VHA National LGBTQ+ VCC Program Manager. Veterans Administration.

Transgender American Veterans Association Executive Director.

UnicornHealthCare

E.J. Smith, M.S., LPC, NCC, CCTP, CTCT is a psychotherapist in private practice in Washington, DC where she specializes in sexual and gender identity related issues including transition, sexual trauma, navigating polyamory/ethical nonmonogamy, kink/BDSM and more. She is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), Certified Clinical Trauma Professional (CCTP) and Certified Transgender Healthcare Therapist. She has worked in a variety of settings, including in-patient, community non-profit, and government, and been in private practice since 2016, working with individuals healing the wounds created by sexual trauma, and navigating the journey of sexual and gender identity discovery.

She lectures on topics including trauma, anxiety and stress management, military related stress, gender and sexual identity, mindfulness, managing compassion fatigue, ethical decision making, the assessment of mental disorders, and sexual self-advocacy, communication, freedom, and pleasure for sexual assault survivors and gender minorities.

She has been a featured expert in Self, Bustle, Queerty*, and Modern Military Magazine. She served on several advisory boards for national advocacy organizations such as Military Family Advisory Network (MFAN) and Modern Military Association of America.

She holds a Master of Science (M.S.) degree in Mental Health Counseling from Walden University in Minneapolis, MN and is presently pursuing her Ph.D. in Counselor Education and Supervision.

She can be found at www.unicornhealthcare.com or Instagram at @ejsmith.therapy

Coatesville PA VAMC Community Program Officer

America’s Warrior Partnership

Tribal Elder Kickapoo Tribe of Oklahoma, Staff Advisor/ Native American/Alaskan Native - Office of the Secretary (OSVA) VA Center for Minority Veterans, U.S. Marine Corps Veteran, Zeta Beta Tau Fraternity - Delta Gamma

America’s Warrior Partnership

Clinical Care Coordinator, Field Operations, Veterans…
VHA Central Office of Mental Health and Suicide Prevention

Kel Maisenbacher (they/them) is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) and graduate from the State University at Albany. They have worked in crisis settings for eight years including community mobile crisis teams, as a Suicide Prevention Coordinator and now serving as a Clinical Care Coordinator for the Veteran Crisis Line within the field operations division. As a Clinical Care Coordinator, Kel works on projects at VCL to enhance clinical care and serves as a liaison with Suicide Prevention Coordinators across the country. One of their recent projects included training VCL responders in working with LGBTQ+ Veterans. Outside of VCL, Kel owns and operates a small private therapy practice where they work with Trans individuals seeking access to gender affirming care and provides psychotherapy services to LGBTQ+ adults.

Saginaw Michigan VA