The speakers at the Fulton State Hospital's Cultural Competence Committee third annual Community Conversation will be back again Tuesday and Wednesday for the fourth annual event, addressing issues and topics within the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning (LGBTQ) community.
Community Conversations are sponsored by the committee, the hospital and the Fulton State Hospital Foundation in order to continue the awareness advocacy fostered by Jane Bierdeman-Fike, a late Fulton social worker who advocated for various groups, including LGBTQ individuals. Originally focusing on LGBTQ bullying, Stacie Bickel, chair of the Cultural Competence Committee and unit director of the SORTS program at FSH, said the event honors Bierdeman-Fike and a cause that was important to her.
Helen Logan, FSH director of spirituality and compassionate care, said the education Community Conversations provide has led to the event's success.
"When the light shines on it, the bullies go away," Logan.
In order to reach as many as possible, anyone is welcomed to the Tuesday-Wednesday event.
"Because we think this is such an important issue, we opened it up to the public," Bickel said.
Shelly Farnan, a licensed psychologist and owner of Cultivate Psychological Services, LLC in Springfield, Missouri, and Joshua Castillo, a Missouri State University School of Social Work graduate and owner of The Center for Transition, LLC, also in Springfield, will lead sessions.
"We decided to bring back the presenters from last year because they were so well received," Bickel said.
The conversation starts 1 p.m. Tuesday, addressing LGBTQ assumptions, health care and work issues and bullying and violence. Tuesday's 6-9 p.m. session will address LGBTQ bullying, violence and homicide. Wednesday topics include grief and loss in the LGBTQ community, transgender issues and LGBTQ issues for health care providers. The Wednesday session begins at 9 a.m. and ends at noon.
"The speakers we have are dynamic and have a lot of information," Bickel said. "They talk without judgment, took questions and had conversations with the audience that may have been very difficult but able to do it without judgment."
The 2015 Community Conversation will differ from past events - this year there will be break-out sessions to allow participants to be open about their thoughts and feeling resulting in more meaningful conversation.
"This year, groups will foster more intimate conversations so people can feel comfortable asking questions and offering opinions," Logan said.