Expanding Gender-Affirming Care in First Episode and Clinical High-Risk for Psychosis Treatment
Christopher J. Ceccolini, MA
There is limited research addressing the needs of gender expansive individuals in the context of psychosis-spectrum illnesses and treatment. As first episode and clinical high-risk for psychosis (CHR-p) assessment and treatment become more accessible to increasingly diverse populations, there is a need for clinicians to demonstrate greater clinical competency working with individuals across diverse social backgrounds and identities. This talk (a) reviews the diagnostic profile of gender expansive individuals seeking assessment at the CEDAR Clinic between 2017 and 2020, (b) outlines gender expansive practices implemented by this clinic to support clinician competency and improve care for gender expansive patients, and (c) discusses areas for future research on psychosis risk in gender expansive populations.
Christopher J. Ceccolini, MA is a PhD candidate in counseling psychology at Boston College and predoctoral intern at NYU School of Medicine/Bellevue Hospital Center. His research focuses on how experiences of identity-based marginalization exacerbate clinical risk for psychosis in young people. He is particularly interested in mechanisms of empowerment and comprehensive care for young people with serious mental illness.
Mr. Ceccolini's clinical work centers on comprehensive interventions for youth and young adults with serious mental health needs. He has completed clinical training with this population in the New York and Boston metro areas, including Harvard Medical School and Bellevue Hospital Center. He holds a bachelor's degree from Wesleyan University and a master's degree from Teachers College, Columbia University. He is the incoming postdoctoral fellow in the Psychotic Disorders Division at Weill Cornell Medicine for fall 2022.