File Photo RainbowYOUTH and Affinity Services have banded together to run an Auckland Health and Education Wellness Day, a professional development course for people working in health and education services. The 18 July gathering will address gender and sexual diversity in both the classroom and clinic, advising attendees on how they can support lgbti students and clients in their school and community organisations. The groups say the course will cover practical tips for creating a ‘rainbow-friendly environment’, include handy educational resources and connections with community organisations. “I’ve been running Rainbow Cultural Competency workshops for mental health workers as part of my work with Affinity Services for the last couple of years. The most common question is ‘How do I have these conversations about gender, sex, and sexuality in a respectful way?’” says Affinity Services Rainbow Community Liaison and trainer Joe Macdonald. Macdonald says anyone working in health or education, whether it be with youth or not, is welcome to attend. “Together, our organisations cover a wide range of health and education contexts, and we’ve got a lot of resources to share.” RainbowYOUTH’s Education Director Aych McArdle says the organisation is excited to be working with Affinity Services on the Wellness Day. “Our teachers, school nurses, guidance counsellors, social workers, principals and school deans play such an important role in their communities. We want to help them make their spaces the best they can be for our queer and trans young people.” Registrations are open here
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Thursday, 12th June 2014 - 12:32pm