Dear MDECOE Community,
Self-care involves looking beyond ourselves to be mindful that everyone deserves love and wellbeing. As we come to the close of June, it is important to recognize Pride month and our commitment to advocating for and affirming our love and acceptance of our LGBTQIA communities as a form of self-care for both ourselves and others. This is especially needed in a year with so much hatred directed at LGBTQIA communities. When we practice self-care, we hone our interactions with everyone in our world and can “bring awareness to the role we each play in ensuring everyone – no matter their identity – has access to a world where they are free to be nothing short of themselves.” (Ashley Krombach My Good Brain blog).
Advocating for and celebrating the rights and wellbeing of the diverse members of our world is a hallmark of our teaching and counseling professions. Resources to support our LBGTQIA community can be found through our professional organizations, and below are just two of many educational and counseling organizations with numerous resources.
The National Association for School Psychologists has a wonderful resource page on how to support gender inclusive schools at https://www.nasponline.org/resources-and-publications/resources-and-podcasts/diversity-and-social-justice/lgbtq-youth/gender-inclusive-schools-faqs
The American Counseling Association offers a very comprehensive website with LBGTQIA videos, blogs, podcasts, articles, activities and toolkits, and other resources at https://www.counseling.org/knowledge-center/mental-health-resources/pride-month#:~:text=During%20Pride%20month%2C%20ACA%20celebrates,healthcare%20and%20mental%20health%20services.
For a list of other self-care options, please see our COE self-care website for resources for faculty, staff, students, and the community at: https://www.csun.edu/eisner-education/self-care/articles-information-self-care
Self-care can be a means by which we make our work consistent with what we want to create in the world. May we all commit to this work with our LGBTQIA communities. Happy Pride Month!
Warmly,
Shari