There is no commercial support for this activity.

About the speakers

Shelley L. Craig, PhD. joined the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work in 2009 as an Assistant Professor. She served as an Associate Dean, Academic from 2016-2019. She is currently a full Professor and holds a Canada Research Chair in Sexual and Gender Minority Youth. Dr. Craig’s program of research focuses on cultivating resilience in marginalized populations through innovative, community-based interventions. Dr. Craig has developed and tested the first evidence-informed interventions for sexual and gender minority youth mental health including Strengths-First (a resilience-focused case management program for youth at risk); ASSET (an empowering group model delivered in schools), AFFIRM (an affirmative cognitive-behavioral group intervention) and “AFFIRMative” Caregiver (an affirmative group intervention for parents and caregivers of SGMY). She has created INQYR, The International Partnership for Queer Youth Resilience, which consists of fifty international scholars, four regional research networks and twelve students as part of the International Student Training Network. Dr. Craig has also directed a community research plan in Miami-Dade County and subsequently established a comprehensive system of care for SGMY and their families. In addition to many other research activities, she has conducted extensive research on HIV prevention interventions with juvenile detainees, newcomers and immigrants and sex workers. She is a PI on an international study of LGBTQ students in social work programs. During her extensive practice history, Dr Craig has served as: Founder and Executive Director of the Alliance for LGBTQ Youth, Executive Director of ALSO for Out Youth; Medical social worker in the emergency care center of a community hospital; and Director of a domestic violence shelter as well as many other positions. She has been grateful to be the recipient multiple awards including the Ontario Association of Social Work (OASW) Inspirational Social Work Leader (2015).

Ashley Austin, PhD is currently a Professor of Social Work at Barry University in Miami. FL. Her research and practice interests revolve around reducing disparities in health and treatment for LGBTQ youth and young adults. Her areas of research and professional practice include promoting resilience and well-being among sexual and gender minority youth, transgender affirmative practice, education, and research, and adaptations of empirically supported interventions for marginalized populations. Her recent research and scholarship collaborations focus on addressing notable gaps in the treatment literature through the adaptation of evidence informed cognitive behavioral interventions to meet the unique needs of diverse LGBTQ+ youth and young adults. Dr. Austin was the Primary Investigator for various research projects aimed at giving voice to the diverse needs and experiences of transgender and gender non-conforming individuals, as well as a co-investigator on intervention research studies conducted with LGBTQ+ youth in Toronto, Canada. Dr. Austin has authored multiple publications and presentations aimed at advancing the delivery of transgender affirmative social work education and clinical practice. Finally, by bringing events such as the Transgender Day of Remembrance, and Transgender Week of Awareness to the Barry University campus, Dr. Austin is active in providing visible support and advocacy for transgender and gender non-conforming individuals.

Disclosure Statements

Sheppard Pratt holds the standard that its continuing medical education programs should be free of commercial bias and conflict of interest. In accord with Sheppard Pratt's Disclosure Policy, as well as standards of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) and the American Medical Association (AMA), all planners, reviewers, speakers and persons in control of content have been asked to disclose any relationship he /she has with any entity producing, marketing, selling, re-selling, or distributing health care goods or services consumed by, or used on, patients, during the past 24 months. All planners, reviewers and speakers have also been asked to disclose any payments accepted for this lecture from any entity besides Sheppard Pratt, and if there will be discussion of any products, services or off-label uses of product(s) during this presentation.

Shelley L. Craig, PhD, reports that she is one of the creators of the Affirm program and acts as a consultant trainer. She will not discuss any products or services consumed by, or used on patients in this presentation. 

Ashley Austin, PhD, reports that she is one of the creators of the Affirm program and acts as a consultant trainer. She will not discuss any products or services consumed by, or used on patients in this presentation. 

Event Planners/Reviewers Disclosures: The following event planners and/or reviewers are reported as having no financial interest, arrangement or affiliation with any entity producing, marketing, selling, re-selling, or distributing health care goods or services consumed by, or used on, patients, during the past 24 months: Larry Epp, Ed.D, Todd Peters, MD, Deepak Prabhakar, MD, Elizabeth Ryznar, MD, MSc, Louis Marino, MD, Ehsan Syed, MD, Devi Bhuyan, PhD, Faith Dickerson, PhD, Carrie Etheridge, LCSW-C, Tom Flis, LCPC, Laura Webb, RN-BC, MSN, Stacey Garnett, MSN, RN, Heather Billings, MSN, RN, Octavia Coit, MN, Lisa Illum, MLIS, MEd,  and Jennifer Tornabene.