With thanks to an invitation from the Independence Blue Cross Foundation, Mazzoni Center Behavioral Health Counselors had the opportunity to train aspiring nursing students on strategies and principles for creating LGBTQ-affirming healthcare spaces.

In mid-July, Mazzoni Center Behavioral Health Consultants Lucy Gleysteen and CJ Zaretsky were welcomed as presenters for the IBX Foundation’s Nursing Internship Leadership Lab series, a program designed for undergraduate nursing students who seek to understand non-traditional roles in nursing.

According to CJ, “This was the second year we have given this Leadership Lab, and both times it has felt fulfilling to be able to share about our experiences providing this care, both as social workers and as trans people ourselves! It felt especially important to be able to talk about the value of gender-affirming care in a time when we are seeing growing attacks nationwide.”

Lucy and CJ both reflected on a positive experience and commented that students were engaged and asked thoughtful questions.

Mazzoni Center is grateful for an ongoing and supportive partnership with Independence Blue Cross and the Independence Blue Cross Foundation.

CJ and Lucy expressed that their participation left them with a sense of “inspiration and hopefulness about future nurses showing commitment to creating affirming healthcare spaces for everyone.”

And, on top of it all, they had the opportunity not only to tour the IBX building but, much to their joy, were able to make use of the ping pong table!