Lance Hicks, LMSW-C
As reported by The Williams Institute in 2015:
In 2013, a transgender woman with mental illness in Berkeley, California was killed when her friend called the police to provide mental health assistance for her. Despite the officers' knowledge of her mental illness, they sought out arrest warrants in the trans woman's name rather than conducting a mental health evaluation to put her in a seventy-two hour "5150" hold... In the course of the arrest, six officers allegedly piled on top of her, exacerbating her mental health emergency and restricting her airways. Despite her screaming, they continued to restrain her, until she lost consciousness. The complaint alleged that the officers called her "it" throughout the incident. She died that day.
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As social workers, we find ourselves in a difficult relationship with law enforcement, especially as public reports of police brutality and murders mount. Trans people -- especially trans women, Assigned-Male-At-Birth (AMAB) nonbinary people, trans folks of color, trans youth, and trans folks experiencing homelessness, are frequently and unjustly looked upon by officers as criminals or potential criminals. This statistic jumps even higher when considering individuals of color, those living in poverty, or folks navigating addictions. But what do providers do when our clients are suicidal, experiencing severe psychosis, behaving violently, or otherwise a risk to self or others? This hour-long dialogue will present the case for crisis intervention and suicide prevention with trans/nonbinary individauls while minimizing use of law enforcement, respecting the agency and autonomy of the people with whom we work, and providing guidance on best clinical practices to reach this vulnerable population. Space will be made to discuss how this approach is best aligned with the NASW Code of Ethics, and will offer tips to providers for safeguarding personal licensure while offering the best possible supportive care.
About the presenter
Lance Hicks, LMSW-C is a fully licensed clinical social worker in the State of Michigan. He identifies as biracial/Black, trans/femme, and as someone with strong working class roots. Lance also identifies with the Mad Pride and Psychiatric Survivor movement, and believes individuals navigating mental health struggles know themselves best, and deserve to be listened to, always. Beginning in 2009 through 2014, Lance and his nonbinary, Canadian partner navigated the US immigration systems before gay marriage was legalized at the national level. During that time, Lance experienced firsthand what it is like to be placed in a psychiatric hospital while transgender, and what it feels like to be assaulted -- physically and sexually -- by members of law enforcement. As a social worker, Lance has consistently offered clinical services to trans and gender-expansive folks, especially youth and young adults, since 2017. Prior to his clinical training, Lance worked as a community organizer and outreach and crisis worker at a range of nonprofits across the Metro Detroit area. Lance has over 15 years' experience providing crisis intervention and suicide prevention services and training, to which he applies his lived experience as a young, low-income, trans person of color navigating the system.
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