Transhealth Northampton – an independent, comprehensive, trans-led, and gender-affirming healthcare center – is expanding its community engagement offerings to patients, clients, and local residents this month with the introduction of the Community Closet, Peer Support Groups, and upcoming workshops.
“We know that community support and engagement around the social factors that impact health outcomes and quality of life would be an essential component to our work,” said Brooke Stott, Community Partnerships Coordinator and Outpatient Therapist at Transhealth Northampton. “We are hitting an important milestone by offering peer-support groups, clothing donations, and health navigation services to our community at no cost.”
Transhealth Northampton’s Community Closet offers those in need of gender-affirming apparel, and allows people to sign up and access this free assortment of clothing, shoes, cosmetics, and accessories. The Community Close has been carefully curated to include a variety of sizes and to accommodate various weather conditions. Current Transhealth Northampton patients and clients can visit the Community Closet during in-person appointments at the healthcare center.
“Finding clothes that can feel gender-affirming is not always accessible for trans and gender-diverse folks,” said Mia Lauer, Transhealth Northampton’s Community Engagement Specialist. “For someone early into their transition, having to build a whole new wardrobe of clothes that feel affirming can be a huge cost and a barrier. Our Community Closet works to move past that barrier and allows our patients and other members of the community to feel joy and comfort with themselves and in their gender expression.”
The healthcare center also launched Peer Support Groups that are currently accepting new registrants. Organized by age range, these support groups provide members with a space to connect with each other through their shared experience of trans and gender-diverse identity. Meetings are all virtual – and open to anyone available nationwide – and will eventually be offered through a hybrid setting.
“We are very excited to be running peer support groups that our patients and community members can be a part of,” said Transhealth Northampton’s Jess Plant, Community Health Worker at Transhealth Northampton. “These groups are trans-led and created for community members to connect and feel safe sharing things they might not be comfortable sharing with others outside of the community. It’s a euphoric feeling connecting LGBTQ+ individuals all across the Eastern coast and beyond.”
Transhealth Northampton is also hosting a few workshops that provide gender-affirming care in a communal setting. On January 18, vocal coach Lilli Woski (she/her) will lead a virtual gender-affirming voice workshop. Those seeking a safe space to explore their relationships to spirituality, community, and sense of self can join an ongoing Virtual Meditation and Visualization Series facilitated by M. Rudder.
“We have always been committed to offering services that people need and are devoted to listening to the community,” said Dallas Ducar, CEO of Transhealth Northampton. “The opening of our Community Support and Engagement Services represents the next step in truly fulfilling our mission to the communities we serve.”
More: transhealth.org
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