Documentos de Académico
Documentos de Profesional
Documentos de Cultura
Ral Alcaraz Ochoa, The Rainbow Defense Fund Marco Galdino, The Rainbow Defense Fund Frida Espinosa, Instituto Nacional de Salud Pblica (Mexico) & Alliance for Global Justice Stephanie Quintana, The Florence Immigrant and Refugee Rights Project
Session Abstract Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender migrants in Arizona compose a highly vulnerable population in Arizona immigration detention centers and private and public correctional facilities. LGBTQ migrants in detention often face a higher level of harassment, discrimination and trauma at the hands of fellow detainees and detention personnel, compared to non-LGBTQ migrants. Limited legal resources, primary and mental health resources as well as advocacy, is available for this subpopulation, which leaves individuals to fend for themselves during their detention. The group of panelists will present testimonies from formerly incarcerated LGBTQ community members, and provide a forum for activists, organizers, legal advocates, and mental health professionals who are interested in improving conditions and services for this resilient LGBT population. Often, LGBT migrants arrive to Arizona after fleeing from violent persecution lived in their native countries due to their LGBT identity, but are tragically re-victimized when they arrive to an Arizona correctional facility and if not immediately deported, during their reintegration to an Arizona community. While in detention, LGBT migrants have reported trauma-inducing systemic practices and conditions that include: being housed with detainees of a gender with which they dont identify, inadequate medica l care, inadequate mental health resources, detention staff divulging confidential information, segregation placements, and physical and sexual violence. The Rainbow Defense Fund is a Tucson-based group that focuses support for LGBTQ detainees. Through visitations, pen pal letter-writing, and bond support, the Rainbow Defense Fund has led successful campaigns to have LGBTQ detainees released from detention. The Florence Immigrant and Refugee Rights Project provides free legal services and related social services to indigent individuals detained in Arizona for immigration removal proceedings. The Project has assisted LGBT migrants in obtaining political asylum status to lawfully remain in the U.S. The lack of knowledge, resources, improved policy, and political will geared towards this population adds to the health consequences suffered by this group of LGBT individuals and their families. The Rainbow Defense Fund and its supporters recognize that when detention time is minimized, trauma is minimized, and so are negative health consequences.
Presenter Bio
Bahney Eaton Dedolph joined the Arizona Council of Human Service Providers staff in January 2013 as the Policy Analyst. Bahney received her Bachelors degree in Applied Behavioral Sciences (an NASW approved undergraduate Social Work degree) with an emphasis in Direct Practice and Womens Studies from George Williams College, Masters degree in Sociology with a minor in Anthropology from Texas Tech University, and post graduate certificate in Social Work practice from the University of Denver. Having read the autobiography of Jane Addams at a very young age, Bahney has always considered herself honored to be a Social Worker walking in the very large footsteps of the founder of Hull House. Bahneys work experience runs the gamut from direct practice to systems advocacy to prog ram management and supervision. Much of her early experience was in the domestic violence field working in shelter programs in a variety of capacities. Moving to Arizona in 1996, she became the Director of Public Policy at the Arizona Coalition Against Domestic Violence leading the advocacy efforts of the Coalition. Catholic Charities was Bahneys next challenge, supervising a small satellite office in El Mirage providing community services, counseling, domestic
Presenter Bio
Carly Heffel, M.S. is a predoctoral psychology SAPIC intern at La Frontera. She obtained her Master of Mental Health Counseling at SUNY Albany in 2005 and is completing her Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology at the University of North Texas with a focus on Marriage and Family Therapy. Carlys research interests are strongly influenced by attachment theory and family systems work. Her dissertation explored the community context, adolescent grief reactions and online interactions in the aftermath of a suicide cluster. Carly is passionate about working with children and families, adolescents, and LGBTQ populations, which she will be doing over the course of her internship at La Frontera. Outside of school and work, Carly enjoys cooking, travelling, practicing yoga, and occasional retail therapy.
Presenter Bios
Mickale and Tamira Burns are a dedicated married couple with a busy family unit that includes 2 teens and 3 cats. In 2011 the youngest teen disclosed that she wanted to be known by male pronouns, a new name and begin the biologic transition from female to male. So Rowan became Ryan, their daughter started to become a son and the whole family struggled to adjust. What was discovered was a huge disparity of care for families of transitioning youth. In the absence of educated family support, Mickale and Tamira began to examine the co-transition of their family model; documenting the emotional, psychological and communicative responses of the family, and the absence of good care models within traditional therapy, to develop a baseline recommendation of an ecologically focused continuity of care. Mickale Burns has a BA in Sociology with a minor in Psychology. She is actively working on her MSW at USC. Mickale works in the crisis department at La Frontera/ EMPACT-SPC in Maricopa County. She has worked with multiple LGBTQ agencies in the Valley, providing direct services to youth as well as adults and connecting them to resources, treatment and counseling options that are culturally competent to LGBTQ needs. Mickale has served on multiple coalitions as a member and in leadership chair roles. In addition LGBTQ, Mickale works with military Veterans and service members, focused on military sexual trauma (MST). Tamira Burns is an MSW, M.Div. She works as the Learning and Development PM for a Fortune 200 company and volunteers with the Rebel and Divine Youth Ministry through the SW UCC Conference. Tamira is a dedicated wife, mother and cat herder. In her copious amounts of spare time, she gardens and runs a small catering company.
Presenter Bio
Erica (aka Frank) Ferguson is a proud native of Tucson and current resident of Phoenix. In a departure from the desert, Erica attended and received an undergraduate degree from Grinnell College in Grinnell, Iowa. There two years of Russian led quickly into other interests and she finished with a degree in Cultural Anthropology and a focus in Gender and Womens Studies. For Erica, the passion for HIV and LGBTQ issues that started as an undergrad has led to a career path supporting these communities in many ways. Erica has a Masters in Social