SCGC Statement on Reproductive Rights and Resource List

The genetic counselor to client relationship is based on values of care and respect for the client’s autonomy, individuality, welfare, and freedom. As a result of the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision overruling Roe v. Wade, not only has the genetic counselor to client relationship become jeopardized, this decision swiftly limited access to safe reproductive healthcare in many parts of the country.

We oppose any legislation that prohibits a client’s equal access to reproductive care, restricts the genetic counselor-client relationship, and marginalizes an individual, as these actions go against our tenets and infringe on the NSGC Code of Ethics. We s

tand in solidarity with the National Society of Genetic Counselors and other medical professional organizations and echo that all individuals have a right to make independent reproductive health decisions.

This year, important issues are on the ballot. Reminder that the California deadline to register to vote is Monday October 24, 2022. Register here: https://registertovote.ca.gov/

We hope that you find the following resources helpful:

Advocacy groups:

https://www.genuinecollective.org/what-is-the-collective

https://www.reproductivefreedomca.org

https://reproductiverights.org/

What to know about abortion access in California:

https://www.capradio.org/articles/2022/06/24/abortion-is-still-legal-in-california-here-are-answers-to-questions-about-access-in-the-state/

NSGC member resources:

https://www.nsgc.org/Policy-Research-and-Publications/Reproductive-Access-Freedom-and-Justice-Resources

Podcasts Episodes:

DNA Today Episode 191 “Overturning Roe v. Wade with Laura Hercher

Organizations you may want to donate to:

https://accessrj.org/

https://www.womenshealthspecialists.org/about/women-in-need-fund/

Summer Updates from the SCGC Board of Directors

The SCGC Nominating Committee is busy collecting and reviewing applications for nominations for the SCGC Board of Directors 2023 slate. Board positions that are open for nominations are:

• President-elect

• Treasurer

• Community Outreach Chair

• Secretary

• Marketing Chair

• Membership Chair

Click here for a description of roles and responsibilities. Continuing positions that are not open for nominations are: President (Stacey Wong), Past President (Michelle Fox), Education Chair (Rebecca LeShay), and DEI chair (Nydia Santiago Neal).

Please apply today by sending your CV and short statement about why you want to work on the SCGC Board. Send your election materials to michellefoxgc@gmail.com by July 29.

The SCGC Nominating Committee members are Michelle Fox (Chair), Ariela Emery, Hilary Kershberg, and Joan Oliver.

Community Outreach Update:

Earlier this year, we announced our collaboration with the Genetic Counseling Student Prospective Student Network (GCPSN) to give presentations at community colleges regarding the genetic counseling field. Here’s a report from our initial pilot project:

• We provided 6 talks to community college groups across SoCal from April-June 2022

  • 6 unique volunteer speakers from SCGC membership (with more who volunteered to host a session!)

  • Groups included science clubs, pre-health club, psychology club, and career services

100% of survey respondents were interested/very interested in the presentation and 100% of survey respondents found the presentation moderately to very relevant to their future career goals:

We will soon start planning a second round of outreach for the Fall 2022 academic year and are excited to continue our partnership with the GCPSN in this effort. We welcome others who may be interested in participating in this project to reach out to Nydia Santiago Neal (DEI Chair) and Lauren Gima (Community Outreach Chair) for more information.

Have you been enjoying the benefits of the SCGC Forum?

Log in to socalgc.org and visit the Forum to learn about job postings, announcements, research, and more. All members can view, post to, and comment on the Forum.

We’ve received feedback that some people aren’t receiving

email notifications for new Forum posts. Please see our 3-step guide for how to subscribe to email notifications, and make sure to add info@socalgc.org to your “safe senders” list so that emails don’t go to your Spam folder.

The Education Committee is actively planning an event for the fall and even more events for 2023! Keep an eye out for announcements.

Updates from the SCGC Board of Directors

Hello SCGC Members! Starting this year, the Board will be periodically updating you on what we’re working on. Here’s what SCGC has in store for 2022:

Lauren Gima (Community Outreach Chair) & Nydia Santiago Neal (Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Chair) have been working for the past 6 months with the Genetic Counseling Student Prospective Student Network (GCPSN) to connect with local area community college clubs and career advisors to organize "Intro to Genetic Counseling" presentations. Our goal is to increase awareness of the genetic counseling career path to underrepresented student populations. Please reach out to us if you are interested in hosting a talk!

Rebecca Leshay joins the Board of Directors in the new position of Education Chair! We have sent out a needs assessment to better understand how to focus our efforts, and hope to have at least one event later this year. We are forming the Education Committee to help plan these activities, so please reach out if you are interested in volunteering and being considered!

The Annual Education Conference is right around the corner – Friday, May 13! Attend in person or virtually. Check out the preliminary program.

Naomi Wagner

Here’s a sneak peek from Naomi Wagner’s presentation on emerging gene-based therapies: “My talk will review the status of gene-based treatments for inherited conditions and will also discuss some important counseling considerations to help genetic counselors answer questions like, ‘If the COVID-19 vaccine was developed so quickly, why can't we have an RNA treatment for my condition?’”

Conference Co-Chairs: Annie Baxter & Taylor Berninger; Program Committee Co-Chairs: Hilary Kershberg & Emily Parkhurst

Our Board of Directors Officers, Stacey Wong (President), Michelle Fox (Past-President), Bill Herbert (Treasurer), and Lauren Siems (Secretary), have all been hard at work setting the foundation and infrastructure to set our future SCGC leadership up for success. From creating the next Nomination Committee for 2022 elections, to facilitating goal setting for the BOD Committees, to organizing finances vital for the AEC and SCGC operations, the executive board is enthusiastic for this year!

By early 2022, SCGC organized membership through our website so that members can connect with one another and update their own contact information. We are proud of our 170 Full Members, 29 Student Members, and 12 Associate Members who have created profiles at socalgc.org, and we’re looking to grow! Anyone who is interested in becoming a member of SCGC can create a member profile here. Members get access to Forum posts about job openings and community resources, with more perks coming in the future! Contact Membership Chair Ariela Emery with any questions via chat at socalgc.org.