CCHC hosted Trans Health Connection training in Ottawa
February 17, 2012
Centretown Community Health Centre was asked by Rainbow Health Ontario (RHO) to organize 4 days of training for health and social service professionals with a focus on trans health and wellness. Rainbow Health Ontario is a province-wide program designed to improve access to services and to promote the health of Ontario’s lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans communities. RHO was funded by the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care to provide training in 4 sites within Ontario in 2011/12. RHO has partnered with Sherbourne Health Centre (SHC) located in Toronto, to provide trans specific training for counselors and clinicians.
Four sites were chosen around the province including Thunder Bay, Windsor, St. Catharines and Ottawa. Centretown CHC was chosen as the host site because we are already serving the LGBT communities and have a strong interest in supporting efforts to build capacity within the Champlain LHIN. The stated goal of this project is “to build a community of practice across the province providing timely and competent primary health care options for trans communities close to home”.
The first two sessions were held in Ottawa on November 17 and 18 with 75 counsellors and physicians in attendance. Jordan Zaitzow, Trans Health Connection Coordinator and Hershel Russell, private practice psychotherapist since 1989 were the trainers. Jordan and Hershel provided informative and engaging training. Participants left the sessions with new knowledge and an expanded understanding of the barriers that trans clients experience when trying to access care in Ottawa.
Two more sessions will be held before March 31st which will focus on primary care physicians and nurse practitioners, helping to train these clinicians in providing hormone therapy and post-operative care for those who seek sex re-assignment surgery.
Centretown CHC is working with other partners in exploring how we can create a model of care in Ottawa that meets the needs of the trans community. This initial training helped to start that dialogue.