session Abstract

Challenging environments will explore facilitating Harm Reduction strategies to youth through a panel of
Youth Prevention staff from Southern Arizona AIDS Foundation. Specifically we will discuss connecting
with youth in abstinence-based settings, charter schools, through community and coalition building, and
in drop-in centers. Further, we will discuss Harm Reduction and prevention through collaborative
programming to bring community resources and LGBTQ youth together.
The panelists come from different backgrounds in the prevention/harm reduction work that we do. Jai
Smith has experience working in an LGBT youth drop-in center as well as in public and charter high
schools. Marcos Trujillo has experience working with the Luz Southside Coalition, a youth led coalition to
reduce underage drinking and substance abuse. Sarah Bahnson has experience working in an LGBT
youth drop-in center, as well as with several local agencies to explore LGBT art and expression as a
means to reduce harm and increase self-efficacy. We will be creating a dialogue about our experience
and how we have been able to work in a variety of back grounds to present comprehensive and inclusive
sexual health and substance abuse information in these backgrounds. We will also go on to discuss how
individual agencies can incorporate some of the same tools to explore working in new sites where LGBT
youth are marginalized.

Morning Workshop Selections

Session 6

Women with Women Study: Examining Patterns of Alcohol and Drug Use
Presented By: Natasha S. Mendoza, PhD, LMSW, Arizona State University
Veronica Harner, Arizona State University
Session Track: Advanced
Session Abstract

The purpose of this workshop is to describe the research design, preliminary findings, and implications for the
Women with Women Study. The study, sponsored by Arizona State University, School of Social Work, is focused on
gender and/or sexual minority women in committed relationships and the influence of alcohol and drug use within
the context of their relationships.
Gender and/or sexual minority women (GSMW) are a considerable population, yet they are often overlooked in
behavioral health research focusing on problematic alcohol and other drug (AOD) use. Sexual minority people are
at an increased risk of mental and behavioral health problems including substance use disorders (SUDs). The
purpose of the exploratory study was to begin to understand the influence of risk (i.e., history of trauma, shame)
and protective factors (i.e., committed relationships, social support) on substance use behaviors among gender
and/or sexual minority women. The study involved a mixed method research design including qualitative
interviews and survey research.

Presenter Bios

Dr. Natasha Mendoza is an Assistant Professor in the School of Social Work at Arizona State University. She
received her MSW from the University of Wyoming and her PhD at The Ohio State University. Prior to joining ASU,
Dr. Mendoza was an NIH supported postdoctoral fellow at the Research Institute on Addictions in Buffalo, New
York. Currently, Dr. Mendoza serves on two boards: Prevent Child Abuse Arizona and The National Council on
Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (Phoenix). Dr. Mendoza's scholarship is based on the premise that intersecting
identities (i.e., gender, ethnic, and sexual) are indelibly linked to behavioral health. Her work examines the ways in
which identity may be an asset in recovery from substance use disorders or connected to risk factors associated
with problematic use and treatment barriers. Dr. Mendoza subscribes to the notion that motivation to change
substance use behaviors is intrinsic and a function of interpersonal relationships, occurring within the context of
culture and across multiple systems.
Vern Harner is a Masters of Social Work student at Arizona State University. Their substantive interests are at the
intersection of trans* and non-binary identifying communities, victim advocacy, cultural competency, and queer
research. Over the past decade, Vern has been working for social justice in the gender and sexual minority (GSM)
community via prevention, education, and community needs assessment. Prior to pursuing their masters degree,
Vern worked with the Safe Out program at Terros, Inc, an effort to curb problematic alcohol use in the GSM
community through marketing, program coordination, data collection, and norms changing. As co-founder and cochair of the research collaborative, InQUEERy, they have developed a research trajectory including efforts to
examine the experience of gender and sexual minorities and their alcohol use as well as the lived-experience of

providers practicing in queer spaces. Vern provides a high level of familiarity, knowledge, and awareness in the
area of GSM issues, with a mission to raise consciousness, strengthen inclusivity within the community, and fight
for social justice.