Gender Health Center – Staff

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Community Outreach Director – Rachael Hudson
She, Her, Hers
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Rachael was on the planning board for GHC and was voted in as Operations Manager, the only full time employee, when we opened our doors in July of 2010. Today, as Community Outreach Director, she organizes community speaking, fundraising and social events, facilitates peer support groups, and does Graphic Design and IT.

Email: rachael(at)ghcmail.org
Direct Line: (916) 520-1745

Lead Organizer – Keyko Torres
She, Her, Hers, /Ella
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Keyko is first generation Xicanx that was born and raised in San Diego, California but has made her home in Sacramento for the last decade. She attended CSU Sacramento, where she obtained her Bachelor of Arts in English. Upon graduating, she went through the Bilingual and Multicultural Education Teacher Credential Program with an emphasis in Social Justice. As a coordinator in our outreach and education program, she is able to combine her passion for education and social justice. After being a long-time volunteer, her career at the GHC began with the healthcare revolution as an enrollment counselor, and was followed by her time as our office manager and front desk volunteer coordinator. Keyko now spend her time managing communications, social media platforms, planning events such as Big Day of Giving, Art on the Edge, The Gender Bender Ball, and countless other fundraisers. In her spare time she can be found organizing for other organizations such as Sac Ladyfest and Sacramento’s Take Back the Night or singing off-key renditions of Broadway musicals with her friends.

Email: keyko(at)ghcmail.org
Direct Line: (916) 520-1745

Respite Program Manager – Kay Temple Kirk
She/Her/Hers, They/Them
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Born and raised in Sacramento, Kay Temple Kirk has brought her unique blend of empathy, wisdom, and a quick wit to her oftentimes stressful work as Gender Health Center’s Respite Program Manager. Over four plus years at GHC, Temple has served many roles, from front desk to enrollment to advocacy to running a MHSA-funded mental health program. Her unwavering commitment to providing peer advocacy services with open inclusive arms is what brings community members back to Danelle’s Place Respite time and time again, and her skills as a fundraiser, advocate, fundraiser, and performer provide dynamic capacity and utility to our ever-adapting organization.

Email: kaytemple(at)ghcmail.org
Direct Line: (916) 374-7917

Peer Advocate/Veteran Affairs – Trudi Mathison
She, Her, Hers

Trudi grew up in the bay area and joined the Army in 1978. She served for 7 years and then worked for the state of California for 20 years. She joined Team GHC in September 2016 and began her peer navigator job where she facilitates our respite program. She is also a Veterans’ Rep for trans issues and facilitates a twice-a-month transgender veterans group here at GHC.

Email: trudi(at)ghcmail.org
Direct Line: (916) 374-7917

Director of Finance – Sara E. Freid
They, Them, Theirs
I handle all aspects of accounting and finance at GHC. Working to support the trans community is a dream come true for me.

I have a BA in Political Science from UC Davis and have worked for nonprofits exclusively for 20+ years. I’m married to the world’s best woman. We have three dogs, five cats, and one human adult child.

Email: sara(at)ghcmail.org
Direct Line: (916) 476-2915

Operations Manager – Maya Rand
They, Them, Theirs
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Bio to come…

Email: maya(at)ghcmail.org
Direct Line: (916) 281-0593

Front Desk – Nghia X Nguyen
She, Her, Hers

Nghia was born in Sai Gon after the Fall, she comes from a long line of priestesses of the Đạo Mẫu traditions, a religion that worships the Mother Goddess and makes her life’s work to be one of emblematic of Đạo Mẫu’s teachings: compassion and creation. She does her daily work at GHC behind the front desk but her life’s work is undoing and resisting a white supremacist cis-heternomative imperialist patriarchy. Nghia is a cat lady and lives with her partner and two cats and an Alaskan Malamute that occupies her home life.

Email: nghia(at)ghcmail.org
Direct Line: (916) 455-2391

Front Desk – Lina Rippee
She, Her, Hers

I grew up in Davis CA. After having a very difficult time most of my life and dropping out of college I moved to Sacramento and the Gender Health Center was here to help me. After they helped me put my life back together I wanted to give back by volunteering and when the opportunity came for me to become an employee instead of a volunteer I took it. I have been working at the front desk doing scheduling and helping people over the phone since and any other tasks I can do from the front desk since.

Email: lina(at)ghcmail.org
Direct Line: (916) 455-2391

Front Desk – Sikke Healy
He, Him, His

Born in Germany, and growing up all throughout the states, several tours to Iraq for this Army Veteran to make the haul from Florida to California. Sikke stumbled upon GHC and spent time as a volunteer for front desk and harm reduction since 2016 before becoming staff. Sikke is finishing his degree as a graphic designer. His talents have helped with videography for movements in the community, and prides himself on being someone who is reliable. Sikke helps community members obtain resources that align with their situation, and scheduled for appointments to get their needs met.

Email: sikke(at)ghcmail.org
Direct Line: (916) 455-2391

Healthcare Services Director – Alejandro Contreras
He, Him, His
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Alejandro Contreras grew up in sunny Santa Barbara and moved up to the Sacramento area where he earned his BA in Social Work from CSUS. Currently he works at Gender Health Center in Sacramento as its Healthcare Services Director supporting and creating sustainable health services catered to transgender, gender queer, non-binary and non-conforming communities as well as providing learning opportunities for healthcare providers. He is also the site study manger for the TRIUMPH Project, a study that focuses on PrEP access and Trans communities. He is currently working on his Master’s in Social Work from USC with an emphasis in social change and policy. Alejandro has been living with HIV for 10 years and has devoted much of his young life to advocacy, social justice, policy change and visibility for people living with HIV and queer communities. When not being a instrument for social action, he spends his free time playing video games, going to music festivals and cooking extravagant meals.

Email: alejandro(at)ghcmail.org
Direct Line: (916) 218-6050

Psychiatry Director – Swati Rao
She, Her, Hers
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Bio to come…

Harm Reduction Program Manager – Robyn Learned
She, Her, Hers
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Growing up in Wisconsin I had never even dreamed that one day I would be getting paid to talk to folks about sex and drugs and ways to play safely. I was brought into harm reduction work through my work as an HIV Test Counselor; and I have discovered a real passion for educating and supporting my trans siblings on their journeys. I am also honored to serve as a Community Co-Chair for the State Office of AIDS California Planning Group, where I get to represent the Trans community. I also love to cycle with NCAC as a part of Team Ladybug and can often be found spending weekends swimming or rafting on one our local rivers.

Email: robyn(at)ghcmail.org
Direct Line: (916) 438-9843

Clinic Program Manager – Jasmine A. Bright
She, Her, Hers

I am from Pittsburg, Ca. I love helping people in every way that I can. As a trans-woman I want to help create positive change for all people, but especially woman of color. I provide healthcare navigation, HIV/STI/STD testing, and emotional support for my community members . I am dedicated, devoted , and compassionate about my work in the community. As the Clinic Program Manger I over see the Hormone Clinic and PrEP (Pre-exposure Prophalaxis) Clinic.

Email: jasmine(at)ghcmail.org
Direct Line: (916) 476-2916

Peer Health Navigator – Loveli Lewis
She, Her, Hers
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Bio to come…

Email: loveli(at)ghcmail.org
Direct Line: (916) 476-2916

Clinical Director – David Nylund
He, Him, His
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I am proud to be from Detroit. My ethics and values as a social worker and social justice led me to work with marginalized communities. I also come to this work as Social Work Professor and Queer Theory scholar and Narrative Therapy practitioner. I am proud of having known and supervised Danelle Saldana, the visionary of the GHC. I have been a part of the GHC since its inception. I supervise the therapists and student interns, conduct the group supevision meetings, conduct trainings in Narrative Therapy and Feedback Informed Treatment and do consulting sessions with community members.

Director of Programs – Alex Filippelli
He, Him, His/They, Them, Theirs
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Alex is a queer and trans activist committed to addressing the root causes of systemic violence and creating safe, loving communities for people of all genders and sexualities. They hold an MSW from the University of Victoria, Canada. Alex lived on Coast Salish Territories prior to moving to Miwok Territory in 2014 to join the GHC team. Alex’s scope of work encompasses mental health and healthcare provider education, program evaluation, & systems transformation to increase access to culturally responsive services for the trans community in our region. Alex finds passion and peace exploring the territory by VW bus, bike or boots, and sharing meals with good company.

Email: alex(at)ghcmail.org
Direct Line: (916) 476-2914

Counseling Program Manager – Ryan Kim Tiêu
They, Them, Theirs

Ryan is a first-generation Southeast Asian born in Sài Gòn. At age 5, they immigrated to the South Bay Area to reunite with family members displaced by US imperialism, war, and colonialism. They graduated with their Bachelor’s degree from UC Davis in 2017 and their Master of Social Work from UC Berkeley in 2019. Ryan’s lends a critical perspective to their work and interests including: overseeing GHC’s mental health program, research, narrative therapy, decolonizing mental health care, and depathologizing trans care. In their free time, Ryan enjoys cooking/cooking shows, queer potlucks, paint by numbers, and homebody-ing with their favorite Scorpios (their partner and their dog).

Email: ryan(at)ghcmail.org
Direct Line: (916)248-4988

Advocacy Program Manager – Maddi Behrouzmand-Stratton
They, Them, Theirs
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Maddi is originally from Arizona, but Sacramento has been home base since they were 10. They have also lived in Chico, Ca and Mount Airy, Maryland. Maddi identifies as Asexual, and Non Binary. They graduated with their MSW, from CSU, Chico in 2012. They are currently overseeing the advocacy program at GHC. Maddi was brought into their work at GHC through their passion in working within the trans community, supporting other trans community as a peer, and lifting up other various trans stories and narratives as a valued truth. Maddi engages their work through a social justice, and harm reduction lens.

Email: maddi(at)ghcmail.org
Direct Line: (916) 218-6079

Lead Trans Peer Advocate – Ayotunde Ikuku
They, Them, Theirs
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Bio to come…

Email: ayotunde(at)ghcmail.org
Direct Line: (916) 218-6078

Lead Trans Peer Advocate – Esperanz Aguilera Fuentes
She, Her, Hers

Esperanz is a rural nonbinary trans Latina that was born and raised in Colusa, CA. She made her way to Sacramento to pursue her original dream of being an accomplished classical flutist but is now working to become a licensed clinical social worker. Now that she’s at GHC, she helps community with healthcare navigation, identity document changes, and peer support.

Email: esperanz(at)ghcmail.org
Direct Line: (916) 218-7974