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BY TY NA N P O W E R
Educating in the Field Bradley Landon helps agency understand TGNC clients
Normally, the first-year field internship is an opportunity to learn from more seasoned professionals, but for Bradley Landon, A ’19, it became an opportunity to educate. While working with adult inpatient clients at the Institute of Living (IOL) in Hartford, Connecticut, Landon impressed the staff with their knowledge of transgender and gender-nonconforming (GNC) identities and was invited to join their Gender Identity Policy Group and to contribute to a training program being developed. “In their work with this committee, Brad participated in meetings and discussions, consulted on PowerPoint slideshow development that will be used for training purposes, and provided input regarding a number of policy issues related to the IOL’s commitment to better serving trans and GNC clients,” said Landon’s faculty field adviser, Adjunct Associate Professor Stephen Bradley. Although Landon identifies as trans, they credit their knowledge—and confidence taking on the roles of educator and advocate—to their work as a case manager at the Jacksonville Area Sexual Minority Youth Network and the Northeast Florida AIDS Network. “I worked with a lot of trans and GNC youth in Jacksonville,” said Landon. “Many of them had experienced psychiatric hospitalization and other forms of incarceration.” At IOL, Landon chose not to disclose their own identity as trans
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to clients or colleagues. “It was a unique experience of hearing what cisgender people say when they don’t realize a trans person is in the room,” Landon said. In seven years of social service work, Landon has found that care providers often have the best intentions, but receive limited, informal training about transgender identities and experiences. At the IOL, they had an opportunity to help remedy that. Some opportunities arose during routine exchanges. “When people in meetings discussed concerns about [gendered] bathroom use, I would cite statistics that show that trans people are not assaulting anyone in bathrooms,” said Landon. “They actually are more likely to be victims of assault.” Landon felt that correcting colleagues’ misconceptions in staff discussions could lead to better treatment and results. “What we say in meetings is going to translate to patient care,” Landon said. “If your therapist is microaggressing, you won’t be motivated. You’ll be dissociated, shut down.”
S M I T H COL L E G E SCHO O L FO R SO CIAL WO RK
Landon also used storytelling to help impart understanding and humanize trans clients. “Cisgender colleagues would attempt a higher-level analysis of a client and I would share what that person’s day had been like and what impact that had,” said Landon. When Landon reviewed materials compiled for trainings, they used an emphasis on storytelling to discourage reductive definitions. “I worked on personalizing the descriptions,” said Landon. “For example, some people have a specific understanding of the trans experience. I would attempt to move away from what may be assumed as the universal experience of trans people and push for a more nuanced and individual experience of clients’ identities, needs and goals.” Landon felt the trainings were successful, thanks in large part to the advocacy of many cisgender staff members. “Once they were given the time to learn, everyone responded to it well,” Landon said. “Their nervousness turned into curiosity. That was the result of a real team effort.” ◆
