JJ Jackson is currently pursuing a Master’s Degree at The Chicago School of Professional Psychology in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. JJ’s current research interests are centered on counseling queer youth of color, communities most impacted by HIV/AIDS through a mental health context, and social determinants of health that influence the sexual behaviors of QPOCs. JJ also has interests in vicarious trauma, pathological altruism and how that affects help-seeking behaviors for queer persons of color. JJ currently works as an HIV/AIDS Care Coordinator at a non-profit LGBTQ safe space. JJ was the sole recipient at his school of the National Board for Certified Counselors Minority Fellowship which requires him to directly impact transition-aged youth and he used the funding to create operational policies, competencies, and documents to enhance overall engagement and care to LGTBQQIA youth of color.

JJ is seeking to reintroduce the concept of Transparency as a healing mechanism for divergent and minoritized identities that did not have space for their voices to be heard, specifically, Black and Latino MSM.

JJ is extremely humbled and honored to be an HIV League Scholar with one of his long-term goals is to be a licensed clinical psychotherapist working directly with sexually and gender divergent minorities. Aside from “attempting” to be Superman by day and Clark Kent by night, JJ loves playing tennis, smiling, watching scary movies, reading, and being a father to a rambunctious Chihuahua mix named Zoe. On a more freeing note, this is the first time JJ is coming out about their status since finding out their diagnosis.

Jacksonville, FL - The Chicago School of Professional Psychology - Two-Year Full-Time 2019 HIV League Scholar ($7,000)