SURGE isn't your average LGBTQIA+ training.

Supporting, Uplifting, and Reinforcing Gender-Expansive Experiences (SURGE) is a conference for mental health professionals committed to affirming LGBTQIA+ youth, with an emphasis on gender-expansive youth.

Planned by leading Michigan LGBTQIA+ organizations alongside a committee of trans & non-binary youth, SURGE offers CEUs, practical tools, and bold sessions that go beyond the basics so you can provide care that truly supports the youth you serve.

Registration is now closed for SURGE! If you want to stay in the loop, sign up for SURGE emails to be the first to know conference dates, registration announcements, and more!

October 8th, 2025 • 8:15a - 5p • Ann Arbor, MI

Logos of SURGE planning orgs: My Trans Voice, Equality Michigan, Michigan Safe Space, Stand with Trans, Ruth Ellis Center, and MOASH.

Thank you to the sponsors
making SURGE possible!

Align your name with Michigan’s most affirming mental health conference.

Sponsorship Benefits

2025 Keynote Speakers & Sessions

Dr. Jen Towns smiles warmly in front of evergreen trees, wearing a white sweater. Her name is curved around the top of the circular image.

UofM School of Social Work Professor

Author of “Our Deepest Roots:

Navigating Past Trauma To Build Healthier Queer Relationships“

Vic Gipson smiles in a close-up portrait, wearing a black hoodie. His name curves along the top edge of the circular photo.

Social Work Student

Michigan Youth Trans Voice Facilitator

Gender Affirming Mental Health Care from an Intersectionality Lens

Lu Evergreen, LMSW (they/them) & David Fulkerson, LMSW (he/him)

This session will explore the current geopolitical climate for transgender individuals and its impact on mental health. Presenters will review research on mental health outcomes related to receiving gender-affirming care and discuss treatment considerations for transgender people who are BIPOC and/or neurodivergent.

Beyond the Chart: Centering the Lived Experiences of Trans Youth in Healthcare

Jazz McKinney, MA, LLP (they/them) & DL McKinney, MPA, Ed.S (they/them)

This session offers an inside look at how trans youth and families navigate care systems that often focus more on diagnoses and documentation than lived experience. Presenters—both trans adults and caregivers to a trans child with complex needs—will discuss how provider bias, clinical oversights, and systemic barriers compound harm and increase burdens on families.

Impact of Individual and Collective Queer Trauma on Relationship Development and Maintenance

Dr. Jen Towns, LMSW (she/her)

This session explores how individual and collective queer trauma affects relationship formation and maintenance. Presenters will examine how identity, trauma histories, and social context shape attachment, intimacy, and relational safety. Neurobiological and emotional dynamics will be discussed to support deeper understanding and healing in queer relationships.

Transformative Self-Care

Autumn Joy Campbell (she/her) & Greg Myers (he/him)

The LGBTQIA+ community has endured deep individual and collective trauma, resulting in widespread stress, nervous system dysregulation, and emotional exhaustion. This session will equip participants to identify, examine, and apply practices that move beyond surface-level mindfulness.

Topics include:
• Emotional intelligence and literacy
• Nervous system regulation and somatics
• Discharging stress and metabolizing trauma
• Real self-care vs. performative practices
• Breaking the stress cycle
• Addressing toxic positivity and gaslighting
• Cultivating radical, authentic collective care

This session is designed for those ready to deepen their approach to personal and community healing.

Leveling the Playing Field: Supporting Trans, Non-Binary, and Gender-Expansive Student-Athletes in Schools

DL McKinney, MPA, MEd. (they/them) & Callie Youngman, M.Ed. (she/they)

This session explores how school counselors and social workers can create inclusive, affirming, and equitable athletic environments for transgender, non-binary, and gender-expansive (TGNB) student-athletes. Using a trauma-informed and systems-level approach, presenters will offer tools for navigating policy, building safety, and supporting identity development in sports settings.

Supporting LGBTQ+ Students in Schools: Best Practices Amidst a Challenging Landscape

Kim Phillips-Knope (she/her)

Michigan educators and health care providers have found themselves not knowing what to do when it comes to supporting LGBTQ+ students, especially transgender, nonbinary, and intersex students. They have heard contradictory messages at the federal and state levels, and are at a loss for how to proceed. LGBTQ+ students are harmed by proposed anti-LGBTQ+ directives, laws and rhetoric. No matter what the political landscape looks like in specific communities these students show up in our schools and health centers every day, and deserve the same access to quality education and health care as their non-LGBTQ+ peers. This interactive workshop will provide practical strategies regarding following state civil rights laws, organizational policies, and best practices, when it comes to supporting LGBTQ+ youth.

Beyond the Party: Harm Reduction Strategies and The Realities Of Night Life

Swan Irvin (she/her) & Aidel Hawkins (she/they)

This workshop invites mental health professionals to reimagine nightlife not only as a site of celebration but also as a place of community, resilience, and radical support.

For decades, nightlife has been a sanctuary for Queer individuals and a place for community building, visibility, and joy in a world that often denies these things. Yet behind the music and lights lie complex realities around substance use, safety, and survival.

In this session, presenters will draw on their experiences as co-founders of Detroit nightlife collective Dolls Night Detroit to explore the intersection of harm reduction and nightlife. Attendees will engage in candid conversations about why youth and young adults seek out nightlife spaces, the risks that exist, and how providers can center care without judgment while building trust with youth who frequent these spaces.

By the end of the session, participants will:
• Gain insight into common substance interactions and harm reduction strategies.
• Explore the impact of peer-led conversations in promoting safety and resilience.
• Learn practical approaches for supporting youth who engage with nightlife as a space of identity, belonging, and survival.

Journey Ahead: Advancing Inclusive Care for LGBTQ+ Young People

JM Triplett (they/them) & Celina Ortiz (she/they)

This session introduces Journey Ahead, a trauma-informed, peer-facilitated support model designed for LGBTQ+ youth in care. Grounded in identity development and the Transitions Framework, the program removes barriers by offering non-billable, incentive-based support that doesn’t require insurance or a diagnosis. Participants will explore how the model promotes economic justice, affirming relationships, and placement stability through high return rates and relational continuity.

Queer Adults Making Space for Queer Youth in School Settings

Suzie Staley, PhD (she/her) & Hananiah Wiggins (they/them)

Explore how queer adults can engage young LGBTQ+ people in supportive, high-quality programs. This session will examine the evolving landscape of youth needs and identities, and highlight the importance of showing up with authenticity, flexibility, and intention.

Stand Out: Supporting Parents of Gender Diverse Youth

Lorina Karreci (she/her)

This session highlights a support program of parents of transgender and gender-diverse (TGD) youth. The program aimed to increase parental knowledge and understanding of gender identity while fostering a sense of community. Lorina will share outcomes and discuss how adapting family-focused curriculum into youth programs can promote gender affirmation, reduce isolation, and increase protective factors, especially amid rising political attacks on trans youth and their families.

Who is SURGE for?

The short answer: we welcome therapists, case managers, social work students, wraparound facilitators, psychologists, school counselors, peers, and anyone else working in the mental health realm.

The long answer: A key tenant of SURGE is ensuring that all mental health professionals are welcome! We recognize the importance of all mental health roles in providing wholistic care to adolescents. Whether you're pursuing your BSW or have been in practice for 45 years... SURGE is for YOU!