ODL 359: Advancing Care and Advocacy – Medical, Legal, and Community Support

Please make sure to check with your own state board to ensure the transferability of CE credit for an asynchronous course. Some state boards may place restrictions regarding the modality of training required for ethics credits to be awarded. If this training indicates ethics credits are available, please verify that your state allows them to be earned through an on-demand course format.

5 CREDIT HOURS APPROVED FOR:

Social Workers
ASWB ACE – 5 CE Credits
New York State Education Department’s State Board for Social Work – 5 Contact Hours
Psychologists
APA – 5 CE Credits
Counselors
NBCC ACEP – 5 Contact Hours
New York State Education Department’s State Board for Mental Health Practitioners – 5 Contact Hours
Addiction Professionals
NAADAC – 5 Contact Hours
Nurses
California Board of Registered Nursing – 5 Contact Hours
New York State Education Department’s State Board for Mental Health Practitioners – 5 Contact Hours
Case Managers
CCMC – 5 Contact Hours

Created On:  9/30/25                   

Target Audience:

This course is targeted for social workers, psychologists, counselors, nurses and case managers.

Counselor Skill Groups: 

4. Counseling Services
5. Documentation
6. Case Management

Overview:

This training focuses on advancing care for LGBTQ+ individuals through specialized medical knowledge, legal context, and advocacy strategies. Participants will gain clinical insights into gender-affirming care, HIV prevention and treatment, and the unique needs of LGBTQ+ populations in medical settings. Legal and policy discussions will center on current protections and barriers. The session concludes with a call to action for integrating advocacy into professional roles.

Course Objectives:

By the end of the session, the participant will be able to:

• Explain the components of gender-affirming medical and surgical care for transgender and nonbinary individuals.
• Evaluate current practices in HIV prevention and treatment, with an emphasis on reducing stigma and improving outcomes for LGBTQ+ communities.
• Identify legal rights, protections, and barriers affecting access to equitable health care for LGBTQ+ individuals.
• Discuss the role of clinicians and social service professionals in advocating for LGBTQ+ health equity at organizational and policy levels.
• Develop practical strategies for translating inclusive values into advocacy and action within their respective disciplines.

Presenters:

Alex Sheldon (they, them), MA in International Human Rights and Executive Director of GLMA

Alex Sheldon is the Executive Director of GLMA and a professional researcher, strategist, and advocate with over 15 years of experience in the field of human rights with a concentration in LGBTQ+ rights. Prior to joining GLMA, Alex was the Head of Research & Social Impact at an LGBTQ+ start-up company, where they specialized in economic inclusion for LGBTQ+ people. Previously, Alex served as the Deputy Director of the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) at the Clinton Foundation, and they held roles at Everytown for Gun Safety, the Movement Advancement Project (MAP), and several international nonprofits. They received an MA in International Human Rights with a concentration in Global Health Affairs from the University of Denver, a BA in psychology from Whittier College in California, and a certificate in nonprofit leadership and management from the Institute for Nonprofit Practice. Alex is a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer and currently serves on the Board of Directors at the Equality Federation.

Maggi Price, PhD, Licensed Psychologist and Assistant Professor at Boston College’s School of Social Work

Maggi Price, PhD, is a licensed psychologist and Assistant Professor at Boston College’s School of Social Work where she directs the Affirm Lab. Dr. Price has spent her career focused on improving mental health care for marginalized communities, particularly transgender and nonbinary youth. Her research develops and tests gender-affirming mental health interventions that support transgender and nonbinary youth’s access to inclusive, evidence-based care, including supporting gender-affirming medical care navigation. She has received several national awards for her research and has delivered over 35 invited talks and keynotes on gender-affirming care and mental health equity.

Dr. Tonia Poteat, Professor at Duke University School of Nursing, Associate Director of the Duke Center for AIDS Research

Dr. Tonia Poteat is a Professor in the Duke University School of Nursing, Associate Director of the Duke Center for AIDS Research (CFAR) Developmental Core, and Faculty Co-Director of the Duke Sexual and Gender Minority Wellness Program. Her community-engaged research focuses on HIV and LGBTQ health with particular attention to the wellbeing of transgender communities. Certified as an HIV Specialist by the American Academy of HIV Medicine and Gender Specialist by the World Professional Association for Transgender Health, she has devoted her clinical and research career to advancing health equity. She currently provides clinical care for adults and adolescents in the UNC Infectious Diseases Clinic.

Meredith McPhail (she, her), Staff Attorney ACLU of South Carolina

Since Meredith joined the ACLU of South Carolina in January 2022, she has litigated cases relating to LGBTQ+ equality, criminal justice, and the First Amendment. Prior to joining the team, Meredith worked at a criminal defense office in Charleston where she had the privilege of fighting for individuals accused of crimes in local, state, and federal proceedings at the trial, appellate, and post-conviction stages. 

Before moving to Charleston, Meredith clerked for the Honorable William A. Fletcher of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. She graduated magna cum laude from the University of Michigan Law School and earned her undergraduate degree in English and Spanish with a minor in human rights at the University of Southern Mississippi. 

Dr. Elizabeth Mack, Pediatric Critical Care Physician and Professor 

Dr. Elizabeth Mack is a pediatric critical care physician and quality improvement and patient safety expert aiming to improve the quality of health care by infusing love. She is a professor of pediatrics and is the immediate past president of the SC Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics. She is employed full time by Vizient with a focus on high reliability, and part time by Medical University of South Carolina as a pediatric critical care physician.

She completed her medical degree at University of South Carolina School of Medicine, pediatrics residency at University of South Carolina/Palmetto Health, Pediatric Critical Care Fellowship at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, and Masters of Science in Biostatistics/ Epidemiology at University of Cincinnati. She is board certified in pediatrics and pediatric critical care medicine. She serves on the ABP subboard of pediatric critical care medicine, chairs the inaugural Children’s Caucus of South Carolina, and serves as a pediatric host of SCCM podcast.

She is passionate about health equity, patient and employee safety, global health, patient and family engagement, high reliability, serious illness communication, child advocacy, and injury and harm prevention. She lives in Charleston, SC, with her husband and two furbabies, Simon Valjean & Winnifred Liza (named with musical theatre in mind). She testifies frequently in support of justice, science, and love, which is how she became connected with AFFA!