Displaced Children: "Adverse Childhood Experiences Amongst Refugees from the Horn of Africa: Influences on Development, Attachment, and Risk/Resilience"
by Segen Zeray
Fall 2021 Global LGBTQ+ Health Equity
Barriers and stigmas faced by the LGBTQ+ community to access health services are a global concern. Research suggests that LGBTQ+ individuals face health disparities linked to societal stigma, discrimination, and denial of their civil and human rights. Discrimination against LGBTQ+ persons has been associated with high rates of psychiatric disorders, substance abuse, and suicide. Experiences of violence and victimization are frequent for LGBT individuals, and have long-lasting effects on the individual and the community. How can we improve the determinants of health that threaten the welfare of LGBTQ+ individuals in our communities and across the globe? Join us for a discussion as we explore these inequities and how we can advance LGBTQ+ health and well-being.
Please check out the Fall 2021 Conversations in Global Health: Global LGBTQ+ Health Equity Zoom recording on Youtube!
The UC San Diego Global Health Program and Students for Global Health held our sixteenth event in Quarterly Conversations in Global Health on Wednesday, October 27th, 2021 through Zoom! This quarter’s panel spoke to the topic of LGBTQ+ health and well-being.
Quarterly Conversations provides a forum for the Global Health community to come together to discuss relevant issues in the field from an interdisciplinary perspective and increase community interaction at UC San Diego.
Thank you to the community tables who participated in the event’s networking session: QT*PoC at UC San Diego, oSTEM at UC San Diego, and Students for Global Health.
We would like to give our special appreciation to our event co-sponsors: Aya Healthcare, UC San Diego Global Health Institute, UC San Diego Division of Social Sciences, UC San Diego Global Health Program, UC San Diego Center for Global Mental Health, and UC San Diego Students for Global Health.
Panel Recap
We were delighted to have Dr. Thomas Csordas, Director of UC San Diego’s Global Health Program, moderating the event as our Master of Ceremonies.
Dr. Shaun Travers, Ed. D
Dr. Shaun Travers is a Campus Diversity Officer and Director of the Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Resource Center at the UC San Diego. An active representative of the bisexual community, he has presented at Harvard College, the National Conference on Race and Ethnicity, the NASPA Multicultural Institute, and numerous trainings on campuses throughout the country. At UC San Diego he has led the Undergraduate Diversity Leadership Institute, the Building Communities for Social Justice Practice Institute, Anti-Racist Practice Leadership groups, LEAD Fellows, and the Culturally Competent Management Program through Human Resources. Dr. Travers currently serves on the Board of Directors for the San Diego LGBT Community Center, and chairs the San Diego LGBT Community Leadership Council. Prior to UC San Diego, Shaun coordinated Gender Issues Education Services, including Women’s Development Programs and Advocacy Services for victims of sexual violence, at Texas A&M. He has served on the Board of Directors of Planned Parenthood of the Pacific Southwest, and the Board of Directors of the American Red Cross – Brazos Valley Texas. His current practice and leadership involves a deep understanding of intersectionality, power, privilege, oppression and the dynamic tension inherent in university environments.
Dr. Amy Sitapati, MD
Dr. Amy Sitapati is the Chief Medical Information Officer of Population Health for UC San Diego Health, Clinical Professor in the Department of Medicine in the Division of General Internal Medicine and Division of Biomedical Informatics, and the Interim Chief of the Division of General Internal Medicine at UCSD. She is a board certified in general internal medicine and clinical informatics. She leads efforts at UCSDH in population health innovation, digital health, artificial intelligence, quality, and equity. Dr. Sitapati brings life to quality and informatics as the executive leader cross enterprise inclusive of 808 licensed beds and ambulatory practices with 500,000 active patients. Dr. Sitapati builds capacity of physician leadership inclusive of interdisciplinary teams. She is responsible for strategy, development and oversight of analytics infrastructure including quality reporting, Dr. Sitapati chairs two active courses in the school of medicine inclusive of MD, Pharm.D, PhD, and post doctorate level. She lead the Dept. of Medicine’s two top source of contract and grant revenue programs as the investigator for NIH All of Us responsible for recruitment oversight team and California Integrated Vital Records, California’s state birth and decedent records team administration and strategic visioning.
Pamuela Halliwell, LMFT
Pamuela Halliwell is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist who specializes in working with children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder, transgender, non-binary and gender non-confirming individuals, homeless and transitional age youth and individuals in LGBTQIA communities. She graduated from the UC San Diego with her Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology and Black Studies minor and graduated from Argosy University with her Master’s Degree in Counseling Psychology. She is the President of the San Diego Black LGBTQ Coalition, a member of The Gender Phluid Collective, and a member of the CA Association of Marriage and Family Therapists. She is also a former CASA, court appointed special advocate, for foster youth. She's been working in the field of psychology for over 7+ years, and 5+ years as therapist at the San Diego LGBT Community Center, taking part in the Center’s Black LGBTQ Center Advisory Committee, Black Staff Retention Taskforce and providing and supporting transgender 101, trauma informed care, and anti-Black racism trainings. She is the first Black Transgender Female therapist that has ever worked at the San Diego LGBT Community Center. She also works with transgender and gender non-binary individuals who require a letter to access care for gender affirmation/confirmation surgery including providing resources and short term case management support. Pamuela has also written various articles pertaining to transgender rights and mental health. As a therapist, a woman, a transgender woman and an African American woman, she is aware of both her role in the community and working to fight against discrimination in and outside the center. Pamuela also maintains a private practice part time and works to both empower and mobilize the community to make a change.