Refugee Mental Health Expert Dr. Sharalyn Jordan Speaks at PAU on LGBTQ+ Persecution

PAU hosted an evening of learning and discussion on Monday, November 5th with Sharalyn Jordan, Ph.D., assistant professor of counseling, psychology and equity studies at Canada's Simon Fraser University. Dr. Jordan's talk, Doing Justice with/in Research with Refugee Survivors of Homophobic and Transphobic Persecution, took place at the Palo Alto Art Center and was open to the public. PAU students, faculty and staff were encouraged to attend.

Dr. Jordan works at the intersection of mental health and social justice, using community-engaged and critical qualitative inquiry to research the implications of homophobic and transphobic persecution for refugee protection, settlement, and mental health. Her research explores how the intersectionality of erasure, stigma, trauma, and oppressions constrain possibilities for safety, belonging, and resilience of Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Queer (LGBTQ+) refugees.

In community collaborations, Dr. Jordan mobilizes research into legal, policy, and social service interventions that promote more equitable, LGBTQ+ responsive, and trauma-informed approaches to refugee protection and settlement. Current projects included consultation and training for the Refugee Board's Guideline on decisions related to Sexual Orientation Gender Identity and Expression, community-based research on psychosocial supports and adaptation of SOGIE/LGBTQ+ refugees. Dr. Jordan publishes across disciplines, with publications in Refuge, Forced Migration Review, Qualitative Health Research and Canadian Journal of Communication. A champion of gender equity, safety and belonging, Dr. Jordan lives and works on the unceded territories of the Coast Salish peoples: the Musqueam, Squamish, Sto'lo, and Tsleil-Waututh Nations.

Event details: 6:30pm: Catered Reception took place (Palo Alto Art Center) 7:15pm: Talk by Sharalyn Jordan, Ph.D., followed by Q&A session with PAU President Maureen O'Connor, Ph.D., J.D., and CLEAR Director Kimberly Balsam, Ph.D. (Palo Alto Art Center) Registration was free and guests were asked to RSVP. For inquiries and accommodation information, guests contacted Jo at jharvey@paloaltou.edu or (650) 433-3856. Admission was free.

The event was sponsored by The Center for LGBTQ Evidence-Based Applied Research (CLEAR) of Palo Alto University, with thanks to the partner Asian Americans for Community Involvement (AACI).