Goal
(examples) | Specific action(s) |
| Youth | Family/parent | Therapist/other child health professionals |
| Youth priorities |
| Be allowed to dress in the gender they assert | - Pick out clothes that express asserted gender and are school and age appropriate
| - Assist the youth with in-store, online shopping
- Allow the youth to cut hair in style they want
| - Reassure parents that allowing a youth to express their asserted gender is generally desirable for self-esteem and identity development
|
| Be called by asserted name and pronouns | - Tell friends that you would like them to use your asserted name and desired pronouns
| - Make using asserted name a priority for self and family members; apologize and try again when mistakes are made
- Engage with school, peers and parents, and other family and social settings to introduce and find ways to maintain change in name and pronouns
| - Impress upon parents and others that use of the asserted name and pronouns is very important to the youth; it sends the youth a message that their identity is acknowledged and that their needs are important
|
| Family/parent priorities |
| Help the youth disclose at a time and in a manner that allows parents to prepare important support persons | - May need to delay full social transition until parents have talked to and prepared other support persons
- Can fully social transition at home with support of parents
- Consider and tell parent if there are any persons who might make transition unsafe
| - Work with teachers, guidance office, and principal to create plan for disclosure to peers
- Have plan for supporting the youth when there are negative reactions to disclosure
| - Work with schools to increase their knowledge of gender-diverse youth and needs specific to this youth and family
- Engage agencies that may help parents by taking the role of advocate so that parents can maintain role of caregiver
|
| Maintain plans for safety with potential for bullying and assault | - Be alert to persons or situations that present as negative or threatening regarding their gender expression
- Immediately report to teacher and parent(s) if persons are bullying or threatening
| - Discuss with principal and school zero tolerance policies on bullying and assault
- Consider which past and present persons and settings may be negative or harmful to the youth's transition goals
| - Work with youth and parents regarding healthy ways to express self, react to negative social interactions, and maintain safety with persons who are not supportive or intolerant
|
| Mental health provider priorities |
| Prevent self-harm and suicide | - Agree to safety plan with therapist
| - Know safety plan and be one of the responsible adults to whom the youth can report suicidal or self-harm thoughts
| - Encourage total honesty and disclosure when discussing self-harm, suicidality, and suicide attempts; review and revise safety plan as needed
|
| Family/parent acceptance | - Understand that parents and other families may "transition" and accept their identity in a somewhat different time frame than theirs
| - Be open to individual, couples, or family therapy to learn how to adapt to the youth's asserted identity and cope with their own feelings
| - Assist parents, siblings, and additional significant caregivers with their own thoughts and feelings with the transition plan
|
