Max Mowitz is Program Director at One Iowa, Iowa’s statewide LGBTQ advocacy organization, overseeing organizational programming, direct service, and community education via LGBTQ training. Max specializes in topics related to the trans and nonbinary community, LGBTQ birth work, LGBTQ-inclusive healthcare, and mental healthcare and is a certified Community Health Worker.

Max is part of the Planned Parenthood Speakers Bureau and serves as a board member for the Iowa Abortion Access Fund, Iowa Trans Mutual Aid Fund, and Planned Parenthood. Max is pursuing their birth and postpartum doula certification and is practicing as a gender-affirming doula, serving Trans and Nonbinary individuals in their gender-affirming experiences as a support system as they navigate healthcare systems, social gender-affirmation, and mental health. Max is passionate about justice and the liberation of all marginalized peoples.

This conference session with focus on LGBTQ basics and fundamentals, building into best practices and actionable skills to be more LGBTQ inclusive. This session will cover LGBTQ healthcare disparities and substance abuse issues.

Learning Objectives:

1. LGBTQ Foundations: Understand the difference between sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression. Differentiate between different LGBTQ identities.
2. LGBTQ Health Outcomes: Understand the ways that LGBTQ people experience barriers and health disparities nationwide, with an emphasis on substance abuse.
3. Best Practices: Learn about the best practices for working with LGBTQ people including pronouns, gender-neutral language, and the art of the apology.