Are seniors’ residences ready to welcome LGBTQ+ people ?

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Are you concerned with issues of anti-homophobia and the well-being of LGBTQ+ people? Are you wondering about the conditions of welcome for LGBTQ+ people in seniors’ residences? Don’t miss this opportunity to learn about a critical issue in our society. Join us and take part in this unmissable conference!

JULIEN ROUGERIE

Interested in the invisibility of LGBTQ+ seniors, Julien Rougerie joined Fondation Émergence in April 2017 to take up their cause as the manager of the program Pour que vieillir soit gai, a program to raise awareness of sexual and gender diversity in senior communities.

Among other things, he is the one who provides training to help professionals offer more welcoming and inclusive services to LGBTQ+ seniors.

DARREN USHER (he/him/his) MSW, RSW

Darren is the current Board Chair of Dignity Seniors Society and brings a solid background in Gestalt psychotherapy/Social Work and over 25 years’ experience of delivering and managing front line social services for gender and sexually diverse individuals and communities. He has extensive knowledge of the British Columbian Mental Health community and coordinated the BC Alliance on Mental Health and Addictions from 2010 to 2012. During his five years (2009 to 2015) as Program Manager of Health Initiative for Men (BC’s Gay Men’s Health Organization), Darren initiated many programs focusing on gay men’s (MSM) mental and social health. Most recently Darren spent two years working as Director of Professional Practice and Interim Registrar at the BC College of Social Workers focusing on professional regulation. Currently Darren works with the BC Association of Social Workers advocating for the profession of social work and social justice issues in BC. Outside work Darren loves traveling, cooking (and eating!) and relaxing with his partner of 22 years and their close friends.

Adriaan de Vries (he/him/his), MSW, MBA, PIDip[educ], 500RYT

Adrian is the current Board Vice Chair of Dignity Seniors Society and has had a multi-faceted career in Social Work, Finance and Education. Some areas of concentration in Social Work have been work with youth, addictions, mental health, and people living with HIV/AIDS. Finance endeavours were in managing finance and administration functions for Western Canada in a large federal department. Education included dementia/Alzheimer’s, HIV/AIDS, spirituality, and personal growth. Now retired, Adriaan’s passion for health in mind and body led him to train as a yoga instructor at 68 and he now leads 4 – 5 classes per week. His concern for the “under-dog” as reflected in his career, is still active today in his mentoring, LGBTQI refugee work, and queer seniors’ issues complemented by meditation, “family”, reading, personal expansion, yoga practice and volunteering.