Peer-to-Peer Consultation

for Mental Health and Medical Providers writing Gender-Affirming Surgery Support Letters

Responding to a request to write a support letter for a client—whether you've been working with them for years, weeks, or for a one-time meeting —can be overwhelming. It often raises many questions and concerns about how to meet our clients' needs while navigating the expectations of the systems we work within.

Providers may face internal dilemmas over ethical practice and the gatekeeping role. Cisgender providers might have additional concerns about implicit bias in their role. Trans, nonbinary, and gender-expansive providers may face extra challenges related to  being gatekeepers while also having lived experience.

We will focus on clinical consultation, practical information and specific feedback to empower your work of confidently and ethically meeting your clients’ needs. 

Contact SAYFTEE director, Melissa, to learn more about signing up for this consultation. 

What the consultation may include:

• Enhance your understanding of gender and its expansiveness. 

• Deepen your nuanced understanding of navigating the medical system to support and advocate for clients seeking surgery.

• Bring your questions about gender-affirming surgery letter assessment and writing process for clarification.

• Receive guidance on challenging situations, such as handling multiple letter requests for different surgeries, balancing clinical considerations when uncomfortable writing a letter, communicating concerns to clients, addressing client worries in light of anti-trans legislation, and using advocacy skills to navigate obstacles from medical and insurance systems to secure surgery coverage for clients.

• Identify and examine transferential issues and implicit bias related to our professional role, and meeting clients’ needs for gender-affirming surgery support letters.

• Workshop your client assessment questionnaires for clinical documentation and record-keeping.

• Review and brainstorm ideas for agency protocols providing gender-affirming letter services, and gain access to interview guides and letter templates.

About the Consultant

Sarah Eley, LICSW (she/her) has 14 years of experience in community health and private practice settings collaborating with colleagues and providing gender affirming surgery needs assessments to adults ages 18 and up. 

She has created proposals for and led a workgroup over reviewing existing and developing new agency protocols, visit and documentation systems to reduce barriers to care. And has provided individual and group consultation and training in agency staff meeting settings, for online continuing education credit trainings as well as at conferences on the subject. 

Sarah sees providing space for conversations of this kind as part of an effort to improve access and reduce barriers to care for trans, nonbinary and gender expansive people. 

Interested in Further Training?

For group consultation or further training at your practice or organization on gender-affirming clinical assessment skills and letter-writing, please inquire.