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MH first aid

Out of the Shadows: Mental Health First Aid

Register in advance: https://forge-forward.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_dtgnYamkT1q1nzB-F2k4Kg There are powerful benefits when we bring our whole selves to our interactions with others.  Doing so has a direct impact on our friends, co-workers, family, and community. Rob Vallentine, a national instructor for Mental Health First Aid, will discuss the importance of investing in our own Mental Health and how to recognize signs and symptoms of mental health challenges in others.  He will share how to improve interactions with someone struggling with their mental health using the 5 step action plan of Mental Health First Aid. Rob is proud to help shed light on an important health issue too often kept in the shadows. Sometimes all it takes is one moment and one story to spark an inspiring movement. Presenter: Rob Vallentine Rob is on a mission to ignite personal passion to find purpose, and in turn make a positive impact on the world.  While his work and community service […]

Volunteer at PrideFest!

PrideFest Milwaukee, WI, United States

Want to attend Pridefest 2022? Volunteering with FORGE for a short 3 hour shift will get you in for free, as well as gear you up with a fantastic, uniquely designed T-shirt for this year’s event. Our theme this year:  I’m here for trans & nonbinary survivors Sign up today!  http://signup.com/go/Pride2022   Pridefest kicks off the Milwaukee festival season. The Wisconsin festival season is rapidly approaching, and it all starts with the nation’s largest LGBT festival, Milwaukee’s annual Pridefest. This year’s Pridefest runs from Thursday, June 2nd through Saturday, June 4th, 2022. FORGE is once again a co-sponsor of the Health & Wellness area. The Health & Wellness area was created as a space to increase the visibility of LGBTQ non-profit organizations and programs and to showcase their robustness and viability. Each booth has fun and creative content and activities to engage participants and promote health and wellness of the LGBT communities. FORGE has one […]

Connecting with Community: Pods and Mutual Aid

Pod mapping is a useful way to identify the resources you need, where to connect to those resources, as well as what you have to offer others. Pod mapping can be useful in building community and creating mutual aid structures. In this pod mapping workshop, we will discuss creating supportive networks, navigating stalking or harassment-related behaviors by others, reducing violence in our communities, and protecting ourselves and communities from COVID-19 and other illnesses through connection and mutual aid. While pods are not a perfect solution, they are useful as a way to increase support and reduce risks. Join us on Tuesday, August 9, 2022 for conversations about the positive impact of pods and pod mapping.

Give me a boost! What you need to know about COVID, vaccines, and treatments

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to evolve and impact our lives in different ways. Join us on Tuesday, August 16th at 7:00 PM central for an engaging info session with two trans-knowledgeable and -empowering providers: Donna Whittle, MD, and Ericka Sinclair, MS, MPH.  The presenters will discuss the latest COVID-19 information about new variants, vaccines and boosters, strategies for staying safe and healthy, and more!  Video clips from "Give me a Boost!" https://youtu.be/st_rVxICArQ https://youtu.be/GOHawyfdlSs https://youtu.be/pE9G7XIdiLM https://youtu.be/nyKtOYu2uUs

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Mental Health First Aid Training

Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) teaches you how to identify, understand and respond to signs of mental health and substance use challenges among adults. Join FORGE and Rob Vallentine for a two part training to develop skills for supporting people in crisis. Trans and nonbinary communities often support each other. Many of us and our loved ones experience challenges with our mental health. This course will help people learn how to identify symptoms of mental health and substance use challenges, interact and connect with a person in crisis, and support others in accessing the care that they need. The training involves a two-hour pre-training self-paced course, and two three-hour workshops (6:00 - 9:00 PM Eastern on September 12th and 13th). Please register for Mental Health First Aid Training at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/MHFirstAid22 Registration will close two weeks before the training, on August 29th, 2022. Presenters: Rob Vallentine and Suzanne Pearlman Rob Vallentine is an Executive in Residence at […]

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WiTEACH Launch with James Santelle

Former United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, James L. Santelle, will help launch WiTEACH with the presentation, “What is Our Government Doing About Transgender Rights and Opportunities in 2022 and Beyond? A Discussion of Recent Federal and State Developments in the Law.” There will be a Q&A session. 7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. Central More about James Santelle:  James L. Santelle served for 6-1/2 years as the Court-appointed and Presidentially-appointed United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, in which capacity he was the chief federal law enforcement officer for the area encompassing the 26 eastern-most counties in the State.  For approximately 25 years prior to that, he was employed as an Assistant United States Attorney, assigned responsibility for the prosecution of a wide variety of criminal actions (including violent offenses, human trafficking/child exploitation, drugs/guns/gangs matters, and financial crimes, and many others) and civil actions (including health care, program fraud, and housing, […]

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Trans Vax Scene Clinic

Zao MKE Church 2319 East Kenwood Boulevard, Milwaukee, WI, United States

Trans community members are invited to participate in a free vaccine clinic! Get an initial COVID or monkeypox vaccine, booster shots, and testing. Receive a $50 gift card when you get vaccinated, boosted, or tested! Other activities offered include free massages, connection, conversation, and buttons. The Trans Vax Scene Clinic will be held at Zao MKE Church on two dates: September 24th and October 29th, 2022

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Shared Solidarities: Abortion & Transgender Healthcare

This workshop will discuss how reproductive rights and trans rights are inexplicably linked and how the Dobbs decision has impacted Trans and Nonbinary people seeking healthcare. Content will include the implications of this intersection specific to trans and nonbinary folks who have experienced sexual assault and trauma. We will share real life stories of the impact this is having on TGNB individuals and provide some historical and current political context as well. Register: https://forge-forward.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_BoqL5MUaSZGEK0bvapjpPg Presenters: Afton Bradley is a nurse and social worker who has provided direct care and managed multiple trans health programs in Virginia. They work as a direct practice nurse, consultant, trainer, and educator for LGBTQIA+ health services amongst providers, institutions, and community consumers. Afton Bradley, FNP, MSW, BSN, RN (they/them pronouns)       J (they/them) currently coordinates a Trans Health Program in the South. Their background is in social work with an emphasis on LGBTQ health, sexual health, immigrant justice, HIV, reproductive […]

WiTEACH – Resource mapping

Wisconsin’s trans community has exploded in recent years, and so has interest in serving us. In this interactive meeting we will collaborate in creating maps and directories of resources available to trans community members. Registration: https://forge-forward.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZwvf-qrrT8tGtwV9y2dXvOjpc_m9bjoS0W5 Who is welcome at WiTEACH? Everyone who wants a Wisconsin within which trans and nonbinary individuals and families are welcomed, supported, and helped to thrive. About Wisconsin Transgender Education and Advocacy Coalition for Health: WiTEACH is a new trans people/service providers/community members statewide coalition designed to focus and make more effective efforts to improve the lives of transgender and nonbinary individuals and families. We invite you to join us! Our first year will be devoted to expanding and improving the availability of quality mental health care for transgender and nonbinary people throughout the state. WiTEACH Community Meetings (Zoom) 2nd Wednesday of the month

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Supporting Trans Mental Health: Uncovering Barriers and Building Solutions

Mental health challenges are common in the trans community. This webinar is intended for therapists, mental health providers, and other social services professionals.  Topics to be explored include the higher rates of mental health issues, why rates might be higher, common barriers trans community members face in accessing effective mental health assistance, and what steps providers can take to reduce those barriers. We will also examine the resilience so many trans people embody, as well as the challenges. Other webinars in this series: This is part of a four-webinar series in year 1 of WiTEACH. Join us for any or all of these training events.  Webinars are intended for mental health and other service providers, as well as open to any community member who is interested in improving the mental health of trans and nonbinary people. 1_ Supporting Trans Mental Health: Uncovering Barriers and Building Solutions Thursday, October 13, 2022 11 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. […]