EDGY Conference

Vanessa Garcia- headshot
Vanessa Garcia
Stars Behavioral Health Group
Vanessa Garcia
Vanessa Garcia (They/Them)(She/Her) Vanessa a trainer and educational designer at Stars Behavioral Health Group. They have over 15 years of educational design and talent development experience. Vanessa’s professional passion resides in designing and facilitating educational experiences that provide welcoming and authentic opportunities for clinicians, peers, and advocates to explore interpersonal connections with the LGBTQ+ community, CSEC survivors, and individuals in recovery. Vanessa’s personal passion resides in directly advocating for their genderfluid family, community, and creating a brave space for their peers. Educational Background: Associates in Chemistry Bachelors of Science (Microbiology) Certified Pharmacy Technician (2014-2018)

SESSION OVERVIEW

Hope and the winds of grief a creative approach to address the impact of suicide loss on system involved youth, LGBTQ+, and care providers
We work tirelessly to support the clients, staff, and families in our care. The impact of this work often weighs heavily on us. Grief and Loss impact all of us. Whether it is the death of a loved one, the loss of a job or support group, a move to a new location, or navigating physiological and mental changes (e.g., mental health diagnosis, chronic illness, incapacitation). On top of that, Foster Youth and LGBTQ+ youth are at high risk of suicide attempts and suicide death. This is one of the scariest, most impactful, and overwhelming issues we face in our work. How do we cope with the constant threat of loss and the pain that has led our clients to our care? And how do we support them within their own systems of support and community to handle this constant grief? These are the questions we often ask and need to address. Join us to dive into this discussion, considering these often hard-to-talk-about issues. Using both practical application and case study we will explore how bibliotherapy, creative activities, and play can support clients, youth in our care, and also our own healing work.