Our Services

Expanding Identities Development works to train professionals working in mental health fields, education administrators faculty and staff to develop their cultural competency around working with LGBTQ folks. At Expanding Identities Development, we develop training specifically tailored to the professional field, age group, clientele population, and competency needs to ensure that best practices are made available to all people who may cater to LGBTQ folk in their operations.

Training curriculum will be selected to maximize your trainees understanding of the intricacies of working with LGBTQ individuals.

Examples of training curriculum covered in detail:

• The use of Gender Pronouns
• Understanding LGBTQ 101
• Gender & Sexual Identity Spectrums
• Legal Rights & Protections Information

At Expanding Identities Development, we work diligently to ensure that not only professionals working with youth are knowledgeable and aware of LGBTQ specific needs and concerns but that the youth themselves are empowered with information that helps them think critically about social norms for Gender & Sexual Identities. Thus expanding on the preconceived notions of normalcy that often results in bullying, bothering, hate speech, internalized phobias, and bystander syndrome. Through educating and empowering youth with critical thinking skills, empathy awareness practices, and historical contexts they will understand their role within social justice issues and learn to advocate for causes they believe in.

The Youth Empowerment training series engages students ranging from 12-24 in hand selected curriculum that will expand their:

• Leadership skills & self- advocacy,
• Meaning making & narrative building
• Positive Identity development,
• LGBTQ competency,
• Issues impacting the LGBTQ community
• Increase their knowledge of LGBTQ history & contributions

Expanding Identities Development recognizes the important roles that Allies play within creating a more inclusive and welcoming space for LGBTQ folks. That is why we have created a curriculum that caters specifically to Ally Building, this curriculum outlines the importance of being an upstander in times of need for LGBTQ folk. It is often we hear that people want to support their LGBT friends, siblings, peers, partners, but do not know how to intervene or comment appropriately when needed.

Allyship development focuses on the relationship toward the LGBTQ community, building resonance, empathy, awareness, and advocacy. While allies may be well intentioned it is important for this community to learn in what ways they can support their LGBTQ friends while respecting their unique voices and experiences and simultaneously working to create spaces where those voices can shine.

The Ally Building Training will highlight:

• LGBTQ Vocabulary
• LGBTQ History & Social Contexts
• Legal Rights and Restrictions
• Empathy Building
• Upstanding & Advocacy
• Space Making & Positive Privilege Usage

Sometimes all you need is someone sharing information, lived experiences, and delivering content rather than a full series of workshops. Perhaps it’s a time constraint or an event that calls for speakers and a light information session. If that is the case this offering is for you. At Expanding Identities Development, we realize that not every company, school, or office can deliver regular training sessions. Through the utilization of our experienced trainers, we have created a repertoire of folks who would like to donate their time to present their lived narrative via a performance, short presentation, or within a panelist capacity.

The sharing of narratives and experiences vastly increases empathy and understanding of the ways in which LGBTQ folk have experiences systematic forms of oppression and our trainers are willing to share those experiences with others to ensure that people are aware of these impacts and comprehend their roles in advocating for change.

The Panels & Information Presentation offering allows for a skilled trainer to come and speak on a number of issues surrounding:

• Identity development
• Coming out stories
• Experiences within an institution of education
• Transitioning
• Dating violence & healthy relationship modeling
• Homelessness, and a number of other societal issues that impact LGBTQ folks