Close to 100 members of the community recently attended CoveCare Center’s 2nd Annual Pride Clinic, learning about topics such as mental health and substance use issues within the LGBTQ+ population; pronouns and gender identity language; the history of the Pride movement; and LGBTQ+ youth.
The clinic began with a workshop focused on the use of LGBTQ+ inclusive language led by CoveCare Center’s Diane Lotto, LMSW, CSW-G, Senior Partnership Services Team Leader and Krista Zanfardino, LCSW, Associate Vice President at CoveCare Center. “Diane and I developed this training to educate the community about the importance of understanding the difference between concepts such as gender identity, gender assigned at birth, sexual orientation, and gender expression. The way we talk to and about people goes a long way in making them feel included rather than ignored,” commented Krista.
CoveCare Center would like to thank the Putnam County Department of Health; GLSEN Hudson Valley and Putnam PFLAG (Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays); The Loft LGBT Community Center; the Dutchess County Pride Center; and Planned Parenthood for sharing important information and resources with all who attended the clinic. “We had excellent community organizations join us this year. Many people in the LGBTQ+ community can feel left out or alone, and having these other agencies share their information helps individuals who may feel isolated connect with the resources they need,” commented Krista.